Ohio University fired coach Brian Smith for cause Wednesday, saying Smith violated his contract by "engaging in serious professional misconduct and participating in activities that reflect unfavorably on the University."
The school did not provide specifics on Smith's misconduct. Smith, who went 8-4 in his first regular season as Bobcats coach, had been placed on leave Dec. 1 for undisclosed reasons.
"We vigorously dispute Ohio University's grounds for the termination for cause of Coach Brian Smith," Smith's attorney, Rex 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."
Defensive coordinator John Hauser was named the interim coach when Smith was placed on leave and will lead Ohio on Dec. 23 in the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl against UNLV. Ohio said a search for a long-term head coach will begin immediately.
Smith, who is 45 and was promoted from offensive coordinator last December after Tim Albin's departure to Charlotte, received a five-year contract through the 2029 season. If he had been fired without cause, he would have been owed about $2.5 million in remaining salary.
He had coached at Ohio since 2022, after stops at Washington State and Hawai'i, where he played offensive line and was a long-snapper from 1998 to 2001.