Home Football Let the Dismantling of Oregon State Football Begin

Let the Dismantling of Oregon State Football Begin

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My guess is Smith will be gone soon. Maybe by Monday.

Martinez has a quote up on Twitter how he doesn’t want to go, but his plan is his plan. I expect at least 50% of our roster to enter the portal. Smith will definitely take Chiles with him to a next gig. My guess is only unproven players remain to try to prove themselves, and then move to a P5 team next year.

This will be the state of Beaver football. We’ll be a recruiting ground for P5 transfers, and it’s why I was adamant we had to try to get into the Big 12 or make a killer independent schedule. This redefining of the PAC and/or joining the MWC will result in catastrophy.

What people got wrong about Smith is they assumed some great loyalty to OSU. Probably true if he could relive his glory years, but he can’t with 8 of those schools gone. He’ll be able to relive them more in the BIG10 playing the former top PAC schools, and I think that’s what he wants to do. Too competitive to play MWC schools, which is what I said all along.

1448 COMMENTS

  1. 9
    4

    You were the voice crying in the wilderness and we all wanted to avoid reality for 4 months.

    OSU football will be in worse shape than I thought possible in less than a month. I doubt we have enough guys on the roster to play the bowl game in a few weeks.
    Such an insane turn of events and it nearly rivals GK and the PAC 12 media deal implosion.
    Barnes has played it all season like he is close to some magical solution, no different than GK.

    Luck of the Beavs at its peak. Does Mitch stay
    Until spring or do we lose him as well?

    • That’s my concern, JS has listened to Barnes and Barnes has nothing. Isn’t 9 or 10 days before Barnes said he would have a schedule put together?

  2. 4
    2

    Tough game to watch yesterday. Yes, the news that JS was MS’s top consideration for the head coach position, while I was watching the MS-Penn State game was a kick in the nuts but not unexpected. The tweet with DJ in an Oregon jersey (right before the CW no less) with his brother was another; I expect he’ll end up there or one more year after Nix leaves.

    Reading back through your stuff, Angry, you were right, even though I didn’t w

  3. 19
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    If Smith leaves in this way at this tine, he will have really tarnished his legacy of progress and achieving football relevance for the Beavers.

    Interesting to think though that mentor Dennis Erickson was a nomad his entire career, and another, Mike Rliley, was disloyal and lacked integrity.

    Going to MSU would be a money move; he won’t improve his chances of winning big at all.

    If he goes to MSU this way at this time, fuck him.

    • Riley pouted because BDC said it was time to make some changes to his coaching staff after going 2-7 in league play in 2014 and Nebby was stupid enough to hire him.

    • Why would he stay on a team that has no conference, no schedule, guaranteed flight of players, and no ability to recruit anyone? He’s doing the right thing for his own future. MSU has recruited some good teams though they’ll have no hope of competing with the new “Mega Big 10” Frankenstein conference.

  4. 9
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    Is the reason really that he’s too competitive though? To me a true competitor would want to prove themselves by thriving during a time of adversity. If he did that he’d truly earn a step up to a major program. This just reeks of jumping off a sinking ship. Get yours, whoever else gets hurt oh well.

    • 4
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      Can you imagine being super competitive at a strategic game. Say Bobby Fisher playing chess. And then Fisher gets demoted from grand master to playing HS chess? He’s not going to go play HS chess, even if it’s the HS where he learned how to play chess. Once you’re proven as great, and once you are a top competitor, you don’t want to move down. Period. This is how I knew he’d be gone when everyone else was clinging to loyalty. Just think how human minds work. We don’t want to move backwards, and we don’t want to stoop to lower competition.

      • 3
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        I didn’t expect him to stay forever, and wouldn’t want him too. Change is necessary.

        But i thought with the progress, the homefield advantage that’s been built, the fan response, the raise-kids-in-Corvallis opportunity, the investment in Reser stadium, that he wouldn’t leave in a time of instability. MSU is way ahead on the normal hiring timeline. He could have told them “Look, our program and kids have a been through a lot this season with conference instability. Please wait until after the regular season to discuss this.” And not made it a distraction THIS week.

        Recently Barnes talked about locking ip Smith with a “guaranteed” contract, which i think is dumb. Few coaches deserve that.

      • Bobby Fisher was precisely the wrong person to pick. He relished playing with and teaching others on a lower level.

        It was the higher level of competition that bothered him, because he thought it detracted from the game itself.

    • 13
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      I agree with this take. What bigger challenge could a coach face than what OSU is facing? But whatever. Honestly I’ll always be a Beav but I think it may be time to treat college athletics the way I did before I went to college.

      I did not care. That feels right now.

      • 9
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        Yeah the NCAA lost two entire fan bases, and they don’t care…but that’s probably hundreds of thousands of fans globally. I’m not sure what fans they will gain. They’ll up production, have telecasters scream, have dumber than ever beer and car commercials, make fancier graphics, up the compression levels, and pretend rivalries with no history matter, and that’s what they’re banking on to make this work from their end. I don’t think it will. NCAA football has been in decline for at least 12 years, and that’s why they’re doing this. Cutting cable and illegal streams probably contributed to this, too. They had to do something from their perspective, and getting bigger and louder was the only option. It’s awful all around. I think the game dies over the next 20 years unless they can get parity and develop a system where all schools have the same playing field. Without that it continues into unwatchable territory. I used to watch every PAC game 10 years ago. Over the years it went down to Beavs and Ducks. Then to just Beavs. Now it might be zero. It’s not sour grapes. It’s just the broadcasts have become insufferable circle jerks around the teams and players they decide matter.

        • 9
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          “It’s just the broadcasts have become insufferable circle jerks around the teams and players they decide matter.”

          The broadcast crew was insufferable yesterday, although Huard’s ability to pronounce any words with both Nix’s balls in his mouth was impressive.

          I can’t watch either, but for a few Beaver games.

          We’re lamenting the loss of a terrible product because i think we hoped for some example of integrity and rightness before it went all professional and WWF. Smith fucked away those chances two years running snd undermined his team before the CW. That sucks.

  5. If OSU and WSU get a majority of the PAC’s financial resources, can ISU use it to retire a bunch of debt to reduce impacts to the university?

    They could also obviously increase salaries of assistants to keep them, but reducing debt seems like the big need going forward into a future of reduced revenues.

    MAYBE in the next round if realignment they get into a B12, but they’ll need to rebuild again…

  6. 4
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    Was DJU really in an Oregon jersey before the game? What a loser. I hated his play all year, and now I hate the guy. Somehow he’ll probably win a Heisman at Oregon because they actually know how to call and develop plays around their players’ skill sets.

    • That photo was taken before he transferred to OSU, while he was doing a recruiting visit to UO with his brother before committing to OSU.

      • No, it’s older than that. I was from when DJ was still in highschool and Mateo was only 14. They even talked about it in the broadcast.
        DJ also visited Corvallis back then, but didnt take in a photoshoot with his brother on that trip.

        • 4
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          Yeah, it was a pretty old photo, but networks do things for a reason, so bringing up that old photo was a subtle nod to the Oregon program’s “superiority”. Not surprisingly, it was one of the most annoying and one-sided telecasts that I can remember. It was obvious Fox wanted an Oregon/Washington match-up on their network.

  7. 4
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    After taking the time to read a little about Michigan State’s football program and more recent history, I can see why Coach Smith would see himself, or be seen as a fit there.

    It’s not a program I imagined would be in this particular position right now, when the majority of the discussion about whether Coach Smith would choose to stay came up here.

    They seek a “clean” head coach, have a storied history, grander facilities comparatively, monied donors, maintained their slew of rivalries with this large shift in realignment and yes, is a place where ambitious coaches have furthered their career development.

    It doesn’t negate the criticism over if and potentially how, he leaves Oregon State, which is warranted.

  8. 2
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    MSU has bread. The new TV contract and not having to pay off Tucker. Still – I’m not as pessemistic as some of you. I think it would be more likely to see Smith take the UCLA job if it comes open since he’s from Southern California – won’t have to winter in Michigan. The game last night was pretty clear – Ducks had a lot more yards after a catch – a product of DBs missing tackles and DJU’s lack of precision forcing players to dive to catch the thing, or slow down to catch it and getting tackled immediately. Oregon’s lines were superior to the Beavs. Hats off to the program – especially when you consider where the program was when most of these players entered it.

  9. 15

    It is “just a game”, but unlike club Rugby, likely a larger amount of people have invested a significant amount of money into the program through NIL, ticket sale/hotels/plane tickets, gambling, and tuition. Not to mention that the coaches are all millionaires from said game. It is frustrating for fans of a program that has had 15 winning seasons in the last 50 years with many fans sticking through it all, to see a light at the end of the tunnel, then have it all start crashing down, with money and TV viewership being the catalyst.

