Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi reached out to the legendary coach to ask about the ongoing situation with Meyer and the Buckeyes. Here is what he had to say.
“I consider Urban a good friend, I really do. Here’s what I’m hoping and praying happened is that his wife, Shelley, did not tell him about the latest incident in 2015. I guess we’ll wait and see … whether she told him about it. It’s unfortunate that the guy (Zach Smith) was allowed to be on the staff for that long a period of time. Hopefully, it’ll be proven that Urban did not know anything about it, and as soon as he found out about it, he dismissed the guy.”
He also mentioned that when he coached, he had a strict “zero tolerance policy” for domestic violence. He believes that should be the standard across college football.
“I don’t know if I was the first, but I know I was one coach who told the players up front: ‘If you ever hit a girl or get any sort of domestic violence charge or sexual charge then you’re finished.’ ” Spurrier said. “That was one rule I had that there was no negotiating on. I’ve seen other coaches who would keep players and try to rehab them … but I think it (zero tolerance on domestic violence) should be a rule in all of college football.”