Overview
- Ohio removed the interim tag from John Hauser on Friday, naming him the program’s 31st head coach, according to athletic director Slade Larscheid.
- Hauser guided the Bobcats to a 17-10 victory over UNLV in the Frisco Bowl earlier in the week after being elevated to interim coach on Dec. 1.
- Ohio fired Brian Smith on Dec. 18 for what it called serious professional misconduct, including a four-month affair with an undergraduate student.
- Hauser joined Ohio in 2022 and rose from safeties coach to defensive coordinator and associate head coach, with the 2025 defense ranking top 15 nationally in scoring and top 10 in yards allowed.
- This is Hauser’s first college head-coaching job, and he said he intends to build on the program’s recent success heading into 2026.