    A family of 3-4 that wants to attend an OSU game and doesn’t live close to Corvallis will these days likely spend over 1,000 dollars all things taken into account for a one day in-state trip. Not to mention the massive time commitment of traveling to and from these games after already working a full week, just to possibly stand in lines for ages for expensive food, and sit in the rain for 4 hours. None of this, of course, guarantees that the team won’t lay an egg like they did against Washington, Wazzu, or Arizona this year. Students such as myself will often have invested over 100,000 dollars into our education at the school, and will have gone to class with players and have lived amongst them for years. So yes, it is just a game, but it is quite a bit more complex than “Just” a game.

    • Just a game is a maximum that means if it disappeared tomorrow, the world would go on, and people could accept that, because it’s just a game.

      • IT is just a game (football ) but in this case it affects the entire AD. This is more than football taking a step back. It’s a complete rebuild. Gutting the coaching staff and roster while the team is struggling to gain its footing without a known conference.

        IT is just a game with implications for the future of WBB, baseball, golf , gymnastics, soccer and on and on. Real people. Student athletes. Coaches. Support staff. Local businesses. Regional businesses.

        It is just a game. It can disappear in a vacuum. Maybe it is disposable, the people shouldn’t be.

  10. 7
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    On DJ: Not getting a lot of the hate towards him. Despite the fact he often makes some very questionable decisions or throws, we’ve been getting pretty much exactly what we asked for out of him. For some reason, a lot of people thought we would be getting a Nix, Burrow, or Penix type transfer QB out of him. A QB that could put the team on his back and take us to a win. That was always a possibility, but it was never what was asked of him. We’ve seen improvement at QB over most facets this year. It is possible we lose the Cal, UCLA, and Colorado games without him being able to make big throws.

    We likely get into the PAC 12 title game pretty comfortably if he was QB for us last year.

  11. So, what kind of offensive scheme do we see the Beavs needing to bring to the table even if we somehow manage to hold onto Chiles and DJ? I don’t think this pro-style system we’ve been utilizing will work at our “new” level and with the recruits we’ll be getting. I hate to say gimmick offense but I do think we’ll need to be attractive to skill positions with some type of air raid, or spread style approach. Attracting players to a lower tier school with the “hey, we run a pro-style offense that will resonate well for you at a pro-level” ain’t going to cut it and isnt realisticfor low 3* and 2* athletes. Add in that we haven’t really recruited an RB since D Mart came to campus, all but 1 or 2 of our o-line will be gone regardless of xfer portal activity, this team identity is ripe for a big shift. I think Barnes would be smart to bring in an exciting brand of football to hopefully put some butts in the seats and at least make this death rattle a little less painful.

    • The fact we have ran and are known for our pro style is a reason why recruits choose us I’ve heard over and over. But pro style is difficult to run at this level unless you have pro recruiting for all positions.

      • That’s the rub. I don’t mind the offense style but it’s not gonna get recruits and we can’t be picky about fitting a specic mold. I think that’s why air raid has some form of viability as there are lots of wr that can fill skill positions. I’m not saying air raid is the correct way to go but I don’t see the current approach working for us.

  12. 12

    Smith and Co. sticking around was the last chance we had at remaining even remotely relevant in anything going forward. With him leaving all but formally confirmed, I fear this will be the death blow to Oregon State athletics that we will never recover from. Even if all of challenges to the court’s decision on the Pac-12 assets and control of them remain in our favor, it will only delay the inevitable.

  13. Bray seems like the logical choice to be the next HC. He wants to be a head coach. Not sure how much interest there would be with other candidates with the continued uncertainty.

  14. A lot of players posting cryptic things on social media. Martinez has posted a picture of his orange jersey hung up on his wall will a peace/finger crossed emoji next to it, Fenwick reposted a fake “Missing Person” poster of himself made by a Duck fan account and then deleted it. Lots of other posts as well.

  15. As Anthony Gould strolled into a makeshift interview tent outside Autzen Stadium on Friday, he had tears in his eyes and a faraway look on his face.

    “Our future was never for certain,” Gould said. “And that’s something we’ve battled with the last couple of months. We poured ourselves in the locker room, (decided) we’re going to do it for ourselves, do it for each other. And that’s something that we’ve been doing, battling all year. So, yeah, it’s emotional just to lose, but … I’m proud of these guys. We’ve been through a lot of behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t know about. I’m just proud of our team. It’s a tough one tonight, but we battled when there was a lot of uncertainty in the air.”

  16. 6
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    So where are the “angry you’re nuts/loyalty” people now?

    I was trying to warn you guys well ahead of time so you could prepare and be let down nicely. But you just wanted to fight the reality of how humans work.

  17. 8
    1

    When it comes to the rumors and the Beavs, always expect the worse because that is usually is what happens. No conference and no coach. Very depressing times.

  18. I know it hurts because JS was a Beav, but he probably hit his ceiling already. Gambling was his undoing and it wasn’t going to change. The funny thing is his coaching tenure epitaph ends up being the same as Riley’s: “at least he gave us hope.”

    I’ve been a big Lindgren fan in the past, but he stumbled on his guilty pleasure this year with DJU and couldn’t resist stupid play calls as a result.

    Losing Jim M would be the biggest blow to this program. The whole offense was built around having a dominant OL. He’s easily the best OL coach in the country.

    Bray as HC would be cool. He’s a good recruiter and an intense guy that players love.

    Bryan Harsin would be an interesting option, too.

    • 11
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      Agreed, give Bray his millions (as HC) and move on as immediately as possible. Nothing against Smith, but I could careless if he fails at MSU, not my school or coach anymore.

    • 10

      That’s the thing. As much as we hope for elite status, it happened one season 23 years ago. I always say D-1 college football is a lot of fucking around unless you’re one of the 5-8 super programs. It gets a little more interesting with a 12-team playoff next season and I would argue that at some point OSU’s path will be easier as a strong Go5 program than in a P-4 conference. Riley, Ericksen, and Smith all improved the program, but their results were about the same. I just enjoy watching college football and the Beavs are my team. This is a snapshot of their football history, things change and they seem to change faster in this era.

    • 3
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      Probably not official but like 99% done yeah. I’d take Smith back. If he did this when we were still in the PAC I wouldn’t. But I have no hard feelings. I’m competitive. I get it. I’d never coach a MWC team or a rebranded PAC with MWC teams added to it. Never. It’s really on the big networks, administration for letting this happen, etc. Smith just did what any competitive human would and should do, and that’s go compete at the highest level you can.

      Again, this is why as a competitive person myself, I was trying to warn people the odds of Smith leaving were 99%.

      • 1
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        I dont blame him for leaving but it sure would have been nice if he hung around one more year to see the transition through. I imagine there will be even better opportunities next year. Maybe he thinks MSU is that good of a spot or maybe he wasn’t confident in his ability to win at OSU next year.

        • 4
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          I wouldn’t stay, so I can’t blame him for not staying. MSU is a good job. He’ll do well there. He’ll get to compete against a lot of former PAC teams, which I think is important to him.

  19. 7
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    To wit….

    We now have no conference, no schedule and no coach.

    Remember that ass beating OSU laid on Florida in Vegas last December? That will be us next month when we field half of a team.

    It’s truly over for us. Scotty was right when he checked out a few years back.

    I was able to quit mens hoops after the elite 8 run. May have to do the same with college football.

      • 5
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        That’s what I meant. I may have to just let OSU football die as well.

        Baseball season may be the end for me. Money and the TV networks have killed the little guy and ruined college sports.

        We have to accept our fate

        • Yeah I doubt I’ll be as emotionally invested but the games are a close drive for me and it is fun to see the tailgate group. If the group goes away I won’t have much reason to go anymore. Some of the group grumbled this year about ticket prices so it will be interesting to see if it holds together. OSU is going to have some hard decisions to make with pricing and trying to pay off the stadium bond. A half full remodeled stadium would be a real fit punch.

  20. 14
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    Michigan State is in a power conference and has more money, so it’s a better job at the moment but he couldn’t have handled this any worse. Taking the job before their last game as a P5 team against their biggest rival and news breaking right before the game and it’s your alma mater. Seems very unnecessary to go out this way. Doing it next week or the following week wouldn’t have been difficult and wouldn’t have been as much of a gut punch. Doing all this to go 7-5 at MSU and end up being forgotten in 3 years.

