investigators hired by the university speaking with the ex-wife of his former assistant coach, zach smith, who's accused of domestic abuse. espn's ryan smith is here, and ryan, investigators trying to determine what meyer knew and when? >> that's right, robin. zach smith is facing new allegations, this time that he faced other charges years ago but didn't tell his former boss. >> reporter: urban meyer one of the most successful coaches of all times. >> urban meyer with his third. >> reporter: but this morning, the investigation continues into the bombshell claims that have rocked college football, that meyer's former ohio state assistant coach, zach smith, abused his now ex-wife and that the famed head coach may have known about it but did nothing. >> he picked me up by my neck and threw me on the ground and screamed at me, look what you've turned me into. >> reporter: monday courtney smith had her day with investigators meeting with the

paid leave until ohio state university exactly investigates what he knew and when he knew about zach smithsmith was served a civil protection order last mon prohibiting him from going within 50 feet of his ex-wife courtney smith. listen to how courtney smith describes the 2015 alleged domestic violence incident. >> he came home, he came to my home. he wasn't happy. he got into an argument. he decided he wanted to take my son. it wasn't his night. his parenting night. and i, obviously, fought back not physically but no you're not going take him, it's my night. there needs to be boundsryes. and when i stood up to him he didn't like it and took me and shoved me up against the wall with his hands around my neck. something very often. my daughter was clinging to my leg and he, obviously, registered with him what he was doing so he took my son and left and i called the police. >> courtney smith also says that she told coach meyer's wife shelly about this alleged abuse. >> very sympathic. supportive. caring. you know, why didn't you do something about this before was her first question? i explain

zach smith's ex-wife accused him of abuse and domestic violence in 2009 and 2015. he was fired on july 23rd. >>> the iowa dairy farm that employed the suspect in mollie tibbetts' killing says he got the job using a false identification. the 24-year-old christian riveiera came to the u.s. illegally from mexico. the hiring procedure required a photo identification and social security card. they made a mistake thinking social security employment verification and homeland security system is one of the same. they are not. >> all of us are saddened by the tragic beth death of mollie and realization that one of our coworkers was involved. >> just an hour earlier, he was arraigned for tibbetts' death. last night members of the university of iowa community gathered to remember her. the family thanked supporters. this is one of the big problems in illegal immigration. it is easy in many cases with someone with a fake identification or rent someone else's green card or social security number to be able to get a job. you heard this cry of build the wall from the right, but the

zach smith's attorney said zach smith should not have married courtney smith.there to her. >> three an popologies to bucke nation. >>> the iowa dairy farm that employed the suspect in mollie tibbetts' killing says he got the job by using a false identification. christian rivera was cleared to work for the farm through the government's e-verify vetting. the farm now says they made a mistake. thinking social security veri verification and homeland security system is the same. they are not. >> all of us are saddened by the tragic death of mollie and the realization that one of our coworkers was involved. >> they said they employed outside help to make sure they were in compliance with the law and workers were legal. that is clearly not true. an hour earlier, rivera was arraigned in the murder. members at the university gathered for a vigil. her family railroeleased a stat. we remain forever grateful for the support. >>> they are going out with a bang. tv's most popular comedy. "big bang theory" will end next cea season. the comedy is a massive ratings hit. jim par

investigating claims he may have known of a domestic violence allegation against his former assistant coach zach smith in 2015, long before smith was terminated last month. courtney smith claims her ex-husband zach abused her on multiple occasions. >> it was out of control to the point that he picked me up by my neck and threw me down on the ground in our bathroom and screamed at me, look what you turned me into. >> reporter: smith claims she told meyer's wife shelley about the abuse suffered in 2015 and agreed to her telling her head coach husband. but smith claims no action was taken. >> when somebody is crying out

you know, you should tell urban. >> reporter: coach meyer fired zach smith last month, smith who has never been charged with domestic abuse talked with espn earlier this month. he says he never hit his wife and defended his former boss. >> if he loses his job, it is flat wrong. >> reporter: zach smith's attorney released a statement after wednesday night's decision that reads, vengeance against courtney smith's ex-husband regrettably resulted in collateral damage to urban meyer, gene smith and the ohio state university. online, many ohio state fans defending the university's decision, but others saying that the punishment and meyer's mea culpa don't go far enough. >> meyer's first game back as head coach will be on september 22. for those keeping score, ohio state is ranked fifth by the associated press. some are also pointing out that the first half of the buckeye season is not the toughest competition. if there was time to be without your head coach, some say that is it. >>> more to come for you, including a look at the forecast. pleasant for those in the inland area. >> yeah, feel

