The attorney for Ohio University’s recently fired football coach, Brian Smith, rejected claims that his client engaged in an improper relationship with a student and pressed back against other allegations tied to his dismissal, saying the coach was getting a divorce and that the university had no policy prohibiting consensual dating with students.
Smith was fired this month for what the university described as “serious professional misconduct” and actions that reflected unfavorably on the school. The university has not publicly detailed all of the conduct it cited in its decision.
In a statement issued through attorney Rex Elliott, Smith “vigorously disputed Ohio University’s grounds for the termination,” saying the coach was “shocked and dismayed” and plans to challenge the firing as wrongful. Elliott asserted that Smith’s personal life — including his ongoing divorce — was erroneously conflated with employment issues and that no formal university rule expressly barred a consensual relationship with another adult student.
BREAKING: In public records requests obtained by @ThePost, Rex Elliott, Brian Smith’s attorney, responds to President Gonzalez, claiming that Smith never engaged in extra marital affairs, and that OU doesn’t have a policy preventing employees from dating students. https://t.co/lwuALVcVG6 pic.twitter.com/ygGuKKLtdI
— Charlie Fadel (@CharlieFadel) December 18, 2025
The dispute over the circumstances surrounding Smith’s dismissal has drawn heightened attention amid scarce official detail from the university. Smith’s legal team has said the administration has not provided a formal explanation tying the divorce or rumors about a relationship to the administrative review that led to his firing.
The coach’s lawyer also addressed reports about Smith occasionally sharing a post-game toast with bourbon in his office, saying such modest celebrations were common and involved colleagues; he noted that Smith’s husband had provided the bourbon and that other university officials participated in similar traditions without disciplinary action. Reports indicate Smith acknowledged storing and consuming alcohol in his office but deny that he ever performed his work duties under the influence or that drinking impaired his performance.
The university’s move to fire Smith came while the Bobcats were preparing for their upcoming Frisco Bowl appearance, and interim coach John Hauser has assumed leadership of the program. The search for a permanent head coach is underway.
Smith’s lawyer said the case could involve litigation or contract arbitration, as they seek to protect the coach’s reputation and contest the “for cause” designation that allows the university to avoid paying a buyout.
