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After weeks of questions about why Ohio Bobcats football coach Brian Smith was placed on administrative leave, the school has cited an extramarital affair as one of the reasons he was officially terminated as head coach with cause.
On Dec. 1, the school placed Smith on leave after the athletic director came to a meeting the coach was having with assistants and told him to go home. On November 24, school officials met with Brian Smith to discuss an allegation that he knowingly violated university policy by having alcohol in his office.
According to a filing obtained by The Athletic, Smith said he wanted to have celebratory drinks with assistants after wins, which is why there was alcohol inside the football building.
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Brian Smith of the Ohio Bobcats during the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on August 28, 2025 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
Now, that might not seem like a big deal to most, but school officials didn’t feel the same way. Ohio athletics director Slade Larscheid presented a formal complaint to Brian Smith on Nov. 25, which outlined that any further violations of the rules would result in his termination.
He had been on leave since the first day of December. Now, further details have been released.
OHIO UNIVERSITY FIRES FOOTBALL COACH BRIAN SMITH FOR VIOLATING SCHOOL’S ALCOHOL POLICY: REPORTS
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On December 12, Ohio President Lori Gonzalez sent a letter to Brian Smith, along with his attorney, explaining the reasons for his firing. In the letter, which was first reported by Front Office Sports and confirmed by OutKick, Gonzalez explained why Smith was fired ‘for cause.’
Ohio Bobcats head coach Brian Smith arrives at Ohio Stadium prior to the rematch against the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 13, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
It is alleged that Brian Smith’s “participation in extramural affairs, including one with an undergraduate student that you admitted” was one of the reasons the former head coach was fired.
Also, the former Ohio coach was said to have repeatedly consumed alcohol in his office while also making public appearances where he smelled of alcohol along with being “intoxicated in your demeanor.”
In his defense, Smith’s lawyer said the former coach did not hide his relationship, which he says started after the coach and his wife had already started the process of divorce. Nor did the lawyer deny that the former head coach was involved in a relationship with a student.
The 45-year-old had just completed his first season as Ohio’s head coach, leading the Bobcats to an 8-4 record with a Dec. 23 bowl game against UNLV.
Brian Smith of the Ohio Bobcats during the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on August 28, 2025 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
Given that Brian Smith’s attorney claims the school knew about the extramarital affair, I would expect the fight to continue over his reputation along with money owed to him under his contract.