reporter yesterday that urban meyer knew about those reports and didn't do anything to discipline zach smith way of finding a solution or what he did this summer, which was fire him. >> urban meyer was asked about this before courtney smith's interview and insisted he knew nothing about these recent allegations. zach smith's lawyer says he is not going to comment now, but when he testifies, the police will corroborate his story. his ex-wife says she has photos and texts that corroborate her claims. we will have more on "start here" this morning. >>> the catholic diocese in pennsylvania has published a list of priests and other church members accused of child sex abuse. 71 people were named. most of the allegations are decades old. bishop gainer says no one is currently in the ministry. >>> and the coast guard is starting its highest-level investigation into the deadly sinking of a duck boat in missouri. a document released by the coast guard said the duck boat should not be operated in winds over 35 miles per hour. winds on table rock lake hit 73 miles per hour during the storm that sunk the

zach smith's attorney says once he get a chance to tell his side, it will be corroborated by police. >> this is a man that could be probably elected governor in the state of ohio tomorrow. this is the most prominent person in the state. >> the second highest paid football coach in the country. >> you know him personally. >> i do. urban meyer has been a man of upstanding character. the thought he knew and denied knowing and did nothing is really troubling. i think this could be a tipping point in the sport and in the college sports landscape for him to be put on paid leave while investigating what he knew and what he did not do. it will have an incredible back drop. >> and against the me too era, he could be in trouble. led us know what you think -- let us know what you think about it. >>> next, houston police believe a 20-year old grudge is the reason for the murder of the arrest cardiologist. the doctor was killed two weeks ago while riding his back. pappas has not been seen for two weeks and evidence in his home links him to the killing. >> he is very dangerous. we need to get him

doubt. >> ohio state fired zach smith last month. along with that three-game suspension coach myers won't be paid for six weeks. >>> the giants lost to the new york mets last night 5 - 3. the giants fell even further out of the playoff competition. the mets were up in the third. the giants hits back to singles runs. however, the giants couldn't get on the board again until the seventh. they couldn't finish the comeback. the giants will try to avoid being swept with the giants and the mets play get this morning. the oakland a's lost to the texas rangers 4 - 2 yesterday afternoon. the rangers scored on the first pitch of the game. that's a home one. a solo home run, but a home run. texas would add to the lead a couple of innings later. the 80s came within two runs. lowry hit a pinch-hit double . the a's loaded up the bases with two outs in the ninth. the game is over. texas stays in the bay areas to play the giants this weekend. the oakland a's will be in minnesota to play the twins tonight. >>> without even doing any acting in 2018 ge

zach smith denies the allegations. the investigation determined mer made false statements. >> i was never told about >> reporter: when questioned about his knowledge of the 2015 allegations. >> while those denials wereot plainlyaccurate, coach meyer did not in our view deliberately lie. >> reporter: with meyer facing media scrutiny, thelseport called his behavior concerning when he discussed how to delete text messages older than a year with a colleague. >> as a woman it kind of sends a message of something like this might happen to you and we might eventually but it might not be the right justice. >> reporter: disciplined by ohio state, the university's famed coach will be back on the field later this season. a punishment critics say puts football first. miguel >>> now to australia's political turbulence that continues as scott morrison is set to become the next prime minister, the countrs sixth in the las 11 years. morrison will replace malcolm rnbull, who has led the nation since 2015. so what's n at for australia f

you should tell urban. >> coach meyer fired zach smith last month. smith who has never been charged with domestic t abuse talked espn earlier this month. he says he never hit his wife and defends his formerboss. >> if he loses his job, it's flat wrong. >> zach smith's attorney released a statement after wednesday night's dision that reads vengeance against courtney smith's ex-husband resulted in collateral damage to urban meyer, gene smith and t ohio state university. many ohio state fans defending the university's decision but hers saying the punishment and meyer don't go far enough.me r's first game back would be on september 22nd. that's when the buckeyes take on tula. ohio state ranked number five by the associated press. eome are also pulling out the first half of buckeye season is not the toughest competition. if there was a time to be without youread coach, some might say that would be it. >> meyer apologized to the buckeye nation. did he mention the victim at all in his statement? >> he didt. not until asked about her by a reporter did he ment

. >> at each jun gure ie zach smith the benefit of the doubt. >> reporter: at the center of the ohio state university investigation, how urban meyer handled claims o domestic assault against formernt assis coach zach smith in 2015. and this response q to astion at media day last month. >> i never had anyio conversatn about it, so i know about it. >> reporter: but days later, the situation snowballed when zach smith's ex-wife courtney told watchstadium.com smith add assaulted her multiple times, even claiming she had shared photos of her injuries with urban meyer's wife though never charged, coach meyer fired zach smith. it led to the suspensions of both the head coach and athletic director. >> he did fail t take sufficient management action. >> reporter: swift reaction fbum ckeye fans online voicingor supp while others say the punishment is just a slap on the brift for one of the most popular and successful coaches in college football. wendy wool folk, nbc news. >>> an nsa contractor who leaked a classified document to the news media will spend the five years behind bars. her name re

now zach smith is speaking out and sharing his version of events. defensive movements to remove myself from the situation, and i said that's it, i'm not going to get charged because i didn't do anything wrong. >> that denial goes against the mountain of evidence against him. but, again, raise hs the questis of who knew what when. he's saying police notified the university of the allegations against him. now the university saying they have a six-member team leading this investigation who will then operate independently and report back to the board of trustees to decide what needs to happen next. i think it's a question not just of urban meyers' fate but the standing of this university on the whole. >> all right, kaylee hartung, thank you. >>> we'll be right back. sometimes a day at the ballpark is more than just a day at the ballpark. stadium announcer: all military members stand and be recognized. no matter where or when you served, t-mobile stands ready to serve you. that's why we're providing half off family lines to all military. with i get rewar

