On Wednesday afternoon, Brett McMurphy sent shockwaves through the college football world. He dropped a bombshell by claiming that Urban Meyer knew of domestic abuse allegations against one of his assistant coaches all the way back in 2015. McMurphy released pretty convincing evidence of the claim through statements, photographs, and text messages from Courtney Smith, the ex-wife of former Ohio State assistant coach Zach Smith.
The news has many wondering whether or not Urban Meyer will still be employed by the start of the season, in fact the university has already placed him on paid administrative leave, pending an investigation. Urban Meyer himself said that coaches that lie should be banned from the sport back in September 2017, and those words are sure to be used against him in the next hours, days, and weeks.
In light of this news, BetDSI has released odds on the likelihood of Urban Meyer to still be employed by Ohio State at the start of the college football season. Let’s take a look at the odds.
Urban Meyer is head coach of Ohio State Buckeyes on September 1, 2018
Yes –300
No +240
There are many that believe Ohio State has no choice but to fire Urban Meyer after what happened with former coach Jim Tressel. In early 2011, news broke that Tressel had known of an arrangement between Ohio State players and a tattoo shop owner in which the players would exchange jerseys, championship rings, and other football paraphernalia in exchange for tattoos and other goods. He had previously told both Athletic Director Gene Smith and President Gordon Gee that he was unaware of the deal, but that turned out to be false after a public records request was fulfilled. Eventually, Tressel was forced to resign a couple months after the scandal broke.
The accusations against Meyer are far worse than the accusations against Tressel. However, there is reason to believe that Meyer won’t get fired. The University of Colorado was in a similar situation with Mike MacIntyre last season, but the school decided to keep the coach rather than terminate his contract.
This offseason also saw Bob Davie not get fired by the University of New Mexico after multiple serious allegations. It was alleged that Davie might have obstructed a rape investigation, may have hit some of his players, and used racial epithets frequently. He was suspended without pay, but not fired, and that is largely the status quo with college coaches.
Head coach of Ohio State Buckeyes on September 1, 2018?
Urban Meyer -300
Greg Schiano +400
Kevin Wilson +600
Ryan Day +800
Alex Grinch +1000
Les Miles +1200
Jim Grobe +1500
Rich Rodriguez +1800
Luke Fickell +2000
Justin Fuente +2500
Jim Tressel +3000
Lane Kiffin +3000
Houston Nutt +5000
Joe Moorhead +5000
Chris Ash +5000
Hue Jackson +7500
Tom Herman +10000
Jim Harbaugh +20000
James Franklin +20000
Nick Saban +20000
If Meyer decides to resign or is fired by the administration, it’s very likely that he will be replaced by one of his assistant coaches. Greg Schiano is the longest-tenured assistant on the roster and has previous head-coaching experience, so he is the most likely replacement.
Kevin Wilson is next on the list. The administration may decide not to replace Meyer with a candidate that has been through the ringer in Schiano, which means Wilson would likely get the nod. Wilson coached at the University of Indiana from 2011 to 2016, but he has a cloud over his head too. There were reports that he mistreated players during his time at Indiana, so the school may not be too keen on him either.
Co-offensive coordinator Ryan Day and co-defensive coordinator Alex Grinch round out the list of favorites that are currently on staff.
Just behind them are recently unemployed coaches that are used to the spotlight of a major program. Les Miles, Jim Grobe, and Rich Rodriguez would all jump at the opportunity to take this job. Even though Miles and Rodriguez have Michigan ties, they are eager to get back into coaching and would be unlikely to refuse if given the option.
