Urban Meyer won three Big Ten championships and one national title with Ohio State before retiring in 2018. His final season with the Buckeyes was full of controversy. But staffers like Jerry Emig ensured he handled it with the same swagger while managing a team like OSU. So now, when Emig hangs his trademark binder, Urban Meyer makes sure to pay his dues.

Urban Meyer retweeted a post showing Jerry Emig getting felicitated by OSU AD Ross Bjorg. The caption caught everyone’s attention as it read “Much Respect Jerry…Love ya brother!”  The tweet showcased the mutual admiration and trust they built in their time together at OSU.

Following Ohio State’s 49-9 victory over Rutgers on November 22, Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork addressed the media with a special tribute. Emig, the longtime associate athletic director for communications, worked his final home game at the Horseshoe. Keeping the reporters, players, and staff who’d worked alongside him for over two decades as witnesses. “As the leader of our communications team, Jerry has been a consistent and passionate advocate for our student-athletes. Ensuring their stories are shared with authenticity and pride,” Bjork said in a press release announcing Emig’s retirement in June. His dedication to preserving and promoting the history of Buckeye athletics is truly commendable.”

Jerry Emig‘s road to becoming one of the most respected communications professionals started at Murray University. There, he learned the basics while getting a Bachelor’s in Communications in 1983. He came to OSU to complete his Master’s in sports administration. Before joining the Buckeyes, he honed his skills at Southern Illinois-Carbondale and then spent 6 years with Temple University. These early experiences helped him grow into a veteran of the field. When Ohio State came calling in 2007, he joined as an assistant Sports Information Director. He also did a brief stint with Ohio State’s SID office in 1998-99. He also played a big role in managing dozens of NCAA and conference tournament basketball games. And helped arrange hundreds of events across multiple sports. His contributions were recognised in 2017 when Emig and his department got the.

Interestingly, Jerry Emig became the Associate SID when Urban Meyer joined the Buckeyes in 2011. Jerry Emig became one of the most trusted aides of Urban Meyer during his 7 years at the helm of OSU. Jerry Emig handled the media relations during the golden era of the Buckeyes. Emig handled the outside world while Meyers took care of the on-field performances, as he had a hard time interacting with the press. While there are countless instances of Emig saving the day. The most notable example of Meyer depending on Emig came in 2018 when he helped him navigate the media outburst after the Zack Smith scandal.

The scandal that threatened to taint Urban Meyer’s legacy

Recently, Meyer was hogging the headlines with his Heisman predictions and PSU rumours. But in his last year of coaching the Buckeyes, he became popular for all the wrong reasons. In July 2018, Urban Meyer faced his darkest hour. Hours after firing wide receivers coach Zach Smith over domestic violence allegations, the Ohio State head coach prepared to face the media. Brett McMurphy’s report detailed two accusations: a 2009 arrest for aggravated battery against his wife and a disputed 2015 arrest. Panicked, Meyer reached out to his inner circle late that night. He texted athletic director Gene Smith, sports information director Jerry Emig, and others seeking counsel. “Need some guidance here so when I speak to the media I’m not wrong,” Meyer wrote at 10:25 p.m. He was hours away from one of the most important press conferences of his career.

Emig and the administrative team worked through the night to help Meyer navigate the media minefield. Gene Smith drafted careful talking points, advising Meyer to address the matter only in his opening statement and avoid detailed questions. Emig endorsed the strategy, writing “Those are good points,” and suggested Meyer state that “there were no charges in 2015 and I really don’t even recall any details.” Both knew the stakes. One misstep could explode the narrative.

Despite the roadmap Emig and Smith provided, Meyer took his own approach. He brushed past the Zach Smith situation with vague remarks, leaving reporters with endless follow-up questions. When pressed on the 2015 incident, Meyer claimed ignorance, “I got a text late last night that something happened in 2015. And there was nothing. Once again, I don’t know who creates a story like that.” The independent investigation later concluded Meyer falsely stated he lacked knowledge of the 2015 events, though investigators found no deliberate intent to deceive. Emig and his team had offered the blueprint. Meyer simply chose not to follow it, unraveling the program’s credibility in real time.