Ohio Bobcats place coach Brian Smith on leave, 'staying silent on issue'

The Ohio Bobcats placed football coach Brian Smith on paid leave on December 1st, per Front Office Sports. But the kicker is, the school has stayed silent on the issue and not revealing the reason behind the move, per the report.

Smith’s attorney told the school’s public TV and radio station WOUB that he was asked to leave in the middle of the work day without any explanation. No allegations or charges have been brought against Smith, per the report, and his attorney has denied any wrongdoing.

“Two days later, the attorney told WOUB that Smith still hadn’t been given a formal reason for the school’s decision, but was looking forward to returning to his players and staff as soon as possible,” the report read. “The coach was set to make about $850,000 for this season, according to USA Today. And, the contract said, Dec. 1 was a key deadline for his $2.5 million buyout.

“If the school had fired Smith without cause before Dec. 1, it would’ve owed him the entire base salary left on his deal, equal to $2,511,250. Starting Dec. 1, if Smith decided to leave, he or his new employer would’ve owed that amount back to the university.”

As FOS said, Ohio could be looking to avoid paying the full buyout, should they fire Smith. By placing him on paid leave without firing him, the university could also avoid a wrongful termination suit.

Smith is also reportedly going through a divorce, according to a public filing on December 3rd. His ex-wife’s attorney said: “nothing [she] has alleged is the cause of [Smith’s] current situation at Ohio University,” however, she “does not know what the specific issues are.”

Smith and his ex-wife finalized their divorce on Tuesday, per FOS. The Athens Police Department, Ohio University Campus Police and the university did not answer questions nor provide additional information on the seemingly bizarre situation.

Smith’s been with the school since 2022, working up from assistant coach to head coach this year. In his first season, the Bobcats went 8-4 in 2025. A former offensive lineman for Hawaii, Smith’s been coaching since 2003 after his playing career.