Urban Meyer text messages show how many programs tried to poach Buckeyes coaches
Text messages and emails relating to the Urban Meyer-Zach Smith case were released on Friday for public consumption. The documents made available include 1,840 pages of emails and 225 pages of text messages. Most of the content is redacted, but Ohio State made sure to leave content pertaining to recruiting available for consumption. Other nuggets that made the Buckeyes look good have also been left in.
One text message seems to show Urban Meyer asking whether Ohio State should leak news that Alabama tried to hire Greg Schiano, Alex Grinch and Zach Smith in early 2018 but got turned down. Meyer seems to have thought the leak would make the Buckeyes look superior to recruits.
Scanning the Ohio State email/text dump, and found this one in which Urban Meyer appears to propose leaking that Alabama tried to hire Greg Schiano, Alex Grinch and Zach Smith. pic.twitter.com/mIaHACCkdC
— Kevin Stankiewicz (@kevin_stank) August 2, 2019
Another message from Meyer in January 2018 shows him touting all the job offers coaches on his staff turned down from other schools. He was thanking the school for being supportive with pay raises for his staffers to keep them with the Buckeyes.
Text message exchange between Urban Meyer and Ohio State President Michael Drake from Jan. 24, 2018. Meyer thanked Drake for staff salaries. Apparently Ryan Day was also offered job under newly hired Chip Kelly at UCLA: pic.twitter.com/A2RwSjeuzm
— Joey Kaufman (@joeyrkaufman) August 2, 2019
Mississippi State, Alabama and UCLA all seemed to be pretty aggressive in trying to poach coaches from Meyer’s staff. That makes sense considering Joe Moorhead and Chip Kelly were forming staffs for their first years at their respective programs.
