New particulars have come to gentle relating to the termination of Ohio College soccer coach Brian Smith.
Within the weeks earlier than Smith’s firing Wednesday for “participating in critical skilled misconduct and taking part in actions that replicate unfavorably on the College,” the coach met with directors over an allegation he was in violation of “a college and contractual coverage associated to ‘alcohol and different medication,’” The Athletic reported.
Suzanne Durst, the director of worker expertise at Ohio College, expanded on a gathering with Smith in a Nov. 24 letter, a gathering the place the coach “acknowledged storing alcohol in his workplace desk drawer and that he had consumed alcohol in his workplace after regular enterprise hours,” based on the notice in Smith’s personnel file obtained by The Athletic.
Moreover, Smith — in his first 12 months as head coach of the Bobcats — had toasted “occasionally” with some assistants, “all around the age of 21,” postgame “for a single drink of bourbon,” the outlet reported.
Staffers can’t “use, possess, manufacture or distribute medication and/alcohol, or be underneath the affect of medicine and/or alcohol, whereas within the office or in college automobiles and gear and whereas on obligation,” as indicated in Ohio College worker coverage 41.133.
Smith pressured that alcohol didn’t influence his skilled talents and “that neither he nor others had been underneath the affect throughout these cases,” per The Athletic.
Within the wake of the assembly with directors, together with the college’s athletic director, Slade Larscheid, Smith acquired a letter on Nov. 25 stating: “Future violations of College Coverage 41.133 or different College insurance policies, might lead to additional disciplinary motion, as much as and together with termination of your employment. You might be anticipated to totally adjust to all college insurance policies and preserve skilled conduct always.”
Days later, on Dec. 1, Smith was placed on depart “for an undetermined time period.” John Hauser, the group’s affiliate head coach and defensive coordinator, was elevated to interim head coach.
The Athletic famous, “There have been no different paperwork within the personnel file between the Nov. 25 reprimand letter and the Dec. 1 letter for administrative depart.”
Smith’s lawyer, Rex Elliott, stated in an announcement Wednesday they “vigorously dispute Ohio College’s grounds for the termination for trigger.”
Smith led the Bobcats to an 8-4 file this season.
Hauser will coach the group within the Scooter’s Espresso Frisco Bowl subsequent Tuesday in opposition to UNLV.
