In his first 16 seasons as a head coach, Urban Meyer never had to replace a coach this close to the season. In fact, he never even officially fired a coach during any of those seasons.
Going into his 17th season, however, both of those things happened Monday, when Meyer and Ohio State announced the firing of wide receivers coach Zach Smith, following a report on Monday morning that a domestic violence protection order had been filed against Smith.
Now, Meyer is faced with replacing one of his full-time assistant coaches less than six weeks before the season begins against Oregon State on Sept.