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After weeks of questions as to why Ohio Bobcats football coach Brian Smith was placed on administrative leave, the school has cited an extramarital affair as one of the reasons why he was officially terminated as head coach with cause.
On December 1, the school placed Smith on leave, after the athletic director came into a meeting the coach was having with assistants and told him he had to go home. On Nov. 24, school officials met with Brian Smith to discuss an allegation that he had knowingly violated university policy by having alcohol in his office.
According to a filing obtained by The Athletic, Smith said that he would 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 Aug. 28, 2025 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
Now, this might not seem like that big of a deal to most, but school officials did not feel the same way. Ohio athletic director Slade Larscheid presented a formal complaint to Brian Smith on Nov. 25, which outlined that any further breaking 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 FIRED HEAD FOOTBALL COACH BRIAN SMITH FOR VIOLATING SCHOOL’S ALCOHOL POLICY: REPORTS
OHIO IS ALLEGING IT WASN’T JUST ALCOHOL, ALSO AN AFFAIR WITH STUDENT
On Dec. 12, Ohio president Lori Gonzalez sent a letter to Brian Smith, along with his lawyer, detailing the reasoning for his firing. In the letter, which was first reported by Front Office Sports and confirmed by OutKick, Gonzalez detailed why Smith was being fired ‘for cause’.
Head coach Brian Smith of the Ohio Bobcats arrives at Ohio Stadium prior to the game again against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sept. 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, to which you have admitted” was one of the reasons why the former head coach was fired.
Also, the former Ohio coach was said to have repeatedly used alcohol in his office, while also making a public appearance where he smelled of alcohol, along with being “intoxicated in your demeanor.”
In his defense, Smith’s attorney said that the former coach was not hiding his relationship, which he says started after the coach and his wife had already started the process for divorce. Also, the attorney did not 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, where he led the Bobcats to an 8-4 record, with a bowl game against UNLV coming up on Dec. 23.
Brian Smith of the Ohio Bobcats during the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Aug 28, 2025 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
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Given that the attorney for Brian Smith is alleging that the school knew about the extramarital affair, I would expect the fight to continue over his reputation, along with money owed to him per his contract.
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