Bob Evans Restaurants announced Thursday that it was putting its relationship with Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer on hold the day after the school said it was putting him on paid administrative leave.
The restaurant chain, headquartered in Ohio, had just announced the partnership that named Meyer "Head Breakfast Coach" on Monday.
"At Bob Evans, we believe strongly in the family first values upon which the company was founded," the company said in a statement. "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."
Meyer was scheduled to appear in TV, radio and digital ads. The crisis happened so soon after announcing the deal that signs of Meyer inside the restaurants had yet to be put up.
On Wednesday, reporter Brett McMurphy published a story in which Courtney Smith, wife of recently fired Ohio State assistant coach Zack Smith, said that all the Buckeyes coaches, including Meyer, were aware of Smith's domestic violence history. McMurphy published text messages sent from Courtney apparently to Meyer's wife Shelley. The week before, Meyer, at a Big Ten media appearance, denied that he had any prior knowledge of Smith's actions.
Meyer's $7.6 million salary is the highest among college football coaches.