, they failed to take sufficient management action relating to zach smith's misconduct and retained anistant coach who was not acting as an appropriate model for the student-athletes. >> i want to apologize to buckeye nation. i followed my heart, not my head. i fell short in pursuing full information because at each juncture i gave zach smith the benefit of the doubt. i did not know everything about zach smith, which is what he was doing and i'm pleased that the report made this very clear. however, i should have demanded more from him and recognized red flags. >> turning now to major league baseball where the red sox won't let the indians threaten the sweep in what could be a preview of the american league playoff, notching a win in the third of a four-game series in boston, 10-4 last night. the victory was highlighted by the red tox five-run fourth inning including xander bogaerts two home runs -- oh, think we have the wrong tape there. we switched it around. that is seattle. following a home run hit in the top of the ninth inning. the players looking at the camera, staring it down a

. >>> also, fired ohio state assistant coach zach smith telling his side of the story. >>> "good morning america" is sponsored by geico, 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. on car insurance. so you just walk around telling people geico could help them save money on car insurance? yea,that and homeowners, renters, motorcycle and boat insurance. huh.that's nice. what happens when you catch a fish? gecko: whoa. see how much you could save at geico.com. i'm ok! but me and crunchy here make a great team. we even finish each other's... babybel: (to crunchy)you're supposed to say sentences... crunchy: ---sentences. babybel: well not now. delicious new babybel cheese and crackers. babybel: saved it! moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis was intense. my mom's pain from i wondered if she could do the stuff she does for us which is kinda, a lot. and if that pain could mean something worse. joint pain could mean joint damage. enbrel helps relieve joint pain, and helps stop further damage enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events includin

i did so regarding the zach smith incident in 2015. my words in reply to the reporter or personnel issue must be clear and at big ten media day on july 24nyth, i failed on ma of these fronts. meyer is on paid leave whileio state let's an independeti board invte what he knew and what he did about it. >> if he loses his job. it is flat wrong. this is the guy who fired me. it would be a crime. >> reporter: osu's star coach sidelined. its big money footballrogram in limbo. for "today," blake mccoy, nbc news. >>> ten months after the massacre in las vegas, police have closed the investspation. dee thousands of hours ofnd interviewson of evidence, there is a lingering question why did the lonunn take so many lives? nbc's gadi schwartz has more. >> reporter: it has bee ten months since gunfire erupted from the mandalay bay.d an the numbers found in the las vegas police final report are absolutely staggering 2,000 investigative leads. 22,000ours of video. 250,000 images.av police a moment to moment timeline detailing to the minute the thousand

administrative leave while investigations if he knew the domestic violence allegations over fired coach zach smithex-wife courtney. meyer says he was aware of the incident with the smiths in 2009, but did not know a 2015 allegation. >> courtney smith told meyer's wife about it and she believes the head coach also knew. here is what she told the sports stadium network about the alleged 2015 abuse. >> came to my home. he wasn't happy. we got into an argument. when i stood up to him, he didn't like it and took me and shoved his hands up against me up against the wall. with his hands around my neck. something he did often. my daughter was clinging to my leg. he obviously -- it registered with him what he was doing. he took my son and left. >> you can watch the full interview at watchstadium.com. urban meyer says he and the athletic director agree being on leave during the investigation will facilitate the completion. zach smith's attorney says once he get a chance to tell his side, it will be corroborated by police. >>> houston police believe a 20-year-old grudge is the reason for the murder of the ca

among that evidence, text messages from zach smith's ex wife to the wife of coach urban meyer that shows her bruised and bleeding and pleading for help. courtney smith says she told coach meyer's wife shelly about the abuse. >> i told shelly. i sent her some pictures. i spoke to her on the phone. she was going to have to tell urban. i said that is fine. you should tell him. >> did she come back to you and tell you that she did tell urban? >> she did not. she did not. she would reach out to me, ask me how i'm doing, tell me she was worried that if i needed anything she was there, asked me if i had a protective order. >> reporter: college football fans reacting to the news. >> the issue goes beyond sports. it's not just about football. >> reporter: coach meyer issued a statement that reads in part i agree that being on leave during this inquiry will facilitate its completion. i eagerly look forward to the resolution of this matter. he addressed the charges last week after the firing of the assistant coach. >> i was never told about anything. i never had a conversation about it. so i know n