    • 8
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      Fight or flight and JS flew the coop. The telling thing to me is that Barnes doesn’t have a plan yet. I can say it now, but I always thought Smith was an odd duck, obviously, he can put together a staff and develop players. I mean the juxtaposition between Lanning and Smith in the interviews yesterday was jarring. Smith is an awkward dude. I don’t see him winning much at MSU. I count 4-5 losses on their schedule next year right off the bat, but if he’s a miracle worker more power to him. I don’t think Angry exaggerates when he says Smith cost 5-6 games during his tenure with his in-game decisions. That’s not going to play well in the B10. Good luck and good-bye. Thanks for screwing the program, but I understand the weird-ass circumstances.

  21. 3
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    We need to decide on the future of angrybeavs, too. Is this the end? Or do we stick around and watch the hilarity that ensues? We still have baseball, too, though Mitch will ruin that over time. The best case scenario is we remain good in a weak conference and get picked if/when there’s ever another expansion. We could stick around and watch that process, though as of today, that seems really far away and depressing to even follow or care about. I’m not sure I want to cover HS football, and the MWC is basically just that. There are a few interesting teams like Air Force, SDSU, BSU, but mostly it’s hot trash, just like the Beavs in a few hours when we lost 50-60% of our team to the transfer portal!

  22. New Mexico State, one of the worst doormat teams in CFB over the last 30 years and without even a g5 conf the last ten years, is now a 9+ win team heading to the Conf USA champ game in their first season.

    Hire Jerry Kill? lol

    Understand the move by JS as a competitor and ultimately don’t blame him for the circumstances, but very disappointed in how he went about it.

    Lied to players and lied to beaver nation as he was working it out behind closed doors. “No decisions made” my ass. The team meeting right before civil war… Shame.

    Need a builder that wants the challenge of taking on conf realignment for the long haul.

  23. 4
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    Good thing about Smith leaving is he’s likely topped out. The timing and conference collapse context sucks…

    A good AD would have some bames in mind and be working the phones…

    Hire Bray, get a new OC. May be impossible to keep Coach M, but try dammit.

    • JS gonna take as many as he can. Coach M and Bray would be no brainers. Hopefully he takes Lindgren.

      IMO need a whole fresh start again after how this went down and the conference drama.

  24. I’m curious how many years it will take us to be relevant as a MW school. We have nice facilities but that’s it. Rebuilding from scratch. Gonna take 2-3 years to even be competitive there. Has there been a faster drop from a top 15 team to potentially a bottom 15 team in the span of a few days?

    • Depends on a lot of things. Who the next head coach is and who is on staff, what kind of funding the athletic department has, who stays and who transfers, etc

      There are still a lot of guys with extra years of eligibility left due to covid so finding players to fill the roster won’t be hard. Convincing any good ones will be tough.

      I don’t think it would take long to be competitive in the MW. The bottom of that conference is pretty far down there. Beavs walkons are starters on those teams.

  25. 14

    Should I jinx it? The only thing left is for Wazzu to get a B-12 offer without OSU. Luck O’ the Fucking Beavs. I don’t think we are fully appreciating the irony of Brenda Tracy winning in the end. MSU is not buying out Tucker’s contract despite their crappy season. There would be no MSU opening. I think Chip might survive at UCLA.

  26. Per Daschel “I’m told freshman QB Aidan Chiles is processing the news and doesn’t know what he’ll do regarding his future at Oregon State.

  27. You can bank on no better than Hell Paso now. No bowl committee is going to want OSU with half of a team and no fans wanting to travel to watch them get fucking destroyed.

  28. 18
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    I feel as though Smith leaving like this and the way he has handled this season should honestly destroy all sense of good will the program has towards him. The program was already sinking but was able to be salvaged. Smith just sent a torpedo right into magazine of the ship and blew it all up. NIL, the conference uncertainty, and now this are giving us what will likely amount to a de facto death penalty to OSU football. Right after coming off of their most successful year in 20 years, and coming into a hyped up year such as this. All so he can make a few more millions than he already makes, and have his ego stroked by being at a “bigger school”. He’ll likely take Chiles and Martinez with him, and leave us in waste. And to just go in front of the press last night and essentially lie about about it? Add to the fact that Barnes said he had no knowledge of Smith planning to leave? What a completely egotistical, selfish, greedy, and snake-like way to treat your alma-mater, Smith.

    How in the world did the season end up like this? With the new stadium and pre-season hype over the summer now to this despair? As another poster said, how many times can we as Beaver fans keep getting kicked in the face and continue to come back for more when the best we have to hope for is something like the Las Vegas Bowl or Jimmy Kimmel bowl? I think it is time for us all to take some step back from college sports. They are no longer what they once were.

  29. Hopefully they are paying him an enormous amount of money. I will be more pissed if it’s only a small amount over his current pay

    • Tucker was the highest paid coach in CFB when they hired him and they fired him for cause. They have a boatload of money to spend on coaches now.

      • Mel Tucker is suing msu for wrongful termination.
        Future coach ideas rolo, bronco, or harsin
        Not excited about any, my choice would be bronco

  30. A source told OregonLive that the family of freshman quarterback Aidan Chiles is processing the news and didn’t know if he would remain at OSU or transfer. On Friday night, running back Damien Martinez, asked by someone if he planned to transfer to Michigan State, replied “Don’t wanna go.”

    From the o live article. Not gonna link it

  31. 3
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    This looked a lot different 10 weeks ago. I have appreciated the optimism on this site contrary to the site name. Angry was right from the beginning as to the gambler. Gambling at this level is going for it in the red zone on 4th and 1. Crazy is kicking an onside kick while up in the game. Crazy is running your kicker in from the 20 on 4th down when you need every point. Not too excited about the game coming up. Looks as though we won’t be ranked high enough in conference to get the Sun bowl. Good thing I have a lot of more important things to occupy myself with.

    • I remember reading where OSU kept Fertig around for the final year of his contract to avoid having to pay him $30,000 not to coach. They then broke the bank with Avezanno at $40K/year. Times have changed.

  32. Not under any delusion we’ll retain the talent at Oregon State, but I will be interested to see how many players actually go with him to Michigan State. Sounds like a bunch of players are kinda pissed.

    • I’ll be curious to see which players follow Smith. They are processing feelings of betrayal and abandonment. But in today’s game, they are no longer stuck when the coach leaves.

      I’d imagine the seniors the most pissed. They gave it their all and Smith leaves at the end

    • I know one takes X with a grain of salt, but there was something about previous fights in the locker room and players unhappy with playing time. Sounded like someone in the know. And wow, the local media is clueless in this day and age. They seemed to be the last to report anything. It’s like they don’t want to ask any hard questions.

  33. 10
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    Angry, I understand that you get to take a victory lap about being right here, but I still disagree with the logic of Smith having to leave simply “because he’s too competitive to take a step down in competition”. He didn’t have to take a step down in competition. Yes it’s an easier regular season schedule for two years. Beyond that who knows what would happen. In addition, the expanded playoff absolutely gave OSU a path in to the post-season….If Smith actually achieved what he should have if he’s a “great coach”. Is being one of the final 12 teams standing at the end of the year….playing in some of the most highly rated college football games of the year……really a step down in competition? Was Chris Peterson really “not competitive” all the years he stayed at Boise State when he could have left? Because he absolutely could have left much earlier than he did. Smith still had every opportunity to accomplish great things “as a competitor” at OSU. Then could have also still moved on to a bigger program later to satisfy that supposedly insatiable competitive urge. He took the easy way out, plain and simple. Most others would have done the same I agree with that. But let’s not pretend that he had no option to stay.

    • The thing is, we don’t know how bad the 2Pac situation is just yet publicly. No doubt JS knows a lot more and this decision indicates that the situation is likely quite dire and on the spectrum of the worst possible outcome.

      • 4
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        It’s only the worst possible outcome because Smith bailed. There are non power 5 programs competing at a high level. No reason OSU couldn’t be another one over the next few seasons. Smith could have stabilized the program then cashed in. Instead he cashed in early.

        • 4
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          In looking at the long game, I’m more interested/concerned as to why Smith left instead of the fact that he left. MSU is not the greatest fit, so it tells me Barnes doesn’t have a clue yet and that’s the scary part. Smith ran because he didn’t feel like there were any other options.

        • yeah. Smith panicked, just like the UW coach did when he saw the streaming proposal. It’s not competitiveness, it’s weak mindedness.

  34. I would hope Jeff Choate gets a look, as long as he keeps Bray as DC. That dude worked wonders at Montana State and was a defensive coach under Chris Peterson at UW.

  35. 7
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    I think the reports that Barnes was surprised is a cover for his own job. At this point Barnes should have plan B for everyone given the last 2 years of PAC12 nonsense.
    I think Barnes is culpable and not worth his salary. Murthy should clean house.
    Barnes is a joke.

