Ohio Head Coach John Hauser’s Career Record, Age & Resume

After just one season, Brian Smith was fired as the head coach of Ohio.

Ohio went 8-4 and 6-2 in MAC play during the regular season in 2025, Smith’s lone year as the head coach after previously being the offensive coordinator. 

John Hauser, the team’s defensive coordinator, was the Bobcats’ interim head coach when they beat UNLV in the Frisco Bowl. And now Hauser is the team’s head coach going into 2026.

Here’s more about Hauser and his resume:

John Hauser’s Coaching History

What’s Ohio Head Coach John Hauser’s Record?

Hauser is 1-0 in the FBS as a head coach. He led the Bobcats to a win in the Frisco Bowl last season.

How Old Is Ohio Head Coach John Hauser?

Hauser is 46 years old.

Ohio Head Coach John Hauser’s Background

Hauser was a great defensive coordinator for Ohio before earning the head coaching job. The Bobcats were first in the MAC in scoring defense (18.1 points per game allowed) in 2024 and fourth (21.9 PPG allowed) in 2025.

He became the associate head coach before Ohio’s bowl game in 2024. He’s been with the team since 2022. He was the Bobcats’ safeties coach in 2022 and was the team’s defensive pass game coordinator in 2023 before becoming the DC going into the 2024 season.

Hauser’s also very familiar with the MAC. He was a cornerback coach for eight seasons and a co-defensive coordinator for six seasons at Miami (Ohio). Before that, he was a safeties coach for two years at The Citadel after he was a director of player personnel at Illinois for two months. He was also a DC and DBs coach at Wayne State (2009-12) and a graduate assistant and DBs coach at Northern Illinois (2003-08). He was also an assistant in 2002 at Division III Wittenberg, his alma mater where he was an All-American player.