Ohio University football coach Brian Smith working without a contract
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Ohio University football coach Brian Smith working without a contract
Steve Berkowitz, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
·
4 min read
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UPDATE:Brian Smith now has a formal, fully executed agreement with Ohio University. The school provided the contract to USA TODAY Sports on Friday, Oct. 10, one day afterUSA TODAY Sports reported on Smith's employment status.
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED:
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For a second consecutive football season, there is a major-college coach who is essentially working without a contract, at least for now.
Ohio University representatives andcoach Brian Smithsigned a document this past winter, when Smith was promoted to head coach following Tim Albin's departure to Charlotte. What that document means in terms of Smith's compensation for this season — and the parties' contractual commitment — remains unclear, even with Smith entering his 10thmonth on the job and theBobcatshaving completed half of their2025 regular season schedule.
The document states it is not a contract. And while it says Smith's compensation will have an average annual value of $850,000 per year from Dec. 17, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2029, it does not say what Smith is to be paid for this, or any other year of his employment. In addition, it says Smith will have performance incentives, but they "will be negotiated between the parties, the terms of which will be comparable with other Mid-American Conference institutions."
In USA TODAY Sports' review of compensation for Division I football head coaches, we found 32 are earning $7,000,000 or more this season. Georgia’s' Kirby Smart is No. 1 at $13,282,580 million.
(Alan Poizner, Imagn Images)
Ryan Day, Ohio State, $12,575,000
(Adam Cairns, Columbus Dispatchvia USA TODAY NETWORK)
Lincoln Riley, Southern California, $11,537,560
(Ron Johnson, Imagn Images)
Dabo Swinney, Clemson, $11,382,775
(Ken Ruinard, GREENVILLE NEWS via USA TODAY Network)
Steve Sarkisian,Texas, $10,800,000
(Scott Wachter, Imagn Images)
Dan Lanning, Oregon, $10,400,00
(Ben Lonergan, The Register-Guard via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama, $10,250,000
(Melina Myers, Imagn Images)
Brian Kelly, LSU, $10,175,000
(Petre Thomas, Imagn Images)
Bill Belichick, North Carolina, $10,100,000
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)
T10. Josh Heupel, Tennessee, $9,000,000
(Brianna Paciorka, News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)
T10. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri, $9,000,000
(Denny Medley, Imagn Images)
T10. Mark Stoops, Kentucky, $9,000,000
(Matt Stone, Courier Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)
T10. Lane Kiffin, Mississippi, $9,000,000
(Petre Thomas, Imagn Images)
Deion Sanders, Colorado, $8,975,000
(Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images)
T15. James Franklin, Penn State, $8,500,000
(James Lang, Imagn Images)
T15. Matt Rhule, Nebraska, $8,500,00
(Dylan Widger, Imagn Images)
Mario Cristobal, Miami, $8,302,883
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
Curt Cignetti, Indiana, $8,300,000
(Rich Janzaruk, Herald-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Bret Bielema, Illinois, $8,200,000
(Ron Johnson, Imagn Images)
Shane Beamer, South Carolina, $8,150,000
(Jeff Blake, Imagn Images)
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin, $7,825,000
(Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Jedd Fisch, Washington, $7,575,024
(Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images)
Brent Venables, Oklahoma, $7,552,000
(BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Billy Napier, Florida, $7,470,000
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State, $7,442,000
(Patrick Breen, The Republicvia USA TODAY NETWORK)
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame, $7,421,201
(Michael Caterina, Imagn Images)
Jonathan Smith, Michigan State, $7,350,000
(Nick King, Lansing State Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh, $7,259,909
(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, $7,175,000
(Jeffrey Becker, Imagn Images)
Sonny Dykes, TCU, $7,036,013
(Patrick Breen, The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK)
T31. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota, $7,000,000
(Matt Krohn, Imagn Images)
T31. Mike Elko, Texas A&M, $7,000,000
(Maria Lysaker, Imagn Images)
1/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
In USA TODAY Sports' review of compensation for Division I football head coaches, we found 32 are earning $7,000,000 or more this season. Georgia’s' Kirby Smart is No. 1 at $13,282,580 million.
(Alan Poizner, Imagn Images)
1/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
In USA TODAY Sports' review of compensation for Division I football head coaches, we found 32 are earning $7,000,000 or more this season. Georgia’s' Kirby Smart is No. 1 at $13,282,580 million.