now we're hearing a different version of events from zach smith.isten. >> anything that happened to her body was all just defensive movements to remove myself from the situation and that's it. i'm not going to get charged because i didn't do anything wrong. >> here it goes against the mountain of evidence that exists against him and it also draws attention to the fact that police made the university, the ohio state university aware of allegations against him. that leads me to believe there's a paper trail here, fred, a paper trail that could help build out a time line of who knew what and when and that is how urban meyer's fate as the coach of the football team will be determined and standing in the bigger picture for this university. >> but the fact that urban meyer does at least admit to knowing something to report, how much does this kind of muddy the waters in terms of how culpable he is? >> it does muddy the waters. he is trying to make sure everyone understands that he believes he followed proper reporting protocol and procedures. this is a m

you can see the entire interview with zach smith's wife on watch stadium.com. >>> the oakland a's beat the toronto blue jays 8 - 3. they are still one of the hottest teams in baseball. it was the jonathan lucroy show yesterday. he put a's on the board in the second when he hit a single down the line. that scored four runs. in the fourth lacroix again with a double. another hit in the sixth and an rbi for these catcher. a's have the day off before they host the detroit tigers tomorrow night. >>> calfire says there are 16 big fires burning statewide right now. coming up, how climate change is being connected to the destruction. >>> if wildfires are making you cough you are not alone. how much of the west coast is breathing bad air he could possibly... he likes to collect things. oh! wow, you got all this stuff from ikea? what do you like not let your kids in here? oh, no, they moved in here. here. this is where i hide all the cords and the remotes, and those clack-clack-clack things. oh and we have an entire comic book store and i managed to wedge a candle in there. oh i see, so this is

. >> reporter: former assistant coach zach smith speaking out to espn about his ex-wife's allegations of domestic violence and these pictures released by her. >> anything that happened to her body was all just defensive movements to remove myself from the situation. >> reporter: at the same time friday, ohio state's famed head coach urban meyer acknowledging he did know about the allegations, contrary to what he told reporters. this is what he said about the allegations a week ago. >> i was never told about anything. never anything came to light. i never had a conversation about it. so i know nothing about it. >> reporter: but yesterday, an about-face. meyer tweeting, my intention was not to say anything inaccurate or misleading. however, i was not adequately prepared to discuss these sensitive personnel issues. adding, i have always followed proper reporting protocols and i did so regarding the zach smith incident in 2015. fired by meyer, still coming to coach meyer's defense. >> if he loses his job, it's flat wrong. this is the guy who fired me. it would be crwas never charged with

. >> ohio state fired zach smith last month along with that three-game suspension urban meyer will not be paid for six weeks. >>> the giants loss to the new york mets 5 - 3 last night and they fell even further out of playoff contention. the mets were leading in the third when the giants hit back- to-back singles, scoring two runs. the giants would not score again until the seventh. they just couldn't finish the comeback the giants are going to try to avoid being swept when they play the mets again this morning. >>> the oakland a's loss to the texas rangers 4 - to yesterday afternoon. the rangers scored on the first pitch of the game. a solo home run. they added to that lead a couple of innings later. the 80s came within two run in the eighth. jed lowery hit a pinch-hit double . the a loaded the bases two outs in the ninth, but nick martini came up to the plate and he did strike out. that strike out ended the game. there you go. texas days in the bay area and will play the giants this weekend while the oakland a's will be in minnesota to play the twins tonight. >>> without even doing a

." >> reporter: ohio state's recently fired assistant football coach zach smith is defending his former boss, urban meyer. >> he looked at me and said, "i swear to god, zach, if i find out you hit her, you're done. you're fired." and i said, "i understand, coach. i didn't, i'm fine." >> reporter: in an interview with espn, smith said they discussed domestic violence ,llegations made by smith's now-ex-wife, courtney, in 2015, and that meyer handled it hoperly. .> i don't think it's his job to investigate, to ask questions, to talk to her. >> reporter: meyer first denied ty knowledge of the 2015 abuse allegations to reporters in y.ly. e> i got a text late last night that something happened in 2015, and there was nothing, unless, once again, there's nothing-- once again, i don't know who n aates a story like that. h reporter: but in a statement on twitter friday, he appeared to acknowledge that he had iown, saying, "i deeply regret if i have failed in my words. lwre is the truth. hhave always followed proper reporting protocols and procedures when i have learned oa an incident involving a

