On Monday afternoon, Ohio defensive coordinator John Hauser was named interim head coach. The bombshell news comes just days after Ohio’s regular season ended with a win on the road against Buffalo. The Bobcats were eliminated from Mid-American Conference title contention the same day after wins from Miami and Toledo.
In a release from Ohio Athletics, it states current head coach Brian Smith is "on leave for an undetermined period of time beginning December 1.”
The promotion of Hauser means Smith is going to be away from the team for the bowl game, which will be announced Dec. 7.
It is unclear if Smith is taking a different job or if he is on leave for another reason.
