Between the scandal, old arrests surfacing, and unreal Twitter rants, former Ohio State Buckeyes assistant coach Zach Smith was talked about more in the last year-plus for his mishaps than he ever was for his actual college football job. And just like your favorite records, the hits just kept on coming.
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Smith, the disgraced assistant of former OSU head coach Urban Meyer, was arrested in May 2019 for allegedly violating a protection order against him. He was arrested by the Delaware County Sheriff's Office in Ohio and booked into the Delaware County Jail, where records show he had been released.
According to the sheriff's office, via USA Today, Smith was arrested following an altercation with the staff at Scioto Ridge Elementary School. Smith got into a "confrontation" with school personnel when he was not allowed to pick up his children. Smith was ultimately charged with a misdemeanor for violating the civil protection order.
Zach Smith Arrested... Again
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Zach Smith, who was fired from Ohio State last July, loves his kids. He's done everything he can to prove that on social media and in interviews after the scandal and domestic abuse allegations originally surfaced. And, naturally, statements from both the former Ohio State assistant's attorney and the counsel for his ex-wife Courtney Smith, who now also goes by Courtney Carano, about the event do not necessarily match.
Here is video of the former wide receivers coach's arraignment in May, via WBNS 10TV in Columbus.
WBNS 10TV in Columbus released the statements from both lawyers.
"Same old, same old. Absolutely malicious move by his ex-wife to have Zach arrested at their kids' school when he was there to pick them up. She's in contempt of court for not giving him the kids to him last night which she was supposed to. Just very sad for the children. 100% avoidable by both of them."
— Brad Koffel, Zach Smith's Attorney, via 10TV
According to Courtney's counsel, Julia L. Leveridge, it was not Zach Smith's "court-ordered parenting time, and the school is not the exchange location."
"Contrary to statements made by Mr. Smith's attorney as has been reported, Mr. Smith agreed to a 3-year Consent Agreement Domestic Violence Civil Protection Order to stay away from his exwife. This order is to protect Courtney Smith, and she did not agree to any "mutual" stay-away order. No court has found Courtney in contempt of any court order. Due to recent events, Courtney remains in feat for her safety and the safety and well being of the parties' children, who are Courtney's primary concern. It is unfortunate that Mr. Smith chose to violate court orders rather than put the parties' children first.
— Julia L. Leveridge
There are two sides to every story. This entire saga with the former Ohio State assistant football coach Zach Smith is proof of that. What's sad is this just didn't seem like it will ever end.
Zach Smith Sentenced to 180 Days in Jail
Approximately nine months after his arrest for violating a civil protection order, ex-Ohio State assistant Zach Smith was sentenced on Friday morning, February 7, 2020. He was found guilty in December, according to The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach, but his sentencing came a couple of months later.
Smith was sentenced to 180 days in jail — with only 20 days to be served immediately — plus anger management, 40 hours of community service, and three-years probation with drugs and alcohol conditions.
Ohio State football has certainly moved on from Smith, and even the Urban Meyer days, but news like this just adds more to already ugly picture of the past.
This post was originally published on May 10, 2019 before updating.