zach smith's attorney says that vengeance against courtney smith's he ex-husband regrtably resulted in collateral damage to urban meyer and gene smith and at ohio state university. online, many fans defending the decision but others saying the punishment doesn't go far enough. >> and craig melvin reports that ban mirpyou are mire his first k will be against tune. >>> could medical marijuana sometime replace pain killers? >>> and a powerful hurricane is getting closer to thhawaii. damage the big island >>> right now hawaii is bracing for a category 4 hurricane. this is a look at the monster storm from the international space station. it shows y the massive size of hurricane lane. this storm is leaving nowhere o they idents to run, have to buckle down. shelters opened yesterday on the big island.ld the storm c dump up to 15 inches of rain, possiblywo feet of wear in sin some isolat. could be the strongest to hit the islands in northern 25 years. and unlike the folks in texasr florida who can drive a couple hundred miles out of the way, you can't do that hawaii. >> and i k it had been dec

zach smith is the assistant coach under urban meyer.e zach smith has not been charged with domestic violence. but reportedly his wife shows the pictures of the abuse to urban meyer's wife rchts we. >> well, there were photographs and text messaging between urban meyer's wire and courtney smith. interestingly enough, urban meyer deleted all of his text messages prior to one year ago. so there is no way of knowing what he ever received. that was in the 23-page report that ohio state produced when evaluating what to give him as a penalty here. so it doesn't look great. at a minimum it looks like there was an attempt at a cover-up on urban meyer's part to delete those text messages. >> to you think if this was a lesser known coach, a less successful coach, if this were a coach of a football program at a d-3 school or something, would they have gotten the same punishment? how much of this is about being urban meyer at the oxford university, a national champion? >> there is no question the stakes are extremely high f financially for the unive

i fell short in pursuing following information because at each juncture i gave zach smith the benefitletic director gene smith apologized for mismanaging allegations that former assistant coach zach smith abused his now ex-wife courtney. investigators determined that meyer and the athletic director failed to report the claims and seemed to misunderstand their obligation to tell the university about accusations of domestic violence involving players or staff. >> i have huge regret for my inability to be the effective leader i should have been in this situation. >> reporter: urban meyer fired zach smith last month after his ex-wife was granted a domestic violence protective order against him. >> was never told about anything. never anything came to light. never had a conversation about it.bout a 2015 incident. smith allegedly abused his then wife. the investigation determined he did, but his, quote, significant misstatements were not part of a deliberate cover-up effort. >> i do believe he knew, and instead he chose to help the abuser. >> reporter: courtney smith told the sports news si

involving former assistant coach zach smith... er fired smith in july...he claims he had no knowledge of any incident... zach smith's ex- wife...courtney smith...told espn: "all the coaches' wives knew" offensive coordinator next at 8. talk about dinner and a show... see the pizza delivery guy with musical talent. tonight at 9 san francisco traffic is so bad (how bad is it) i'm glad you asked that question...i'll explain in the next edition of people behaving badly at at&t, we believe in access. the opportunity for everyone to explore a digital world. connecting with the things that matter most. and because nothing keeps us more connected than the internet, we've created access from at&t. california households with at least one resident who receives snap or ssi benefits may qualify for home internet at a discounted rate of $10 a month. no commitment, deposit, or installation fee. visit att.com/accessnow to learn more. ordered a pizza for delivery ended up getting dinner and a show ... when the pizza delivery kid turned out to be a

zach smith is facing new allegations, this time that he faced other charges years ago but didn't tellcoaches of all times. >> urban meyer with his third. >> reporter: but this morning, the investigation continues into the bombshell claims that have rocked college football, that meyer's former ohio state assistant coach, zach smith, abused his now ex-wife and that the famed head coach may have known about it but did nothing. >> he picked me up by my neck and threw me on the ground and screamed at me, look what you've turned me into. >> reporter: monday courtney smith had her day with investigators meeting with the team hired by the university's board of trustees to look into meyer's handling of the allegations. her attorney telling abc news courtney is thankful for the support she has received during this time. zach smith denies he abused his wife but told espn that he spoke about the allegations with meyer in 2015. >> i laid it all out for him. i said apparently my ex-wife is trying to get me charged with domestic abuse. >> how did he respond to that? >> he said, i swear to god, zach,

zach smith allegedly abused his wife and meyer failed to report the claims against smith and seemed toation to tell school officials about them. meyers apologized at a news conference late last night. >> i followed my heart and not my head. i fell short because at each juncture i gave zach smith the benefit of the doubt. i should have demanded more from him and recognized red flags. i need to show more care and concern for the entire situation and the people involved. >> urban meyer gets paid about $7 million a year. he won't be paid however for six weeks and won't be on the sidelines for games against oregon state, rutgers or tcu. >>> tiger woods and phil mickelson will play a high stakes match over thanksgiving weekend. they will play 18 holes in a pay-per-view event in las vegas. the winner will take home $9 million. woods and mickelson will make side bets too. such things as who hits the longest drive during the match. >> thanksgiving has been a rough time for tiger woods in the past. hopefully he ends up a winner. >> seems to be a winner either way, $9 million. >>> we send our hap

