Steve Addazio on whether he knew about Zach Smith’s 2009 arrest for battery when he hired the WR coach at Temple in 2011: “As University policy, I don’t comment on other institutions, okay?”
— Riley Overend (@Riley_0_) August 3, 2018
Sadly, this answer is predictable. It is also a missed opportunity. With a well-crafted, thoughtful response, Addazio could have stated something and closed his portion of this saga. Instead he obfuscated a non-answer. If he is lucky this goes away. But if this brings down Urban Meyer, look for the media to come back to Addazio and demand an answer. If he is not prepared for that, he could keep making this worse, like his buddy Meyer is doing.
The fact is that Addazio can talk about other institutions. He does it all the time. He can also talk about friends and colleagues in legal or professional trouble. He has done it before. Maybe BC advised him to avoid the topic since it was not a BC issue. But it is a Steve Addazio issue.
What I would have suggested is something formal and reviewed by BC's legal department that addresses his relationship with Smith. It sounds as if Courtney Smith advocated that Zach be given a second chance after 2009. That would probably provide Addazio with enough professional cover to explain the hire. It would also enable him to show respect for domestic violence, Courtney and explain what he has learned.
This all might blow over and be a non-story. But if it really does take down Urban Meyer and Ohio State AD Gene Smith, Addazio better be ready for the media to hound him. And he better have a better statement prepared.
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