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adam ritenberg
ohio The university cited football coach Brian Smith’s romantic relationship, including one he admitted having with a student, as well as allegations of public intoxication in a letter stating its intention to fire him for cause.
Smith, put on leave 1 December, fired on wednesday What the university called “serious professional misconduct and engaging in activities that reflect adversely on the university.” The school had not released specific details on Smith’s misconduct before Thursday.
In the letter, obtained by several media outlets through public records requests, intended to end the case, university President Lori Stewart Gonzalez wrote that Smith’s “extramarital affairs,” which also included one with a graduate student, brought “disgrace, scandal, and ridicule” that violated his employment agreement with the school.
Gonzalez also wrote that Smith told athletic director Slade Larscheid that they were “having an affair” at the Ohio University Inn, where they could be seen by athletes’ families, donors and others associated with the university. Smith was under contract through the 2029 season and was owed approximately $2.5 million in remaining salary.
Smith’s attorney Rex Elliott responded in a letter to Gonzalez obtained by media outlets through records requests, saying Smith “did not participate in an extramarital affair and you know it.” Smith and his wife separated earlier this year, going through a divorce and living apart through the fall, Elliott said. Smith was living at the OU Inn while looking for permanent housing and told Larscheid that after breaking up with the Ohio student, he had visited athletes’ families there, while he was seeing a 41-year-old woman at the time.
Elliott wrote that Ohio University has no policy prohibiting employees from dating students, and that Smith and a student “engaged in a completely appropriate consensual adult relationship, which does not violate any OU rule or policy.” She said Smith and the student dated for about four months until early November and that the student was part of the athletic department.
Elliott also responded to Gonzalez and reprimanded Smith for drinking alcohol in his office at school, which was cited as the reason for his dismissal. Gonzalez wrote that the university was aware of a public appearance where Smith “smelled strongly of alcohol” and was “intoxicated in his conduct.” Elliott wrote that Smith “was never drunk at an OU event” and that the reprimand in late November and other concerns related to Smith’s alcohol use were never mentioned in the meeting surrounding it. He said Ohio University promotes and encourages alcohol use at other university-sponsored events and cited examples of faculty and staff drinking in their offices and other campus facilities.
“The reprimand was related to the toasting of the coaches [football] office after the home win,” Elliott wrote to Gonzalez. “After all, the coaches were toasting with a bourbon provided by your husband to Coach Smith in his office.”
In his letter sent before Ohio fired Smith, Elliott said Smith would “vigorously pursue” a lawsuit for wrongful dismissal if Ohio fired Smith for cause.
After being promoted to the offensive coordinator role, Smith went 8–4 in his lone season as Ohio’s coach. He had been on the football staff since 2022.
