Getty Image / Jonathan Smith
It’s been a tumultuous year for Oregon State University and their athletics programs. After being left out of the realignment carousel alongside Washington State, the university now must find a way to keep its excellent head football coach in Jonathan Smith.
And, it seems like they may not be able to do it, as rumors of Jonathan Smith heading to East Lansing to be the next head coach at Michigan State are picking up steam. So much steam, in fact, that Oregon State felt the need to put out a statement today on the situation.
“Coach Smith and I have had ongoing conversations for more than a month regarding his future at Oregon State and our path forward for football specifically, and our athletic department generally. He has embraced our short and long-term plans. My No. 1 priority is providing him with a new contract and guaranteed compensation that will help continue the success of the football program that has benefitted Oregon State University and Beavers’ athletics. Coach Smith and I have also discussed our commitment to extending assistant coaches’ contracts and increasing the salary pool for his staff to retain the continuity of what they have all built for Beaver Nation.”
The rumors intensified following an article by FootballScoop earlier Thursday that said that Michigan State had made Smith their top target.
There’s no doubt that Smith is one of the hottest names of the coaching carousel this year. Smith was actually the starting quarterback for the Beavers when they won the Fiesta Bowl in 2000, before going into a coaching career. He took over at his alma mater in 2018, taking on one of the toughest jobs in the sport. Smith slowly built the program up, and last year they went 10-3. This year, they sit at 8-3 with a chance to win their ninth game and spoil rival Oregon season in the Civil War this weekend.
Teams have to love what he’s done at Oregon State, a place with limited resources. Michigan State isn’t the top-tier of the Big Ten, but they’re really not that far behind, to be honest. They have pretty good NIL support and fan base, and Michigan produces more in-state talent than you’d think. You can definitely win big there, just like Mark D’Antonio did when he took them to the College Football Playoffs in 2015.