Ohio Bobcats fire head football coach Brian Smith for cause
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Ohio University announced Wednesday that it has terminated head football coach Brian Smith.
“The termination followed an administrative review of allegations that Smith violated the terms of his employment contract by engaging in serious professional misconduct and participating in activities that reflected negatively on the University,” the school said in a statement. The statement was included.
The Bobcats named defensive coordinator John Hauser as the team’s interim head coach and are scheduled to face the UNLV Rebels in the 2025 Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl on Dec. 23.
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Ohio Bobcats head coach Brian Smith arrives at Ohio Stadium prior to the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 13, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
“The search for a permanent head coach for Ohio football will begin immediately,” the statement said.
It is not known what “serious professional misconduct” Smith allegedly engaged in, but his lawyer Rex Elliott has denied any wrongdoing.
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“We strongly disagree with Ohio University’s reasons for terminating Coach Brian Smith,” Elliott said in a statement. per ESPN. “He is shocked and appalled by this turn of events and we plan to fight this unfair termination to protect his good name.
“Coach Smith is an ethical man who has done an exemplary job for the University. He wants nothing but the best for the players, coaches and the entire Bobcat community.”
Ohio Bobcats head coach Brian Smith watches a replay in the third quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on September 13, 2025. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
Smith and the Bobcats went 8-4 in his first regular season as Ohio’s head coach. He was placed on leave on December 1 for undisclosed reasons.
Smith was the team’s offensive coordinator last season before being promoted to interim head coach following Tim Albin’s decision to leave for Charlotte. Smith, 45, signed a five-year contract to serve as the Bobcats’ head coach through the 2029 season.
However, Smith, who was fired by the university for a reason, does not owe $2.5 million of his remaining salary.
Brian Smith of the Ohio Bobcats during a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey on August 28, 2025. (Zengin Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
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Smith’s coaching career before Ohio included stops with Washington State and Hawai’i. He also played as an offensive lineman and long snapper at Hawaii.
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