    Luck of the Beavs dictates we will be left with Lindgren and Cookus as the only ones who are left behind and Barnes will hire them as HC and DC

  36. 15
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    This is the final straw for me as a fan. I endured the losing seasons starting with Dee Andros. Got a glimmer of hope during the Erickson/Riley years, then it all fell apart again. Thought Smith was in it for the long haul and again I am disappointed. This along with the conference disintegration, and the NIL, is just too much to deal with. Beavers are simply not large enough to compete with the big boys and all of their resources. As an alum and having been born and raised in Corvallis, I have had a strong connection to the Beavers. So disconnecting from them is hard but it will be the best for my mental health.

  37. 7
    6

    Lets face it he had to go. He would get absolutely crushed by other P5 schools in the recruiting wars playing a MWC schedule. I don’t blame him at all. The sad thing is one year ago our program was much better than Mich State. Big winners here are the Ducks. Get BIG10 money, force Beavs into irrelevance and get Smith to leave. You can’t tell me they didn’t know this would be the outcome when they jumped ship. Congrats I guess, your decision (and our lack of planning) dismantled our athletic dept in one year. Which current P5 programs get cut next. Eventually it will be down to the Top 25 programs playing a mini NFL schedule and everyone else playing for fun. I guess its what the people want.

    • 11

      He did not “have to go”

      That’s just not true. He could have accepted the challenge for the university that made him. But he didn’t, he made the cowardly move.

      • 1
        1

        I think part of the issue is no one knows what this challenge would be. If its playing WSU and a bunch of MWC schools with no conference and you are a 3 or 4 star recruit are you coming to OSU? Thats a big ask and Barnes has been utterly useless in outlining a plan moving forward. College football has become every school, player and coach for themselves. Its the “business” and JS is simply playing by the new rules.

        • He can’t outline a plan until the court case is resolved. No clue how much $ he’s going to have to work with. He can have ideas.

          Unless you assume worst case scenario.

      • i agree as well. These are the same cover stories that rationalized keeping Riley for as long as we did and pining for his return, even now.

  38. 13
    1

    Money rules all. This is the unpalatable lesson in life that college sports teaches us in the end. Those who lack the money to determine their own destiny will always have it determined for them by those who do. Think about all the time and stress most people spend working for some corporation for decades until they’re used up. It’s a sad thing, and people seek heroic tales that stand up to the reality, but they are few and far between. (Well, the people who don’t have all the money seek them anyway.)

    It’s fine that Smith left, and it’s fine to hate him for it. Doesn’t really matter in the end. I’m more concerned about how this may affect Corvallis as a community.

    I still hate to see things end this way, but I can say my Saturdays have been much less stressful, my time more free, and my wallet a little fatter ever since I mostly checked out of college sports back in 2022. Hell, I even got a girlfriend for the first time in years (omg). I’ll still protest in my own little way by not buying the media packages anymore for these things. I’d already trimmed it waaay down, but it’s cathartic to completely cancel for good.

    For people needing a football fix, might as well watch the NFL instead. College football is now unabashedly mercenary like the NFL, but with inferior players, and a laughable nod to the wellbeing of “student-athletes” everytime they want to justify some bullshit lol.

    • “Money rules all. This is the unpalatable lesson in life that college sports teaches us in the end. Those who lack the money to determine their own destiny will always have it determined for them by those who do.”

      The phrase ‘Know your role and shut your hole” comes to mind. This is the powers that be that control the purse strings telling OSU this while kicking them in the face and taking a piss on them while down on the ground in the fetal position. You’ll get what we give you and like it.

      The sad reality is OSU is always going to be a stepping stone, not a destination. The next coach that comes through and has good success will be gone at the first opportunity for greener grass and a bigger paycheck.

      Know your role and shut your hole.

  39. 19
    1

    So the speeches about keeping regional alliances and concern for the student athlete were all nonsense.

    Our only hope now is that Bray is as upset at JS as the team and he wants to stay and be the man Smith isn’t.

    Bray may have a better coaching tree than JS to pull assistants from and maybe he can talk Coach M into staying too.

    JS has done more damage to OSU in 24 hours than 28 years of losing could do. Such a tough turn of events.

      • yeah, his “we’re locking out all the noise” was his cover for not having to address the elephant in the room. Once again, Dickert showed him up.

    • I think Murthy and Barnes and the Pullman crew truly believe in the regional/student athlete stuff. It’s Smith who didn’t. Either Bray or coach M could take over and do a creditable rebuild, at least with a view to becoming competitive in the new conference. Thing is, if Smith had stayed he had a damn good chance of getting the CFP the next two years, at the end of which everything will change again anyway.

  40. Well… you know who is a solid coach for the G5 level? Gary Andersen.
    This time I know it will work.
    Rejoice! Big boy pants, visors and pregnant cheerleaders for everyone!

  41. 4
    0

    No mama. No papa. No Uncle Sam. The battling bastards of Bataan.

    No airport. No conference. No coach. The poor bastards of Oregon State Football

  42. Lots of alumni shouting out support for Bray on social media.

    If he could somehow find an experienced OC not named Lindgren it may not be the worst path to navigate the 2Pac.

  43. 7
    2

    Can we please stop pretending like the Big 10 is some great step up? They have 2 elite programs (OSU, Michigan), 1 very good program that is on par with UW and Oregon (Penn State), and the rest are trash. Seriously……Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, MSU, Maryland, Rutgers, Northwestern, Minnesota, Purdue? None of those programs are better than the Pac, or the Beavs and Cougs

    • 11

      It’s the size of the fan bases and the money available in media markets. That’s all it is. It’s not about football. All of those programs you named are leaps and bounds more profitable brands than OSU/WSU, only Rutgers is close.

    • CFB is cyclical, this decade MSU has won multiple big ten championships, BCS/NY6 bowl games, and has made a CFB Playoff appearance. In what world are OSU/WSU in the same ball park? There is a lot more resources and infrastructure to compete at a high level at a school like MSU.

  44. Names floated……….(not named Bray)

    Bronco Mendenhall (Currently sitting on his ass in Montana)
    Bryan Harsin (if he doesn’t return to Boise St)
    Matt Wells (currently unemployed)

    Another name I would seriously consider is Utah St’s Blake Anderson

    Most of these are probably a pipe dream and we’ll wind up with some Big Sky FCS head coach.

    I only mentioned Mendenhall as he’s an OSU alum and chased the big money at UVA and was mediocre at best. He’s been down the road JS is currently leaving for. Only 57 and probably still has some gas in the tank.

  45. 6
    2

    Oh, Brent Brennan is another name I’m hearing. Personally? It’s a no from me for Riley or anyone remotely associated with that gum chewing, spandex mafia wannabe

    • Now now…he has the distinction of being part of both the MR and GA coaching trees. He’s one of a kind!

      Wouldn’t be a terrible hire, but he’s not in my top 3.

  46. 3
    4

    Tosh Lupoi might be a good gamble for a 3-4 year run.

    No to Mendenhall unless he can assure us of an 85 man roster of 26 yr olds.
    No to anyone from Utah State pipeline.
    No to anyone from Riley coaching tree.
    No to Mike Riley, Jeff Tedford and anyone from 2000’s eta PAC10
    No to most well known retreads.
    OSU needs either a hungry young gun or a sure thing program builder from a lower level.

    Guys like Harsin, Jimbo Fisher, who have hit the jackpot and have huge bank accounts from buyouts won’t endure the rebuild. No to all of them unless it is someone like Mike Leach who needed a second chance and was revolutionary. Perhaps Chip Kelly once he is fired.

  47. 18

    Apparently, MSU was looking for a safe coach that doesn’t beat off while on the telephone. No problem with pulling his tits during games.

  48. just saw a site list the top 5 candidates: Lindgren, Brennan, Kevin Cummings (played for the Beavs in late Riley and was on the staff 14-16, now wide receivers coach at Zona; Sitaki, and (wait for it) Mike Riley.

  49. Lol Cougs just got the PAC12 ref treatment on a 3&17 and caught the ball at the first down marker but the ball is spotted a full yard
    Short so they run on 4th &1 but only
    Gain 1/2 yard. Turnover on downs of
    Course.
    UW ball and momentum at midfield.

  50. Scott Barnes’ number one priority was a new contract for Smith.

    I wonder what his number two priority is?

    Honest question: Does any bowl committee “have” to invite the Beavs? Could the Beavs go uninvited?

  51. Somebody on twitter was saying USC is also interested in poaching Bray for Grinch’s old job.
    So would probably come down to what he prefers, staying a DC for a few more years, or making the leap to a HC position?
    I’d imagine the money would be somewhat similar in all 3 jobs.

