Overview
- Ohio said an administrative review concluded Brian Smith violated his employment agreement through serious professional misconduct, without disclosing specifics.
- Smith had been placed on administrative leave on Dec. 1, and the review stretched more than two weeks before Wednesday’s termination.
- Defensive coordinator John Hauser remains interim head coach and will lead the Bobcats against UNLV in the Frisco Bowl on Dec. 23 as a national search begins.
- Smith’s attorney, Rex Elliott, called the for-cause firing wrongful and said they plan to challenge it, while local police said they have no records related to the inquiry.
- Smith was in the first season of a five-year deal through 2029 after an 8–4 regular season, and a reported roughly $2.5 million buyout tied to a without-cause firing would not apply.