zach smith was fired last week after being served a civil protection order on behalf of his wife.hey said urban meyer's wife knew about the alleged domestic violence. >> with shelly meyer being aware of everything going on and saying that she was going to have to tell urban, do you think he knows about all of this? >> i believe he does. >> did he ever directly talk to you about what was going on in your marriage or between you and zach? >> not the abuse. he never spoke to me about the physical abuse. but he had made a couple comments to me. we had had a couple conversations, very brief, how are you doing, everything okay. >> the full interview is available on watchstadium.com. meyer says he knew about an incident, but that was 2009. he denies knowing anything about something happening more recently. he released a statement saying in part, quote, being on leave during this inquiry will facilitate its completion. this allows the team to conduct training camp with minimal distraction. ohio state says, quote, we are focused on spoupporting our players and getting to the truth. zach sm

didn't know about the 2015 incident, but he was aware of an earlier allegation of abuse in 2009 when zach smithn meyer's staff at the university of florida. courtney smith says her husband threw her against a wall while she was pregnant. she called the police but later dropped the charges. the meyers advised the smiths to get counseling. more than two years later, urban meyer hired smith to his staff at ohio state. >> i don't think just because you win 85% of your games you should be held to a different standard than anybody else. >> reporter: the coach and the university could be liable. according to title 9 rules, meyer is required to report instances of domestic abuse involving anyone on his staff. otherwise, he can be fired with cause. >> for him to say, i was unaware of it runs in the face of the urban meyer we know which is a guy who has his fing or the pulse of everything happening in his program from top to bottom. >> reporter: although he was fired, zach smith has never been charged with domestic abuse and his attorney told espn he'll tell his side of the story if he has to testify. oh

zach smith was fired july 23rd. >> i follow my heart, not my head. i fell short of pursuing full information because at each juncture, i gave him the benefit of the doubt. i should have done more and i am sorry for that. >> reporter: coach meyer said he was initially unaware of the abuse but retracted his denial, saying he followed proper reporting protocols and procedures, adding he was not trying to cover for smith. >> i was not being as completely accurate as i should have been that day and afterward. but there was no intent to mislead. >> reporter: meyer isn't the only one benched. gene smith, the school's athletic director, has also been suspended without pay from august 31st through september 16th. >> reporter: ohio state football is ranked number five in a preseason poll. it remains to be seen how the team will perform without their famed head coach for three games. in new york, jack callahan, fox news. >>> coming up, modern technology brings the family together. how one woman used a dna test through ancestry.com to find her biological father.

zach smith told espn he thinks meyer handled the 2015 incident properly. >> he found out the facts heout as the head coach of ohio state and as my direct boss, and he needed to make decisions based on those facts. i don't think it was his job to investigate, to ask questions, to talk to her, talk to -- he only had to talk to me to make sure, because he already got the other side of the story from the incident report, and so he wanted to know what really happened from me, and then he let the police do their job. coming from somebody who knows -- i was in all the meetings. i know exactly what he did. if he loses his job, it's flat wrong, and this is the guy who fired me. >> ohio state university has formed a six-person committee to investigate meyer's handling of the alleged incident from 2015. we will stay on top of that story for you. >>> now, let's switch gears and bring you an inspiring story of determination and perseverance from the sports world. that's steelers linebacker ryan shazier walking around under his own power at training camp. remember, less than a year ago, he suffered

school investigates whether he knew about abuse allegations against his former assistant coach zach smith in 2015. smith's ex-wife believes meyer's wife told him about the allegations. >> with shelley meyer being aware of everything that was going on and saying that she was going to have to tell urban, do you think that he knows about all of this? >> i believe he does. >> did he ever directly talk to you about what was going on in your marriage or between you and zach? >> not the abuse. he never spoke to me about the physical abuse, but he had, you know, made a couple of comments to me, and we had had a couple of conversations, very brief, how are you guys doing? everything okay? >> coach meyer denied knowing about the 2015 case but says he did address a previous incident in 2009 and recommended counseling for the couple. smith was fired last week after a protective order was issued. >>> and we may hear from cbs chairman les moonves for the first time today since that bombshell report on his alleged sexual misconduct. now, moonves could speak on an earnings call with investors this aftern

they said they failed to report allegations against former assistant coach zach smith. trustees said the two did not cover up the alleged wrong doing. smith was accused of abusing his ex-wife. meyer apologized and said he followed his heart and not his head. the athletic director was suspended without pay for two weeks. >> the man accused of killing mollie tibbetts made his first court appearance. he was in the u.s. illegally and slid under the radar by using a false name. >> her alleged murder shuffled into the courtroom in silence wearing a prison jump suit and head phones for spanish translation. >> mr. rivera you have been charged with murder in the first degree. >> the 24-year-old is originally from mexico. federal officials tell us he's an undocumented immigrant. according to the affidavit, he told investigators he followed tibbetts as she was jogging on july 18th. when she said i'm going to call the police he panicked and got angry and then his memory, quote, blocked until he remembered finding tibbetts in his trunk bleeding from the head. he left her body down t

