Urban Meyer denies deleting old text messages

One of the interesting findings of Ohio State’s investigation into the conduct of head coach Urban Meyer was that there was evidence that old text messages had been deleted and attempts had been made to adjust his phone settings to make that happen.

Many viewed that finding as evidence that something improper had taken place relating to Meyer’s handling of former assistant Zach Smith, but in his first press conference after the conclusion of his suspension Monday, Meyer denied that he had ever deleted any text messages or changed the settings on his phone.

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer says he handed his phone over to an IT specialist at the university long before the investigation and did so then to save storage on it: "I have never deleted a text message. I have never changed a setting on my phone."

— Garrett Stepien (@GarrettStepien) September 17, 2018

The text message findings were a key part of the investigation and were cited as evidence of “consciousness of guilt” on Meyer’s part. His denial very much does not line up with that finding.