Earlier Wednesday, it was reported that a decision on Urban Meyer‘s future at Ohio State was expected to be made at some point today. Suffice to say, that may not ultimately be the case.
As of this posting, OSU’s Board of Trustees and president, Michael Drake, have been entrenched in an executive session since just after 9 a.m. Eastern Time this morning discussing Meyer’s fate. According to at least two reports, the lengthy session, which has now extended beyond the 10-hour mark, is the result of an impasse — Drake wants Meyer to serve a suspension of an undetermined length, Meyer and the board do not.
As the university’s president, Drake has the power to hire and fire coaches like Meyer. Of course, as the university’s board, the trustees have the power to hire and fire presidents such as Drake.
The biggest takeaway from these reports, though, aside from a seemingly significant rift in the upper echelons of the university’s leadership, is that it appears highly, highly likely that Meyer will keep his job as the Buckeyes’ head coach.
Meyer has been on paid administrative leave since Aug. 1, one day before an investigation was announced into the coach’s handling of domestic abuse allegations made against former wide receivers coach Zach Smith. In a statement Aug. 3, Meyer claimed that he has “always followed proper reporting protocols and procedures when I have learned of an incident involving a student-athlete, coach or member of our staff by elevating the issues to the proper channels.”