    I hope this isn’t some scenario where Smith recommended Lindgren to Barnes on the way out so he gets to cut ties with Lindgren while also getting him a promotion. Something tells me that’s exactly what will happen though

    • “I hope this isn’t some scenario where Smith recommended Lindgren to Barnes on the way out so he gets to cut ties with Lindgren while also getting him a promotion.”

      That’s some good strategy there…

  52. From the prior thread, i’d get this guy in the OC candidate pool:

    “How about Bray as head coach and this guy for O coordinator?

    “Brennan Marion, UNLV

    Position: Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks

    Total pay: $310,000

    UNLV has surged to the top of the Mountain West in Barry Odom’s first season as head coach, and Marion’s innovative Go-Go offense is a key reason why. The Rebels have put up 40 points or more in six games this season, all of them wins, and boast both a top-20 rushing attack and one of the best third-down conversion rates in the country. Yet Marion, a former assistant at Pittsburgh and Texas, is not even among the 10 highest-paid assistants in his conference. That will almost certainly change this winter ? unless he’s hired away by another school, most likely as a coordinator at the Power Five level.”

    Need to diversify the offense. Not abandon everything, but have some evolution in it.

    Also, he’s got different team/conference experiences. Imagine him w/Chiles and Martinez (if they stayed).

    Hire Bray as HC quick, on a 4 year deal for stability, evaluation period, get an up and comer at OC. Best way possible to keep as much talent as possible . Drag it out and lose your #1s…guess what Barnes will do?

  53. 3
    1

    I think people are assuming JS is leaving because of the conference uncertainty but he jumped at the first chance for more money and a much harder path to winning anything meaningful over the next couple years. He easily could have stayed and got a better offer next year if the Beavers stay in the Pac and make the playoff next year. UCLA is a job that will likely be open next year with how mediocre Chip has been there. This screams that he always was waiting for the first chance for more money. He leaned into the “dream job” and OSU being his alma mater cause he knew that would play well with Beavers fans and media in the state. Riley mastered the “Corvallis boy that is back home” bit cause people eat it up. Even if the Beavs got invited to the Big 12, he was always gonna bolt cause Oregon State was merely a stepping stone to get to where he really wants to be.

    • I found his choice of words odd in the Canzano interview anyway. He used the word “sarcastic” twice while trying to explain the situation about looking for job openings.
      “I’m not trying to be sarcastic but…again I’m not trying to be sarcastic for the fans to hear…”
      I’m not sure what word he means other than sarcastic but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know what sarcastic means. I think Canzano probably rattled him with the 3 follow up questions and JS knew it wasn’t going how he hoped it would. Canzano usually goes softball questions and no real pressure but he pressed JS in the very middle of his interviews etc. JS couldn’t flat out lie but he was also not very convincing in how he answered the questions.

      • Yes, I noticed that also. Sarcastic was an odd choice of words and didn’t fit. I think he meant “evasive” which is what he was and had to be under the circumstances. The whole story about his agent didn’t sound authentic. I doubt every coach’s agent is constantly looking for new jobs for their clients. I assumed he was leaving after that interview. The issue for Smith is that the MSU is a stable P-4 job and it was what was available to “escape” the OSU situation so he took it. I don’t sense that it’s any kind of fit for Smith other than he won’t be an off-field fuckup like Tucker. He’s probably going to make some crazy on-field decisions to try to beat the B10 royalty and end up getting fired after a 5-7 season tree to five years down the road.

    • Angry is right. A lot. I don’t comment much but this right here is absolutely correct.
      1) Why leave now. Who cares about 1 year uncertainty.
      2) Many jobs open every year. USC could be open following another lackluster effort.
      3) He will be fired upon completion of year 3.
      4) Turn to Bray immediately and salvage what you can on the staff. Coach M historically has been in the NW. You can keep him.

      • 5
        1

        Yup. He left to go to a middling Big Ten school and that conference just added two top 5 teams. USC/UCLA will be looking for a new coach soon and what if an SEC team throws a huge offer to DeBoer? There was gonna be better offers than MSU and he ran to that offer. Makes no sense if you look at it logically. Feels like JS just needlessly gut punched the fan base and the university for no reason other than he just felt like it.

        • It’s kind of a slap in the face to Barnes, but hard to say unless we know the exact details of each job offer and even then the uncertainty of OSU athletics is the trump card I suppose. I would personally like to be a coach for life in Corvallis rather than spend a few years in East Lansing. Kyle Whittingham has had massive success as a Go5 coach and road out the ups and downs.

      • Wondering about using Jonathan Smith’s $3 million departure money for the NIL fund. Or at least enough of it to match the anonymous NIL contribution. Possible? good idea? bad idea?

    • It was mostly just WR play. Wazzu, UW, UO, USC, Arizona all had better talent at WR. Hell, Stanford’s best receiver was much better than anything Oregon State had this season. Coaching staff absolutely blew it in recruiting that position. They got worse there from 2022. I don’t think a receiver caught a jump ball the entire season. Velling/Terry the only ones. Whenever they faced high level CBs or just physical CBs, their receivers got manhandled. Better receivers and they probably only lose to Oregon.

      • Tackling was the biggest glaring weakness. We were the worst tackling P5 team. If we were even below average in that area, that’s worth a few more points here and there and the record looks different.

  54. WSU putting up a fight. Probably not distracted by their HC negotiating for another job…

    UW going to have to play better next week….

    • That was earlier this year for them when they lost 6 straight. But good to see them rise up for at least a half

      Ducks favored by 7.5 over UW in the early lines

    • 10

      Yeah, I didn’t think the Beavs looked particularly focused yesterday. At least some of their players had to know what was going on, right? I think the timing was complete bullshit unless MSU was threatening to move on. Otherwise, this could not wait until next week. I like those pushing for no coaching hires until after the season, but I don’t know how that would work logistically. The NCAA is toothless.

  55. It’s really hard to put into words how it feels to be an Oregon State fan. For years, one of the biggest gripes was the unfinished Reser. And this season, it was finally done. But in the meantime, the conference imploded and the coach bailed as the program reached heights it hadn’t been in 20 years. Maybe we’ll never be a school that can hold on to a successful coach – maybe it isn’t just the money – but that the Beavers will always play second fiddle in this state, that the state itself is seen as off the beaten path (the Ducks have had a hard time keeping coaches as well) – things the school just can’t fix. But I do think this is a place coaches KNOW they can win at and get to another level if they succeed. I don’t know how you recruit a new coach without knowing what the next four years are going to look like though in terms of conference affiliation, funding etc. Bray would be fine. Brennan from SJSU too.

    • It genuinely just hurts right now but for me what was always great about being an alum was it did feel different than what I saw amongst other college communities. A true sense that we were always in it together and understood we couldn’t take shortcuts but a belief we could find a way.

      My grandpa played football at Penn State but transferred to OSU after fighting fires in Oregon, meeting my grandma, and staying, he has a small memorial in Bend and was part of the “Autzen” Timber community. I started at OSU right before he passed, he was so proud.

      Today is breaking me. Not gonna pretend it isn’t.

  56. 12

    If I correctly read a couple comments on a thread in Beavers Behind Enemy Lines, there were sharp words between some players and Smith before they took the field Friday night.

    • 15
      1

      You’re a young adult getting an education that hopefully encourages you think critically and express yourself. They had every right to criticize him and should have. That was a disloyal, dick move before the last ever civil war and for bowl positioning. Smith was paid to focus himself, staff, and team in the game and game prep. Something Lanning did. Something WSU’s coach has appeared to do.

      What he did to the players was akin to shat the conference did to OSU, so the players gave been fucked twice.

      NIL has helped, but coaches clearly still have more latitude and freedom to enrich themselves. And at greater scales of compensation.

      Fuck smith.

  57. Who do we blame for the present situation at Oregon State? The board of trustees? Ed Ray? Clearly they failed in protecting the school and the Pac-12 with their decisions. Ray for backing Larry Scott and not raising alarm bells. The board for hiring that disaster from LSU and leaving the school asleep at the switch at a critical period for the school. Barnes?
    In any event – those are the people tasked with the responsibility of guiding the university, and they have brought us here.

    • The local media seems to blame Ed Ray mostly, but I don’t remember all the details except for his support of Scott (which is probably enough). I also remember when Canzano was still at The Oregonian gushing constantly about Klavikoff and we see how that worked out.

    • Stop with the larry scott excuse the 10 want you to believe.

      They all voted to extend him in 2018. And if it wasn’t for the Comcast thing, he would still be the commissioner. And things might have turned out differently, for the better.

    • Local media and guys like Wilner blame Ed Ray cause they want Oregon State to be at fault for the roof caving in on them and cause they don’t want to lose access to Oregon. It’s bullshit when all athletic departments and presidents in the conference were a part of it but it’s a cute story.

