Ex-Ohio coach Brian Smith suing Bobcats over December firing

The bizarre saga surrounding former Ohio Bobcats head football coach Brian Smith has taken another major turn. Per On3’s Pete Nakos, Smith is now suing the university for breach of contract and wrongful termination following his firing last December. 

The lawsuit comes months after the school dismissed Smith for cause amid allegations of “serious professional misconduct,” though many details surrounding the situation still remain unclear publicly. 

Smith’s attorney, Rex Elliott, blasted the university’s handling of the situation. He did so in a statement accompanying the lawsuit.

“The University rushed to judgment, ignored its contractual obligations, and prioritized its financial interest over a fair process,” Elliott said, per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.

That accusation cuts directly to the heart of what has made this situation so controversial from the beginning. When Ohio first placed Smith on leave in early December, confusion immediately surrounded the move. 

According to Elliott, Smith was allegedly removed from campus during the middle of the workday without explanation. Days later, his attorney claimed the coach still had not been formally informed why he had been sidelined. Then came the firing.

Ohio announced Smith’s dismissal on Dec. 11, citing violations of his employment agreement and conduct that reflected poorly on the university. At the time, assistant coach John Hauser was elevated to interim head coach and eventually guided the Bobcats into the Frisco Bowl against the UNLV Rebels.

But despite the school’s public statement, specifics surrounding the allegations have remained scarce. No criminal charges were filed. Law enforcement agencies and the university declined to provide additional details publicly. 

Moreover, Smith’s attorney repeatedly denied wrongdoing while simultaneously accusing Ohio of acting improperly throughout the process. The timing also drew attention.

As reports noted at the time, Dec. 1 marked a major financial trigger point in Smith’s contract. Had Ohio fired him without cause before that date, the university potentially could have owed him more than $2.5 million. Instead, Smith was placed on leave just after that deadline passed, before eventually being terminated for cause days later.

That sequence fueled speculation that financial considerations may have played a role in the university’s decision-making process, something Elliott’s latest comments appear to directly reference. Smith had only recently taken over as Ohio’s head coach after previously serving on staff since 2022. 

In his first season leading the program, the Bobcats went 8-4 and earned a bowl berth, seemingly positioning the program for long-term stability before everything abruptly unraveled. Now, the dispute heads to court.

Unless more information surrounding the allegations becomes public, questions about exactly what happened behind the scenes at Ohio are likely to continue lingering over the program for quite some time. We’ll see what happens with the Bobcats and their former coach. 

— On3’s Alex Byington contributed to this article.