(Alan Poizner, Imagn Images)
2/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Ryan Day, Ohio State, $12,575,000
(Adam Cairns, Columbus Dispatchvia USA TODAY NETWORK)
3/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Lincoln Riley, Southern California, $11,537,560
(Ron Johnson, Imagn Images)
4/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Dabo Swinney, Clemson, $11,382,775
(Ken Ruinard, GREENVILLE NEWS via USA TODAY Network)
5/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Steve Sarkisian,Texas, $10,800,000
(Scott Wachter, Imagn Images)
6/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Dan Lanning, Oregon, $10,400,00
(Ben Lonergan, The Register-Guard via USA TODAY NETWORK)
7/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama, $10,250,000
(Melina Myers, Imagn Images)
8/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Brian Kelly, LSU, $10,175,000
(Petre Thomas, Imagn Images)
9/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Bill Belichick, North Carolina, $10,100,000
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)
10/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T10. Josh Heupel, Tennessee, $9,000,000
(Brianna Paciorka, News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)
11/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T10. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri, $9,000,000
(Denny Medley, Imagn Images)
12/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T10. Mark Stoops, Kentucky, $9,000,000
(Matt Stone, Courier Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)
13/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T10. Lane Kiffin, Mississippi, $9,000,000
(Petre Thomas, Imagn Images)
14/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Deion Sanders, Colorado, $8,975,000
(Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images)
15/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T15. James Franklin, Penn State, $8,500,000
(James Lang, Imagn Images)
16/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T15. Matt Rhule, Nebraska, $8,500,00
(Dylan Widger, Imagn Images)
17/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Mario Cristobal, Miami, $8,302,883
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
18/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Curt Cignetti, Indiana, $8,300,000
(Rich Janzaruk, Herald-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK)
19/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Bret Bielema, Illinois, $8,200,000
(Ron Johnson, Imagn Images)
20/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Shane Beamer, South Carolina, $8,150,000
(Jeff Blake, Imagn Images)
21/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin, $7,825,000
(Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)
22/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Jedd Fisch, Washington, $7,575,024
(Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images)
23/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Brent Venables, Oklahoma, $7,552,000
(BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN via USA TODAY NETWORK)
24/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Billy Napier, Florida, $7,470,000
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
25/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State, $7,442,000
(Patrick Breen, The Republicvia USA TODAY NETWORK)
26/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame, $7,421,201
(Michael Caterina, Imagn Images)
27/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Jonathan Smith, Michigan State, $7,350,000
(Nick King, Lansing State Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)
28/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh, $7,259,909
(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
29/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, $7,175,000
(Jeffrey Becker, Imagn Images)
30/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Sonny Dykes, TCU, $7,036,013
(Patrick Breen, The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK)
31/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T31. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota, $7,000,000
(Matt Krohn, Imagn Images)
32/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T31. Mike Elko, Texas A&M, $7,000,000
(Maria Lysaker, Imagn Images)
In response to a specific open-records request, the university provided USA TODAY Sports with a document showing Smith's base salary became $615,000, effective Dec. 17, 2024. Asked in recent weeks to provide more detailed information, a university spokesman cited the document from this past winter, although he added the parties "are currently working together to formally finalize the terms of his agreement." As a result, USA TODAY Sports determined it could not include any pay information for Smith and Ohio in itsnew annual college football head coaches' pay survey, published Wednesday, Oct. 8.
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The document's first paragraph says it is a "term sheet" that "shall outline the material terms of our offer to Brian Smith ('you' or 'Head Coach'), subject to the approval of the President of the University and the negotiation of a formal Employment Agreement ('Agreement') with Ohio University for execution at the earliest possible date."
The last paragraph states: "By signing below, the parties acknowledge the above proposal is a function of negotiations towards a final and binding Agreement with Ohio University intended for execution at the earliest possible date and is contingent upon the approval of the President of the University."
It is typical for schools that need to make a fast-paced hiring do so by using an agreement short of a full-form contract. However, such agreements generally include language stating they are binding. For example, Central Michigan, another MAC school is still working with coach Matt Drinkall under a "letter of agreement" that leaves details about incentives and an annual retention bonus undetermined.
But the letter of agreement states it is "a fully binding contract, and shall remain valid, enforceable, and fully binding until the Long Form Agreement is fully executed by both parties."
On Oct. 8, Ohio spokesman Dan Pittman wrote in an email to USA TODAY Sports that Ohio's new athletics director Slade Larscheid, who was hired in early September after then-AD Julie Cromer left in August for a job with LSU, and Smith are "eager to arrive at a final contract as soon as possible and are working through a few final details."
Pittman added: "While a contract would typically be finalized ahead of a head coach announcement, Coach Smith's longstanding relationship with the University and his commitment to leading the (Ohio) football program made it possible to move forward in this unique case while working under the guidance of the term sheet."
According to hisbiography on Ohio's athletics website, Smith joined the Bobcats for the 2022 season. He had worked, variously, as their running backs coach, passing game coordinator, associate head coach and offensive coordinator.
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Last season, Ohio won the MAC championship game. A day later, Albin took the job with Charlotte. Smith was named interim head on Dec. 9, then full-fledged head coach as the Bobcats prepared for the Cure Bowl, in which they defeated Jacksonville State.