      • I do think the only way the Pac-12 would still be intact would be if the other schools agreed to give USC an extra share, just for being USC. Larry Scott or no Larry Scott. Canzano fueled a lot of the negative Scott stuff – not saying it wasn’t deserving, but the same people (school presidents and ADs) who fed him that stuff also fed him so much bad info on the leadup to the break-up – it took everyone by surprise.

  58. let’s add the OSU fan base, or the preponderance of it. They put up with 28 straight losing seasons, including President John Byrne who really did not like football. They were happy with 7-5, 6-6 football. If Ray was a defender of Larry Scott, then yes, he has much to answer for.

    • 4
      1

      The whole larry scott thing is overblown.

      It’s the presidents who ran the power cliques in the conference who made the decisions that killed it… or at least stabbed it many times.

      The only good thing about last night was that it doesn’t get any worse, barring a strange coaching hire.

          • On the lower level I like Glenn Caruso. I think he’s not only a builder, but he’s also one helluva coach.

            But I’m not quite as sold on him as a head man as I was with Leipold at any level. So I would want him as OC first. I do believe he is an up-and-comer who only needs a platform to demonstrate his talents.

            Choate is a good one. I like Brennan, especially since he had the good sense to bail on GA.

            I would accept Jimbo for the low pay potential, but he would have to lose Booby Petrino and a couple other loser assistants… which means it won’t happen. And given who his assistants were, there’s no guarantee aTm dumped him for only sucking as a head coach.

          • It’s funny that they were essentially kicked out of DIII football, because they were too good.

            I’m surprised it hasn’t also happened to Mount Union… or Wisc-Whitewater, when Leipold was there.

  59. 4
    3

    I’ve agreed with angry that today was inevitable, unless someone like Peterson or Erickson got in his ear about the grass not being greener, but Smith leaving is the best thing for OSU, a contract extension would have become dead weight given our situation. Saving money right now on the coaching staff is a must. It sucks, I wish it was different, but in some ways not staying was the most merciful thing Smith could have done.

  60. And WSU could beat #4 UW in 70K seat Husky stadium, completely different prep, motivation, and energy than OSU @ UO.

    This is how you approach a rivalry game.

    • Amazing how ‘in’ your team can be when you don’t tell them as HC that you are one foot out the door a day or two before the game.

    • If that were Nix, Huard would have agreed with the call…

      His interpretation of the non-PI call on the UO DB was absurd…”there’s contact, but he doesn’t impede the receiver’s ability to catch the ball.” WTF.

      OAC championship will be the Diva Bowl, Penix v. Nix.

  61. 1
    3

    While it seems pretty clear that Smith is looking for something Oregon State can’t provide at this moment – certainty over the next four years – and would likely have been gone to a school who could have provided, Sparty or whomever – it’s amazing to know that that night when Brenda Tracy was raped has had such a long-term impact on the school.
    At least the stadium isn’t going anywhere, right?

  62. 4
    3

    Too bad Oregon and UW can’t both lose in the championship game. Such WWF conference refs all season long. I’d guess that GK gave the directive at some point after media day to make the road easy for the 2 Big10 schools as his parting gift
    To them both.

  63. Kind of depressing to see all the underdogs in the rivalry games today play their asses off and then we have the Beavs being non-competitive yesterday. At least we know now that the likely reason is that their HC had one foot out the door all week long.

    • Consider it his last gamble at OSU. He went with the Band of Brothers strategy to unify the team in their hatred of him. A attempt to fire them up so they could go out and win this one for each other.

      Not exactly high in low ego.

    • Good Lord, Smith is fucking insane if he really did that, but then again I keep coming back to the fake field goal. I wonder if that play gave MSU any pause at all. I’ll probably check in to see how he handles his firing in a few years. I’m sure it will be awkward.

      • it explains why senior leadership had it out with Smith in the locker room. They knew it was a crazy thing to do with a team’s psyche.

    • I “reported” that yesterday pre game…

      Note the Beavers were favored in all of their first 11 games, and competitive in every one points wise…

    • His last gamble. Tell them I’m leaving and maybe they will play their asses off to win me the game before I go. Once again, gamble failed.

    • I’m hearing he told some players the night before, and that all knew before the game.

      I knew the team was off in warm-ups. They looked like they were just going through the motions.

      We should refund ourselves 1/12th of Smith’s contract.

  64. It’s sad to think that dipshit over 2,000 miles away thought it was a good idea to jerk off during a phone call and it ultimately cost Oregon State their head football coach.

  65. 4
    1

    I could see younger adults and kids becoming Duck fans more and more over time. Wouldn’t surprise me if in 10 years Oregon is the sole power associated with the state the way LSU is in Louisiana. Sad day.

  66. How about Willie Taggart? He recruits well and knows the area and we can get him a good staff with the money we got from the lawsuit we won.

  67. 3
    2

    I say try to get Chris Peterson out of the Fox booth for a few years and help stabilize things. He should be able to coach JS guys immediately since they are similar in who they recruited.

  68. 14
    2

    Smith handled this all in such a terrible manner. I just really don’t see the motivation for going to MSU beyond ego. He already makes more money than anyone could need at OSU, Corvallis is a perfect place to raise a family, his alma mater where he was well respected, and it was a low pressure job without having boosters or admin breathing down your neck, and somewhere he could have likely stayed for life if he had wanted to. He threw all of that away for a raise when he’s already filthy rich, a job with a whole lot more pressure and expectation, and seemingly has vilified himself from his players and the OSU community?

    One has to wonder, how long has he been checked out mentally? How has that impacted the players and the team even if they didn’t know the full truth? I’ve always hated how little personality/emotion that Smith has, and could never imagine him firing up a lockerroom, but it had to be so much worse once he mentally checked out.

    Still can’t get over him not having the courage to tell it to Beaver Nation, the press or to Barnes, after the game before a mere 12 or so hours later being announced as the new HC at MSU. If you’re going to pull a move like this to your alma mater, at least have the courage to face the fans head on instead of posting a screenshot of a goodbye you wrote on your notes app to twitter.

    • I was told smith took a private jet to visit msu during the bye week (from a players parent). I now believe that. If that’s true, most of this season he’s been one foot out the door. They looked bad against Arizona right after the bye week, not like a team that’s polished and focused.

  69. OSU’s special year ended with victories over only two teams with a winning record. UCLA and Utah.

    Smith and his assistants didn’t do a great job this year. The implosion of the conference was a huge distraction for them.

    • 23
      3

      Mike Parker loves to speak of JS as OSUs favored son who has returned to lead us to glory. Monday Joe Beaver show will certainly be interesting to hear Mike’s viewpoint.

      I think JS has been on a long term plan to elevate his career through a “nice guy program builder”. He has in effect used the Riley template to get the OSU job while a dumpster fire and parlay it into another dumpster fire program with double the salary.
      He likely has. 3-4 year window to get a few key wins and any marked improvement maintains the reputation. By then he may be looking for the next upgrade dumpster fire program to elevate again (USC). If it all plays out he will be viewed nationally as a great program builder and a guy to settle a program.

      In the end he has been exposed as a poor in game coach and has zero feel for a game flow, leans on analytics too much, tries too hard with trick plays, talks about competitiveness and toughness but doesn’t demand it from his own OC.

      Given how this went down, I’d be surprised if all of the staff goes with him. Some of those guys must be more involved with the individual athletes and see the nonsense of the Civil War week and aftermath of a pregame announcement. It almost borders on malfeasance and Barnes had no voice in who should coach that game, since JS at that point had essentially resigned publicly within the locker room.
      Details will leak out soon enough and I doubt Smith will be portrayed in a very flattering light.

      He has just blown up the main reason MSU hired him by creating a public controversy over his own departure. Good riddance. Thanks for last years civil war, and the win at USC but very bad judgment in exiting like this.

      • 1
        1

        It may sound like sour grapes but the poor judgment has been happening since he got here. He also doesn’t exude much enthusiasm weather on the sidelines or press conferences. I see guys like Dickert get animated trying to hype up there teams or argue terrible calls. We get stone face Smith acting like he’d rather be somewhere else. We’ll now he is. It’s shitty timing with everything going on but good riddance. I’d rather get a younger guy who’s hungry for a head coach job that has some passion then a bad Texas hold’em poker player.

        • 2
          1

          Sour grapes would be going to find MSU websites, just to shitpost about their new coach.

          You’re good here, and you’re 100% correct that good riddance is our tact.

  70. On a positive note, Beav soccer just tied SMU 1-1 with about 12 minutes left in the first half in third-round playoff action. These broadcasts on ESPN Plus are better than I expected.

