Urban Meyer admits he knew about the 2015 Zach Smith domestic violence incident -- but lied to the media when asked about it on BIG10 Media Day last month.
But the catch ... Meyer says he followed proper protocol behind the scenes and elevated the incident to "proper channels."
The Ohio State football coach spelled it out in a statement saying ...
"Here is the truth: While at the University of Florida, and now at The Ohio State University, I have 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. And, I did so regarding the Zach Smith incident in 2015."
"I take that responsibility very seriously and any suggestions to the contrary is simply false."
He added, "My words, whether in a reply to a reporter's question or in addressing a personnel issue, must be clear, compassionate and most of all, completely accurate. Unfortunately, at Big Ten Media Days on July 24th, I failed on may of these fronts."
"My intention was not to say anything inaccurate or misleading. However, I was not adequately prepared to discuss these sensitive personnel issues with the media, and I apologize for the way I handled those questions."
As we previously reported, Zach Smith was fired as the WR coach at Ohio State last month when domestic violence allegations went public.
Meyer says he reported the incident in 2015 -- which begs the question ... why was he fired 3 YEARS LATER?