Brett McMurphy refutes report that Tom Herman was his source

Reporter Brett McMurphy tweeted on Saturday to refute a report that alleged Texas coach Tom Herman had tipped him off to his reporting about Courtney Smith.

McMurphy tweeted that he never reveals his sources, but he did make clear that Herman was not his source.

For those who have asked for my response to Jeff Snook’s claim Saturday: “I have never revealed my sources in my nearly four decade journalistic career & I am not going to start now. However, I will say unequivocally that Tom Herman was not my source.”

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 11, 2018

A report published by Jeff Snook on Facebook Saturday claimed that Herman and his wife connected McMurphy with Courtney Smith, encouraging her to come forward with her abuse claims against ex-husband Zach Smith. Snook claimed this was due to Herman losing a recruiting battle to Smith.

Snook, who has written books on Ohio State football, previously wrote a report defending Zach Smith and claiming Courtney was motivated to take down Zach for cheating on her. Zach Smith was fired by Ohio State after McMurphy reported that a protective order was filed against Smith.