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On Wednesday, Brian Smith was relieved of his duties as the football coach at Ohio University around two weeks after he was placed on leave. It was initially unclear what led to his dismissal, but a new report suggests it was linked to what seems to be a fairly innocent alcohol-related violation that plenty of other people in his position are probably guilty of.
The Ohio Bobcats promoted Brian Smith from offensive coordinator to interim head coach after Tim Albin bolted for Charlotte at the end of last season, and he was named the permanent replacement right before he led the squad to a victory over Jacksonville State in the Cure Bowl.
The team bounced back from a loss to Rutgers with a win over West Virginia at home at the start of his first full season at the helm, and they went 6-2 in conference play while punching their ticket to the Frisco Bowl with an 8-4 record.
However, things took an interesting turn at the start of December when Ohio’s athletic director interrupted a meeting and informed Smith he’d been placed on administrative leave. John Hauser was appointed to the interim role, and he’ll be coaching the Bobcats against UNLV after Smith was officially fired on Wednesday.
The school has still not provided a detailed explanation, but internal documents paint a fairly perplexing picture at first glance.
Ohio fired Brian Smith after discovering he kept alcohol in his office and drank with assistant coaches
The statement that Ohio released when it announced Smith had been kicked to the curb asserted he “violated the terms of his employment agreement by engaging in serious professional misconduct and participating in activities that reflect unfavorably on the University.”
It was an explanation that was as ominous as it was vague, and Smith’s attorney released a statement of his own while pledging to fight the decision and alleging “wrongful termination.”
The Athletic was able to obtain Smith’s personnel file, and at this point, all signs point to his firing being linked to a clause in his contract concerning “alcohol and other drugs.” However, it appears the violation stemmed from the coach admitting he kept some booze in his desk in his office and telling administrators he sometimes drank after “business hours” while occasionally inviting assistant coaches of legal drinking age to join him.
That is far from the most scandalous development you’ll come across, and while it would be easy to understand why such behavior would not fly at programs like BYU or Liberty, this seems like a bit of a nothingburger at a public university in Athens, Ohio.
There is always a chance that there is additional information that has not come to light, but this will be an interesting situation to keep an eye on.