FOOTBALL: Ohio fires coach Brian Smith, cites 'serious professional misconduct'

Ohio University announced on Wednesday that it has terminated the contract of head football coach Brian Smith following an administrative review of his conduct while employed by the school.

The university said Smith was dismissed for cause after determining that he violated the terms of his employment agreement by engaging in “serious professional misconduct” and participating in activities that reflected unfavorably on the institution. No further details regarding the findings were disclosed.

Smith’s attorney, Rex Elliott, disputed the university’s decision in a statement issued to the media on Wednesday afternoon.

“We vigorously dispute Ohio University’s grounds for the termination for cause of Coach Brian Smith,” Elliott said. “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.”

Smith becomes the second NCAA head coach fired for cause in the past week. Michigan dismissed head coach Sherrone Moore last Wednesday after an internal investigation found “credible evidence” that he had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

Smith, 45, had been placed on indefinite leave on December 1 following the conclusion of an 8–4 season. His tenure as Ohio’s head coach ends just one day short of one year.

The university announced Smith’s promotion to head coach on December 18, 2024, after he previously served as associate head coach. At the time, the school praised his leadership and character.

“Brian Smith exemplifies the essence of the Ohio University community,” University President Lori Stewart Gonzalez said in the announcement. “He is a values-based coach with an incredible work ethic who is relentless in his pursuit of excellence. He has been an instrumental part of our football success in recent years and will be a tremendous leader of our program and representative of our University.”

Smith was hired to replace Tim Albin, who left Ohio after leading the Bobcats to the Mid-American Conference title in 2024 to accept the head coaching position at Charlotte.

Ohio will play UNLV in the Frisco Bowl on Tuesday under interim head coach John Hauser, who assumed leadership of the program after Smith was placed on leave. -Field Level Media/Reuters