Ohio University dismissed head football coach Brian Smith for cause on Wednesday, citing a contract violation tied to “engaging in serious professional misconduct and participating in activities that reflect unfavorably on the University.” School officials did not disclose details surrounding the findings.

Smith, 45, had been on indefinite leave since Dec. 1, when the university removed him from day-to-day duties for undisclosed reasons. Defensive coordinator John Hauser was elevated to interim head coach at that time and will lead the Bobcats in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl against UNLV on Dec. 23. Ohio said a national search for a permanent head coach will begin immediately.

The decision came just weeks after Smith completed his first full regular season as head coach, guiding Ohio to an 8-4 record and a bowl berth. He was promoted last December after former head coach Tim Albin left to take the job at Charlotte. Smith previously served as Ohio’s offensive coordinator and had led the team to a Cure Bowl victory while serving as interim head coach the prior season.

Smith’s attorney, Rex Elliott, strongly pushed back against the university’s action, saying the allegations are unfounded and will be challenged. “We vigorously dispute Ohio University’s grounds for the termination for cause of Coach Brian Smith,” 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.  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 had signed a five-year contract through the 2029 season. Because the university terminated him for cause, Ohio is not obligated to pay the roughly $2.5 million remaining on the deal that would have been owed in a termination without cause.

Before taking the Ohio head coaching role, Smith built a long résumé as an assistant and coordinator across college football, including multiple stints at Hawai‘i, where he also played offensive line and long snapper from 1998 to 2001. The Ohio position marked his first full-time head coaching opportunity.

Ohio officials reiterated Wednesday that no additional information regarding the alleged misconduct would be released.

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