Ohio University has fired football coach Brian Smith for cause, ending his tenure less than a year after he was promoted to the job.
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The school announced Wednesday that Smith was dismissed for "engaging in serious professional misconduct and participating in activities that reflect unfavorably on the University." Ohio did not provide specific details regarding the alleged violations.
Smith had been placed on administrative leave on Dec. 1 for undisclosed reasons. At the time, defensive coordinator John Hauser was named interim head coach. Hauser will remain in that role and lead the Bobcats in the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl against UNLV on Dec. 23.
Smith's attorney pushed back strongly against the decision.
"We vigorously dispute Ohio University's grounds for the termination for cause of Coach Brian Smith," attorney Rex Elliott said in a statement. "He is shocked and dismayed by this turn of events, and we plan to fight this wrongful termination to protect his good name."
Elliott added that Smith believes he acted ethically and in the best interests of the program.
Smith, 45, had just completed his first regular season as Ohio's head coach, guiding the Bobcats to an 8-4 record. He was promoted last December after Tim Albin left for Charlotte and signed a five-year contract that ran through the 2029 season.
Because the dismissal was classified as "for cause," Smith is not owed the roughly $2.5 million in remaining salary that would have been due under a termination without cause.
Smith joined Ohio's staff in 2022 after coaching stops at Washington State and Hawaii. He also played at Hawaii from 1998 to 2001 as an offensive lineman and long snapper.
Ohio said a national search for a permanent head coach will begin immediately.
