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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6 comments:
Meyer is finished. I think its fair game to ask Adazio why he hired the guy at Temple if he knew about the 2009 episode. Heads are going to roll as this is ballooning ... note the player abuse stuff now coming out.
That is exactly what I recommended they say. Perfect response.
Really bad response by Daz. The question wasn't about Urban Meyer, Ohio State, or Florida, it was about what Daz knew when he hired Zach Smith in a previous job. He's not being asked to comment on another university-- and of course as ATL points out he does that all the time anyway-- he's being asked about his own actions and knowledge related to Smith. BC better prepare a much better answer for Daz-- one that truthfully lays out everything he knew-- because an answer like that means he's getting the question again.
People don't get hired in a vaccuum like it is 1950. The hiring process involves background checks, HR contacts with people who have priors in the last 7 years and sign off's from HR Business partners. If Temple let him hire the coach it is Temples problem. Thus, you don't comment on legal matters at other Universities.
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