As per Ohio tradition, the Bobcats didn’t have to search far to find their next head football coach.
Ohio promoted interim head coach and defensive coordinator John Hauser to the full-time head coaching position on Friday, Dec. 26 — three days after Hauser guided the program to a Frisco Bowl victory over UNLV.
Hauser is Ohio’s third-straight internal head coaching hire, following in the footsteps of Tim Albin (2021) and Brian Smith (2024). He takes over for Smith, who was fired for cause Dec. 17 for “engaging
in serious professional misconduct and participating in activities that reflect unfavorably on the university,” per a press release from the university’s athletic department. Prior to Smith’s firing, he was placed on leave Dec. 1, which thrust Hauser into the interim head coach role.
Hauser opens his career with a 1-0 coaching record after Tuesday night’s 17-10 Frisco Bowl win — Ohio’s 7th-straight bowl win. After the game, several Bobcats — notably strong safety DJ Walker during Hauser’s televised postgame interview — advocated for the 45-year defensive coordinator to become head coach. He spent four years as a Bobcat assistant, onboarding as a safeties coach in 2022 and receiving his defensive coordinator promotion in 2024. That year, he anchored the No. 9 defense in the FBS, leading Ohio to its first MAC championship since 1968.
Prior to his time in Athens, Hauser held other MAC roles, serving as a Northern Illinois defensive assistant from 2003-08 and continuing at Miami (OH) from 2016-21. The coach’s MAC ties extend to Ball State, where he played free safety in 1998 before finishing his college career at Division III program Wittenberg.
Hauser is the 31st full-time head coach in program history, taking over in the midst of Ohio’s most successful era. In the past four years, Ohio has won 9+ games four times, 10+ games three times, and a program-record 11 wins during its MAC title season in 2024. During the past 17 seasons, the Bobcats finished over .500 in 16 of them, a span which includes four different coaches: Frank Solich, Tim Albin, Brian Smith, and now John Hauser.
“We are thrilled to announce John Hauser as our next head football coach. John is committed to developing our team while continuing to build on the strong foundation,” Ohio athletic director Slade Larscheid said in a statement. “The success is evident since he arrived on campus in 2022. Over the past four seasons, Ohio football has won 40 games, and John is a key piece in all that goes into our winning program. Additionally, he’s a proven leader, and his focus will be on the student-athlete experience, both on and off the field. We look forward to John and his family making an immediate impact for Ohio University and Bobcat football.”
