During his first news conference since returning from suspension, Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer was asked what he would say to Courtney Smith.
"Sorry," he said.
For what, I wondered.
Smith certainly deserves an apology, but why would Meyer apologize when he spent portions of the nearly hour-long news conference Monday continuing to discredit her story of abuse.
"All I can go by is what I was told by law enforcement, and that was that there was no domestic violence," Meyer said in reference to an alleged 2015 incident at the center of the scandal.
Asked whether he believes Smith was ever the victim of domestic violence at the hands of her ex-husband, former Buckeyes receivers coach Zach Smith, Meyer said: "I can only rely on the information I receive from experts."
The shorthand for that is "no."
Meyer will be back on the sideline Saturday against Tulane after his three-game suspension for mishandling Courtney Smith's allegations that Zach Smith abused her over the years he worked for Meyer at Florida and Ohio State.
Meyer conveniently avoided mentioning a 2009 arrest of Zach Smith in Florida for aggravated battery (Courtney Smith later declined to press charges). He apparently has no clue about how difficult it is for women to press charges, let alone see a conviction of a domestic abuser.
He owes Courtney Smith an apology for continuing a narrative that allows anyone reading about this case to question her credibility more than her ex-husband's.
What did Meyer learn the last several weeks from an ordeal that at least temporarily tarnished his reputation and put his job in jeopardy? What did he glean from an opportunity to really learn about domestic violence, its signs and its aftermath?
It seems almost nothing. If Monday's news conference was a 101-level test on the topic he has knighted himself an expert on, he flunked.
Meyer seems to believe all of his efforts that shielded Zach Smith from repercussions were an act of charity from his good-hearted nature. He showed no understanding that he actually helped protect an alleged abuser and did nothing to help a victim -- both of whom were close with his family.
"Did I turn my back to domestic violence? Not one bit," Meyer said. "I erred in going too far to try to help a guy with work-related issues."
Explaining why he didn't fire Zach Smith sooner than July 23 -- the same day the 2009 and 2015 incidents were first publicly reported -- Meyer described how he considered his "troubled" employee's future, helped him work out financial issues, advised counseling and considered how losing earnings would affect his children.
Keeping an abuser employed doesn't keep a victim or their children safe. Seeing a woman join her husband at work functions or observing a man with his children aren't signs that abuse has ceased.
Drawing such conclusions is troubling.
Meyer referred to the Smiths' situation as "a messy divorce with child custody issues," which only emphasizes how he allowed himself to overlook years of red flags.
There was little talk Monday from Meyer about regrets that he didn't hold Zach Smith accountable earlier or overlooked ways to keep Courtney Smith safe. All of Meyer's actions -- or lack thereof -- protected Zach Smith, Ohio State and Urban Meyer.
Meyer has said he has a zero-tolerance policy for players who commit domestic abuse. He said he talks to players so much about Title IX that when he uses the phrase, they automatically answer with "respect."
He said he recently reminded his team how to treat women. It's an important reminder.
But this is like taking financial advice from someone who just filed for bankruptcy.
Meyer said Monday he has regrets about how he handled Zach Smith and admitted he needs help learning more about abuse situations. He really does.
Because after Monday's news conference, I'm not convinced he would handle the next domestic violence case in his program adequately.
Sports on 09/18/2018