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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 fired as head coach with cause.
On Dec. 1, the school placed Smith on leave after the athletic director attended a meeting the coach was having with assistants and told him he had to go home. On November 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 document obtained by The Athletic, Smith said he would have celebratory drinks with his 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, this might not seem like a big deal to most, but school officials didn’t feel the same way. Ohio athletic director Slade Larscheid filed a formal complaint with Brian Smith on Nov. 25, outlining that any further violation of the rules would result in his dismissal.
He had been on leave since the first day of December. Now, more details have been released.
UNIVERSITY OF OHIO FIRED FOOTBALL COACH BRIAN SMITH FOR VIOLATING SCHOOL ALCOHOL POLICY: REPORTS
OHIO ALLEGES IT WAS NOT JUST ALCOHOL, IT WAS ALSO AN ISSUE WITH A STUDENT
On December 12, Ohio Speaker Lori Gonzalez sent a letter to Brian Smith, along with his attorney, detailing the reason 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 before the game again against the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 13, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
It is alleged that Brian Smith’s “involvement in extramural affairs, including one with a college student, to which he has admitted” was one of the reasons the former head coach was fired.
Additionally, the former Ohio coach was said to have repeatedly consumed alcohol in his office, while making a public appearance where he smelled of alcohol, in addition to being “intoxicated in his behavior.”
In his defense, Smith’s lawyer said the former coach did not hide their relationship, which he said began after the coach and his wife had already begun divorce proceedings. Additionally, 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 on December 23.
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)
Since Brian Smith’s attorney alleges that the school knew about the extramarital affair, he would expect the fight to continue over his reputation, along with the money he is owed under his contract.