  71. 21
    3

    The answer to all of this: stop watching ESPN, Fox, Disney, The Oregonian, PAC12 site, et al. Until that happens, they will keep doing this. We vote with our time and dollars. If you hate what happened to the Beavs, yet you’re going to continue to watch the products of the corporations that caused this and ruined the PAC, then you can’t really complain about what happened.

  72. anyone think Dickert tries to land elsewhere? I don’t. and just two weeks ago he complained he didn’t have as much to work with resource-wise as OSU. Stood up to Corso, and McAfee while Smith told his agent to look for a new job.

    • I’d have to do research at this point on the years, he didn’t really talk about his per-Oregon life much, trying to do the math in head right now isn’t working out grest. Had a few cocktails, I’ll try to get back to you…There was a team photo at his funeral, I probably have a copy somewhere,

  73. 7
    2

    I wonder how the alumni player base feels about Smith’s pathetic move? Telling the team right before the game? Disgraceful. Time to retire the #9 cause it belongs in the furnace.

  74. Coach M is gone. Gonna go with Smith. Whatever you think is the worst thing that can happen for the program, thunk of something even worse and that’s likely the outcome. Major L’s coming our way. M

  75. 1
    2

    1. Let’s stop talking about Jonathan Smith – at all. And any people he takes with him. They are not worth it. Every right to leave but not like teenagers sneaking out the window. They haven’t a thought for the fans.
    2. Our froth can’t be constructive until after the lawsuit is settled.
    3. I hope OSU stops doing its anything to get along shtick.
    4. We worried about players leaving if lawsuit and settlement dragged on. No need now. Who knows? Maybe some fun players will sign on.
    5. Beavs 7 – SMU 1

    • 1
      1

      Did you suffer a stroke in the last couple years?

      You’re not the same helmsley you were. You have a lot of short-sighted opinions, lately, and you’re using a language not familiar with who you were… for at least a decade.

      I don’t see the wonderful voice from Helena I used to see.

      I don’t get it.

  76. 10
    7

    The irony is not lost on me that this site (specifically its founder…) has been known for blaming Smith for a lot of the close losses over the years and all of a sudden, now everyone is upset that he’s leaving? You can’t have it both ways.

    Someone said it earlier, but I think we’re all going to be better off when we take a good honest look at all of this and realize that Smith probably peaked as a coach here. If we are truly honest with ourselves, a 10 win season in 2022 with no quarterback and an insanely difficult conference schedule was beyond impressive. He had to rebuild a program from the ashes, had a COVID year that stunted everything. Could and should we have won some of these close losses over the years? Yes. But has anyone really ever done that at Oregon State consistently?

    It’s the curse of a college football to always dream the biggest dreams. Of course we all thought a PAC-12 title and maybe more was possible the last two seasons. And it was. But these two seasons are probably the exception, not the rule for Oregon State football. That was true before the conference collapsed. And now it gets even harder.

    It hurts. I don’t blame him for leaving. Was it handled poorly? Yeah, probably so. But it’s also the nature of the sport. That’s what happens when we are in a world where NIL exists and the portal opens in one week. Why would he care about a rivalry game he’s probably not going to win anyways when he can negotiate his contract and get to his new job and start building his team instantly? Beavers fans by and large have been acting like this is something new. Like this doesn’t happen to other programs every single season. It happened to Oregon twice. Can’t make fun of them for that and then be all angry when it happens to you.

    Leaving Oregon State, your alma mater, under these circumstances, is as brutal as it gets. I hope it is worth it, I truly do. His legacy as a coach and quite frankly as a player is going to be forever tainted and that’s just the truth of the matter. Even the memories of 2000 are going to be a little tarnished now in retrospect.

    I feel for the players. Yeah, it sucks as fans who spend countless amounts of time and money to support this program. But these players made massive life decisions to come to Oregon State based on what Smith told them. And then he disappears when they need him most. I can’t imagine how they feel and I’m heartbroken for them all.

    We’ve all lived through a lot of dark days as Oregon State football fans. Don’t think it gets much worse than this, all things considered. Do Barnes and Murthy have enough leadership and wherewithal to save Oregon State athletics? I’m not sure if they do. We could be living in a world without Beavers football very soon. But if for no other reason than the players who stay on the team, I’ll be there next year with renewed season tickets. Can’t give up now.

    • It’s the matter in which he left more than the act of leaving itself. Everything he preached about only focus on task at hand, focus on your job, etc and here he is interviewing for another job in arguably the most important game in program history. And if he truly did tell the team before the game, that’s even more fucked. While I’m not going to hold it against someone to go make themselves more cash, a lot of people out there acting like the guy was coaching for free vs banking $5 mill plus a year. Oh well, hopefully in another 5 years we can be a competitive G5 school. Might be time to cut down to 5 or sports and focus solely on those.

      • 2
        9

        But what’s he supposed to say? Would everyone really have been any less upset if he straight up told Canzano he was leaving after the Civil War? I don’t really care about rumors about what happened behind closed doors. None of us can know for sure because we weren’t there. I’d even argue telling them that this was his final game was at least an attempt at having some dignity and transparency than just straight up lying to his players faces (which he might have done anyways, but again, we can’t know that for sure)

          • Not defending it, which you can gather by the full context of my post. The thank you post by him was the bare minimum. I think he owes Beaver Nation more than that. I’m just saying I’m not sure what else people expected him to do in this last week. He wasn’t going to come out and say he’s taking the job when there’s still a game to play. The coach speak about focusing on the task at hand is what anyone would say in that situation.

          • “Not defending it, which you can gather by the full context of my post.”

            lol… if your foundation is just money, you’re just defending it.

            Stop the pretzel logic, and you won’t look like a pretzel.

    • Good thoughts WestSide.
      “Someone said it earlier, but I think we’re all going to be better off when we take a good honest look at all of this and realize that Smith probably peaked as a coach here.”
      This is true but what I’m upset about is the timing. Smith was a major major factor over OSU navigating the next couple years. If this whole realignment thing had not happened I wouldn’t be half as upset because I agree with your statement. But basically this move at this time has left OSU down on the ground bleeding out and we have to depend on Barnes to stop the bleeding.

      • I hear you. There’s no getting around it, it was a selfish move. But that’s what college football in 2023 is all about in the end. Everyone is doing what’s best for them. I liked what someone said earlier about it being for no other reason than ego. I don’t think it was about the money, I really don’t. He wanted an easy way out of dealing with this mess and I can understand that. But leaving your alma mater in their darkest hour just hurts beyond words. So I understand why people are so upset.

          • it’s about the money, but couched in the language of “career growth,” “taking care of his family,” etc. That stuff applies to people with middling wages. What about the “career growth” and “financial well being” of everyone being sacrificed while Smith finds a cushy seat in a lifeboat.

      • We’re all screwed if it’s up to Barnes to stop the bleeding. Speaking of, where did Barnes post his statement? I only saw some media members reporting his statement but I guess I missed it from the official school or Barns’ account.

    • 1
      2

      Am I supposed to read anything after the first paragraph?

      Because it’s a broad brush argument, and I dislike highly fallacious arguments.

      Try hanging out with the rivals/247/on3 crowd that hooks you with stories about how they stalk high school kids and are populated with ne’erdowells who pretend to be me (of all people) to troll as pedo fucksticks.

      The Pollyannas are why we’re in as weak a position as we are, and parroting them is not a long term solution.

  77. 4
    12

    I’m hearing that the administration totally botched the Smith negotiations and ultimately gave him no choice… pinching pennies especially with assistants. Plus the schedule or lack thereof may have had a lot to do with JS leaving. I was initially pissed at JS for leaving the way he did but after a conversation I had today, it seems this is extremely complicated and had little to do with money at least JS salary. More will likely come out in the weeks, month, years ahead. I think there’s a slight chance Beavs won’t be able to field a team for bowl game. I also don’t think Barnes will move quickly enough to lock down Bray before he moves on. I think Martinez and Chiles want to stay but ultimately I don’t think the administration will do enough to save this sinking ship fast enough. Martinez needs to worry about draft stock and I actually kind of hope he finds a better football situation. Barnes is a problem but his hands are partially tied with a broken culture that isn’t built to adapt.

    On another note, I wouldn’t be surprised to see DJU at Oregon next year

      • whatever

        bowls are just an opportunity for a team to celebrate being a team during a week-long party.

        There’s no need to take that away from the players.

        They can absolutely treat it like some “all star senior” game, for all I care. This season was thrown away by the guy who wanted his team to shut out all the noise for four months, then bailed after three.

        Fuck that noise.

