The fallout continues for Urban Meyer.
On Monday, Bob Evans, a restaurant chain with 495 outlets in 18 states, introduced Meyer as its new “Head Breakfast Coach.” “A perfect match,” a press release stated earlier this week, “the beloved, championship-winning Ohio State head football coach was born and raised in Ohio and is a frequent Bob Evans Restaurants guest who embodies the same values the family dining restaurant was founded on -- a down-to-earth, generous and hardworking way of life that is ‘The Ohio Way.’”
Amidst a growing controversy, Meyer was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday as the university launched an investigation -- an independent one -- into the extent of the coach’s knowledge of domestic abuse allegations made against a fired assistant coach. Thursday, BizJournals.com first noted, Meyer’s presence has been scrubbed from the restaurant chain’s website.
A tweet celebrating Meyer’s association with the restaurant chain was also deleted prior to the company addressing the maelstrom.
“At Bob Evans, we believe strongly in the family first values upon which the company was founded,” a statement from the company began. “Bob Evans Restaurants is suspending the current partnership with Urban Meyer and removing all related content pending the results of the official Ohio State University investigation.”
The Columbus Dispatch also noted that Meyer’s wife, Shelley Meyer, is featured in ads for Big Sandy Superstore. That company, too, has thus far declined comment.
It’s alleged that Shelley Meyer had intimate knowledge that the wife of former OSU wide receivers coach Zach Smith, Courtney Smith, was being physically abused by the assistant. Shelley Meyer allegedly told Courtney Smith that “she was going to have to tell Urban” about the abuse. It’s not been confirmed by Courtney Smith or anyone else that Shelley told Urban what she knew.
