Ohio University fires football coach for cause; personnel file shows previous violation of school policy

Ohio University fired head coach Brian Smith for cause on Wednesday, more than two weeks after he was unexpectedly placed on leave by the university.

“The termination follows an administrative review of allegations that Smith violated the terms of his employment agreement by engaging in serious professional misconduct and participating in activities that reflect unfavorably on the University,” the university said in a statement. It did not elaborate on the specifics of the allegations.

“We vigorously dispute Ohio University’s grounds for the termination for cause of Coach Brian Smith,” Smith’s attorney, Rex Elliott, said in a statement Wednesday. “He is shocked and dismayed by this turn of events, and we plan to fight this wrongful 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.”

Associate head coach and defensive coordinator John Hauser, who was named the interim coach when Smith was put on leave, will coach the Bobcats against UNLV in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl on Dec. 23. Ohio said its search for a new head coach will begin immediately.

On the afternoon of Dec. 1, three days after the Bobcats completed an 8-4 regular season in their first year under Smith, Ohio’s athletic department released a brief statement that Smith “will be on leave for an undetermined period of time.”

Ohio University provided no further updates on the matter and stated that it had no additional information to share in response to multiple requests. Elliott, Smith’s attorney, previously confirmed to The Athletic that the coach was placed on paid leave.

According to Smith’s personnel file with the university, which was obtained by The Athletic via a public record request, Ohio University athletic director Slade Larscheid and other administrators met with Smith on Nov. 24 regarding an allegation that Smith had violated a university and contractual policy related to “alcohol and other drugs.”

A Nov. 24 letter in Smith’s file from Suzanne Durst, Ohio University’s director of employee experience, detailed a meeting in which Smith acknowledged storing alcohol in his office desk drawer and that he had consumed alcohol in his office after normal business hours. Smith also acknowledged that “on occasion, a few assistant coaches, all over the age of 21, joined him privately in his office after games for a single drink of bourbon,” according to the letter. Smith emphasized that neither he nor others were under the influence during these instances and that alcohol never affected his job performance.

Ohio University employee policy 41.133 states that it is strictly prohibited for an employee to “use, possess, manufacture or distribute drugs and/alcohol, or be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, while in the workplace or in university vehicles and equipment and while on duty.”

A separate letter from Larscheid on Nov. 25 provided Smith with a formal reprimand for violating the university policy.

“You further acknowledged that you were initially unfamiliar with the policy but now understand its requirements. You affirmed your commitment to comply with university policy moving forward and recognized that consuming or storing alcohol on university property is strictly prohibited,” it said in the Nov. 25 letter. “Future violations of University Policy 41.133 or other University policies, may result in further disciplinary action, up to and including termination of your employment. You are expected to fully comply with all university policies and maintain professional conduct at all times.”

The Nov. 24 and Nov. 25 letters make no mention of drug possession or use by Smith. Elliott told The Athletic that the Nov. 25 reprimand was related to Smith and a few coaches toasting a recent victory in his office.

Smith’s personnel file also includes a Dec. 1 letter from Mary Elizabeth Smith, Ohio University’s vice president of human resources, informing Smith he had been placed on paid administrative leave.

“At the request of your department, you are placed on paid administrative leave from your position as Head Coach, Men’s Football, pending the outcome of an investigation regarding allegations of inappropriate conduct and possible violations of university policy and your employment agreement,” the letter states.

There were no other documents in the personnel file between the Nov. 25 reprimand letter and the Dec. 1 letter for administrative leave.

It is unclear what connection, if any, Smith’s Nov. 25 reprimand had on him being placed on leave and later fired for cause. Ohio University did not immediately respond to an additional request for comment on the matter. Elliott had no further comment.

According to Smith’s employment contract, also obtained via a record request, the “Termination for cause” portion of the contract states the university has the “right to terminate this Agreement for cause prior to its expiration” if there is “good faith determination of the following.” That includes, among other stipulations, “Serious professional or personal misconduct…any of which may reflect adversely upon the reputation or public perception of University or its athletics program,” as well as activities or situations that reflect “unfavorably upon University’s reputation and overall primary mission and objectives.”

Those clauses include language similar to the university’s announcement that Smith was dismissed for “engaging in serious professional misconduct and participating in activities that reflect unfavorably on the University.”

Smith’s employment agreement also states that the coach will not be terminated for cause without first receiving “notice in writing of the allegations against Head Coach and an opportunity to respond and be heard.”

In the wake of Smith being placed on leave on Dec. 1, multiple sources familiar with the coach and the Ohio football program told The Athletic they were surprised at the decision and in the dark as to why it was made. One source noted that some football staffers were notified of the leave less than an hour before the university’s announcement and were given no further details. The program accepted its bowl bid and went through the National Signing Day period for high school recruiting after Smith was placed on leave, signing 20 high school prospects to the 2026 recruiting class.

The Bobcats went 6-2 in the MAC in Smith’s lone season, tied for second place in the conference standings. Ohio failed to clinch a spot in the MAC championship game via tiebreaker. Smith, 45, spent the three previous seasons as an assistant for the Bobcats under Tim Albin, including as the associate head coach and offensive coordinator in 2024. Smith was hired as Ohio’s head coach on Dec. 18, 2024, after Albin left for the head coaching job at Charlotte, and following Ohio’s first conference championship since 1968.

Smith and Ohio agreed to a five-year deal through 2029 that paid him $815,000 this season, though that included a $50,000 retention payment if he remained head coach of the Bobcats on Dec. 31, 2025. Curiously, Smith worked for most of the past year without a finalized contract, which was finally signed in October. Ohio hired athletic director Slade Larscheid in September.

Before joining the Bobcats, Smith worked as an assistant at Washington State and had multiple stints at Hawaii, his alma mater, where he was an offensive lineman and long snapper from 1998-2001.