board to find out whether, one, he knew about the abuse allegations facing his assistant coach, zach smithe did anything about it. >> i do believe he knew, and instead, he chose to help the abuser. >> reporter: courtney smith says for years, her ex-husband, ohio state assistant football coach, zach smith, physically abused her, and believes his boss, legendary head coach, urban meyer, knew about it and did nothing. meyer, put on paid leave, after text messages and photos surfaced, raising the possibility that he knew about the domestic violence accusations three years ago and didn't report them. smith says she filed multiple police reports, including one in 2009 that reads in part "the defendant grabbed the victim by her t-shirt, picked her up and threw her into the bedroom wall. the victim is pregnant with the defendant's child." but smith didn't press charges against her then husband. she spoke with watchstadium.com earlier this week. >> i was pressured by his family and urban meyer's attorney. i was basically told, if you don't drop the charges, he's never going to coach again, and he's

>> reporter: courtney smith says for years her ex-husband, ohio state assistant football coach zach smithher and believesss his legendary head coach urban meyer, knew about it and did nothing. r put on paid leave after text messages and photos surfaced, raising tth possibilit he knew about the domestic violence accusations three years ago and didn't report them. smith says she filed multiple police reports, including one in 2009 that reads in part, "the defendant grabbed the victim by her t-shirt, picked her up and threw her into the bedroom wallc the vm is pregnant with the defendant's child." but smith didn't press charges against her then husband. she spoke with watchstadium.com earlier this week. >> i was pressured by his family andsrban meye attorney. i was basically told, if you don't drop the chges, he's never going to coach again, and he's never hit you before. >> reporter: in 2015, mith says she texted photos of her bruised and bloodied body to meyer's wife, shelly, who allegedly wrote back, "just want you to be safe. do you have restraining order? he scares me." nbc news has not

the ex-wife of fired assistant zach smith met with the team hired by school truste res on monday.riginally denied that he knew about the allegation against that coach. smith was arrest for drunk drin told the school. >>> four young girls in michigan n hurt after fighting off an alleged attacker. the girls were leaving a convenience store when they say the man started following them and grabbed the youngest girl just 11 years old. the other girls pounced, kicking him and hurling hot coffee at him. the girls say he grabbed another girl by the hair, and the friends came to the rescue once again. >> i grabbed my drink and chucked it at his head. i tried to get -- i punched him in the head. >> kicked, screamed, punched, clawed, threw their hot drinks, their slurpees on him. they did what they had to do. >> the man was arrested a short time later. >>> three people are facing charges over a selfie stunt in alaska. here's a scene that played out in a national park in brooks falls. a man you see him inching dangerously close to bears on a livestream. he then reaches into his pocket and he

sis asked about the woman who had accused her husband, a former assistant coach of meyer's named zach smith domestic violence in 2015. meyer claimed he hadn't known about the accusations until it was revealed last month he had. >> what message do you have for courtney smith? >> i have a message for everybody involved in this-- i'm sorry for the situation. >> reporter: on campus meyer's support goes beyond strong. the national championship he led the buckeyes to in 2014 wraps him in something a little closer to invincible. >> i think most people think it should have been less, but, obviously, there's a lot of bias here. >> reporter: but off the campus, meyer came in for a hammering today. >> you're a liar. you lied. period, done. >> urban meyer, should have been fired. >> reporter: the university's own investigation was more restrained, but also critical of styer. "he has cast doubt on his own honesty," the report concluded, but in a clue as to why meyer ons suspended and not fired, "he olearly misspoke and made misstatements, but did not, in our view, deliberately lie." the report had plent

former assistant coach zach smith's ex-wife...courtney...claimed meyer knew that her 15 and did nothing..at big ten media day...meyer initially said he was unaware of any domestic issues between smiths...recently, he backtracked...saying he followed proper protocal... meyer said tonight: quote: "i followed my heart, and not my head" meyer will miss the buckeyes' games against oregon state, rutgers and 16th ranked tcu...offensive coordinator ryan day will serve as the interim coach... checking in with the 49ers... richard sherman says he plans to play this week against the colts.. it will be the first time we'll see sherman in game action since he went down from that season ending achilles injury with the seahawks.. sherman says he was ready to play last week against the texans...he says he feels good, just ready to get into game shape...and when he returns he'll get a taste of the new helmet rule..it's one that has frustrated players and coaches around the league... the nfl said today... there will be no changes...### "it's an idiotic rule. there's no need to even go down that

