CHICAGO -- Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said the decision to fire assistant coach Zach Smith was a "very tough call" made in the best interest of the team.
Meyer fired Smith on Monday, days after an Ohio judge issued a protection order that forbids Smith from getting within 500 feet of his ex-wife.
"The most important people in our program are our players," Meyer said Tuesday morning at Big Ten media days in Chicago. "We're very clear of our expectations. We decided to make a change."
Smith was charged with criminal trespassing after a dispute with his ex-wife in May.