. >> reporter: tonight, fired ohio state assistant football coach zach smith breaking his silence. after being accused of domestic abuse by his ex-wife, courtney. >> there was aggression in the relationship but anything i ever did to her was a defensive action. all i know is i never hit my wife. i never hit her. i never beat her. nothing. >> i was scared. >> reporter: but courtney telling stadium sports network he was abusive as of 2009. >> he picked me up by the neck and threw me down on the ground in our bathroom, and screamed at me, 'look what you turned me into.' >> reporter: in an exclusive interview with espn smith also delivering this bombshell, that head coach urban meyer knew about the allegations in 2015. >> he said, 'what the hell is going on? what is this? what is this?' and i told him. i laid it all out for him. i said apparently my ex-wife is trying to get me charged with domestic abuse. >> how did he respond to that? >> he looked at me and said, i swear to got, zach, if i find out you hit her, you're done. you're fired. >> reporter: meyer denied any previous knowledg

adding, i have always followedr reporting protocols and did i so regarding the zach smith incident in 2015. and after this, smith, who was fired by meyer, still coming to coach meyemeyer's defense. >> if he loses his job, it's flat wrong. this is the guy who fired me. it would be a crime. >> reporter: zachit was never charged with domestic violence. his ex-wife says she was pressured not to file charges by smith's family and by a lawyer with close ties to both ohio state university is now investigating and has placed coach meyer on paid administrative leave. >> gadi, thank you for that report. there are new insights tonight into the man charged with killing 17 students and staff a members a high school in park land, florida. to that rampage.d here's nbc's blake mccoy. >> reporter: tonight, an independent review finds broward county schools should have done more to help mass shooter nicholas cruz in the two years before his rampage that killed 17 people at marjory stoneman douglas high schl is past february. a judge ordered the report partially redacted. but a mistake in that process m

so he's been scrutinized for standing by zach smith. wife against a wall. meyer says he knew about that and told smith to get counseling.. but the coach says he had no idea about the domestic violence accusation from 2015 even though a new article has evidence indicating he did. years ago seems like college and pro football used to let a lot of terrible things slide.. now it could be catching up with them as things are starting to change. ( darya ) and then there are the football greats.. known for their dignity, courage and accomplishments.. and by all accounts, san francisco 49er dwight clark was one of the good ones. his friends and family gathered yesterday at grace cathedral to pay tribute to him. the wide receiver died last month of als at the age of 61. clark is best known for making the winning touchdown catch in the last minute of the game against the cowboys in 1982, sending the niners to their first superbowl ever.. oh, and a guy named joe montana made the throw..

i fell short of pursuing full information because at each juncture, i gave zach smith the benefit of ctim.. never even said her name: courtney smith. infact when asked what he had to say to her he twice said quote: "i'm just sorry we're in this situation." in what situation.. that you have to miss a couple games and still make 7 million dollars? or the situation where sports programs continue to put winning before the health and safety of women. ben affleck's personal struggles have become very public.. he's all over the headlines..for a wild week of drinking and partying with a 22 year old playboy model. they say his ex jennifer garner showed up to his house with a bible and a lawyer and begged him to get help. then she pesonally drove him to rehab. he's at a live-in facility in malibu. it's the most hyped pay per view since the mayweather-paquao fight... "the match" tiger versus phil. the place: las vegas the date: november 23rd. the purse: 9 million. it's being billed as the most exciting golf match ever because they're going to be mic'd up and the fans won't be roped off.. but unl

you can see the entire interview with zach smith's ex- wife on watch stadium.com. >>> giants pitcher johnny cueto is scheduled to undergo tommy john surgery today to repair his right pitching elbow. he said the elbow had been giving him pain every time on the mound. he missed almost the first two month of the season with similar pain. hiw over. he will likely miss all of next year as well. >>> also today, the santa clara county fair opens with the theme of fun for the whole herd. the santa clara and fair includes square dancing, magic shows, and a place for kids to learn how to make butter. tonight shelley right is the main entertainment act for the first lgbtq night being called out at the fair. gates open at the santa clara county fairgrounds at 1:00 this afternoon. >>> there is smoke from california wildfires all over the west coast. find out how far that unhealthy air is now spreading. >>> one of president trump's tweets is being criticized by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. the white house says what he posted about the russia investigation was just venting. >>> that is a l

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investigating claims he may have known of a domestic violence allegation against his former assistant coach zach smith in 2015, long before smith was terminated last month. courtney smith claims her ex-husband zach abused her on multiple occasions. >> it was out of control to the point that he picked me up by my neck and threw me down on the ground in our bathroom and screamed at me, look what you turned me into. >> reporter: smith claims she told meyer's wife shelley about the abuse suffered in 2015 and agreed to her telling her head coach husband. but smith claims no action was taken. >> when somebody is crying out for help, i believe the coach along with the coach's wife have a duty. they have a duty to do something to help. i do believe he knew. and instead he chose to help the abuser, enable the abuser, and believe whatever story zach was telling everybody. >> reporter: meyer says he did not hear about those abuse allegations until the last few days. he put out a statement saying he agrees to the leave until the investigation is over. this allows the team to conduct training camp with minimal dis