  78. 8
    2

    Like WestSideMemorial said at the end of his post I think this is when beaver football needs us more than ever. How can we get mad at Smith for leaving when it got hard if so many will bail as fans when everything goes against us? There are numerous examples of teams in “lower” divisions in other sports who turn out in larger numbers and greater support than teams that are in the “top” division. While everything sucks the way it happened, I know ill be there next year cheering on whatever team gets out there. While tough to do for numerous reasons, I would love to see Oregon State and Corvallis be one of those places that passion overcomes glitz and fame.

    • Fair. I’ll keep some shred of hope that depending on the coach (important) we may still retain key players like Damien Martinez; and in turn keep other key players from leaving. I know loyalty doesn’t mean much these days, but I’ll hold hope until there is literally none.

    • 10

      “How can we get mad at Smith for leaving when it got hard if so many will bail as fans when everything goes against us?”

      Are you just trolling?

      This is possibly the most cowardly take I’ve read.

    • 1
      1

      Us fans are offer than any one player or coach. Been a Beav no matter the wins or losses, won’t change what conference or who’s coaching.

    • Haven’t seen too many people bailing, mostly fucking pissed…and rightly so. This won’t be a fun few years and we’ll be even less desirable for P4 conference in next realignment with the shambles our program and athletic dept will be in. It’s funny, there’s still a lot of people with their heads in the sand not realizing how devastating this development is. So many people looking at this like your standard coaching change when in fact it’s watching the death of a program and athletic dept. All the turnover Deon brought it might be child’s play for what we’re going to see. Nice to see soccer going out with a bang, too bad it’ll be an unsustainable program in 2-3 years. We already don’t have a men’s basketball program so no major loss there. Wrestling is a top 25 program once again but sadly those days are numbered too. What a shitty couple of days.

  79. 5
    1

    I haven’t been able to even look at my many, many OSU brand clothes, hats or decor today. It’s not that I an upset with the school, just thinking about it more… or God forbid someone ask me about it! too depressing.

  80. Canzano has an article up, he supposedly has a direct quote from Riley to the effect that “he will do anything Oregon St needs to help the program”. To his credit, Canzano also said that coaches leaving the Pacific NW for other parts of the country has been a lot of going around in circles until they get fired like Riley, DE, Taggart, and sooner than later Cristobal. He doesn’t think it’s a great move by Smith thought he would wait for USC or UW to open at some point. Said if we don’t hear from Barners very soon, he didn’t have a contingency plan.

    • 8
      3

      I actually wouldn’t be opposed to him being the OC, with a promise that he will never be the head coach, except in an interim position for a bowl game.

      I honestly think he would accept this, because he is so good a guy. He would provide stability, and he is a brilliant football mind, despite his inability for operational efficiency.

      Bray with Riley as OC isn’t a bad thing. Hell, Lindgren with Riley as OC isn’t bad, because Lindgren is at least operationally competent. Taking him off playcalls might be his saving grace. And Riley calling plays is and always was better than anything Langsdord did.

      Where is Langsdorf these days?

    • D’Anton Lynn has done a really good job at UCLA. He’s from Texas and coached in the NFL.

      In general, OSU needs a HC who lights a fire under everyone’s asses when they play on the road. The team has been Charmin soft for road games since the Riley era.

  81. Why is Barnes MIA today letting this nonsense go without a university response? Maybe Barnes is negotiating his new contract with another school as we speak too.
    Barnes/OSU=Kliakoff/PAC12 both have accomplished the exact same thing, by their inaction and persistent empty promises they have imploded an athletic department and a conference respectively. And yet both remain employed and on current payrolls somehow…

    Does Barnes have anything to add to the situation that may give clarity or hope to Beaver Nation? Not likely.

    • “Maybe Barnes is negotiating his new contract with another school as we speak too.”

      Don’t give me the false hope that we might hire Jaime Dixon.

      That’s just evil.

    • Maybe he can’t get the Mountain West to agree to anything. Seems like his original timeline was December 4th, but now it’s today with JS leaving. I think the big thing is that there needs to be a schedule very soon or chaos will ensue.

    • Barnes never has anything to say. And he’s always dumbfounded when anything happens. He advocated patience w GK. But once again OSU hands out a long extension. Canzano has said Barnes is not ‘ collegial’ –

    • I bet it is likely that the money behind the traitorous 10 is seeking to dismantle PAC2 administrations. The dollars at play are big enough to put a target at every position at every level. Secretary and janitors up to AD head coach and president. Let the greed cannibalize it all.

  82. 20
    2

    So many emotions today.

    Oregon State fans just got a bag-over-the-head punch in the face.

    On one hand, Jonathan Smith is dead to me. I hate him so much for jumping in a life raft while his alma mater is sinking. He can fuck off.

    On the other hand, this is what college football has become, whether the fans like it or not. Smith did the exact same thing as the T10 schools. It’s everyone for themselves, and the weakest will not survive. Smith is just trying to survive, and he knew recruiting the next 2 years with so much uncertainty and relatively little NIL funds will be almost impossible. And I’m sure there was no way Barnes could offer Smith and his staff significant contract renegotiations when he has no idea how much money he has available. It’s really the worst scenario imaginable.

    No one knows for sure what’s going to happen to Beaver sports. I think it was inevitable that we end up part of a lesser conference, Smith leaving now just accelerated that.

    But also, I honestly don’t think Smith was ever going to have a better season than last year. To be honest, I don’t think Smith has a high IQ. From the way he comes across in his interviews, and his in-game decisions, I just don’t think he’s smart. I don’t think he’s going to be very successful at MSU or any other school. I think he’s in for a rude awakening and could very well end up like Riley.

    Anyway, I guess we move on from here and see where we go as Beaver fans. All we can know for sure is a lot of changes are coming.

    • 1
      1

      LOL of course that is the case. It must be posted for 14 days? perhaps longer, even until after the transfer portal closes… Perfect scenario for another gut punch for OSU to go through the recruiting period without the possibility of a coach to lead them yet.

  83. 3
    1

    For the bowl game, if there are multiple coaches missing, It’s fine to bring in temporary coaches and/or promote the off field assistants. Alvarez coached the Badgers in a couple bowl games when there were coaching changes. This would be the only time I’d be ok with Riley helping out the program as a steward.

    I am not sure a quick hire is the way to go. Any prospective coach is going to want to see a schedule and funding. So that means mid Dec at least when the court case is expected to be resolved.

    Double edge sword but the transfer portal might able to salvage the loss of players by being able to bring in replacements fast. Will have to assume most high school commits are gone. New coach might have to rely on the portal for the next couple years while building up high school recruiting.

  84. 9
    7

    “ I wanted the gold, and I sought it;
    I scrabbled and mucked like a slave.
    Was it famine or scurvy—I fought it;
    I hurled my youth into a grave.
    I wanted the gold, and I got it— ?
    Came out with a fortune last fall,—
    Yet somehow life’s not what I thought it,
    And somehow the gold isn’t all.”

    I was born in Corvallis. Raised in Corvallis. My father went to OSU. My grandfather went to OSU. This is not the end. I was there when they blew up the east side. I was there when Swancutt scored a TD in the Civil War. I listen to Simonton score the winning TD on the radio in 98. THIS ISNT THE END.

    I feel disappointed and betrayed. I’m sure all of you do too. By our coach. Our athletic department. Big television and all the other BS that got us here. THIS IS NOT THE END.

    But what hurts me more is seeing such apathy. Such absolute cowardice from a fan base. It speaks volumes to who we are as Beaver fans. THIS IS NOT THE END.

    I hope every one of you that says you won’t follow the team moving forward when we move to the MW does truly that.

      • 6
        1

        One more comment to this is that the ones who have said I am done are saying it more towards college sports in general which has been hijacked by media who have ruined over 100 years of rivalry and tradition.

    • 15
      2

      You are venting at the fan base because they voice their frustrations and add perhaps hyperbole or heaven forbid a line of no return? You have been in Corvallis loog enough to be aware how poorly the athletics department operates and the overall internal apathy on campus and within the administration regarding OSU football. Go rail against the administration and leave the common fans alone. Every fan has the opportunity to spend or not, attend or not, support or not. You do you and leave the rest to themselves. If people want to give voice to their frustrations and it ends in an ultimatum. try not to lose sleep in your attempts to hold them to those ultimatums.

  85. Holy Crap, Cal leads UCLA 30-7 with 13 minutes left in the game. Chipster is still going to get fired and Smith will be on his way to East Lansing.

      • Would be kindof funny if he flipped last minute to UCLA, but you have to think he’s already signed in at Mich St given they already have his bio up on their athletics website

        • 4
          1

          Dana Altman when he took the Arkansas basketball job 16 years ago, did the press conference and then bailed on them less than 24 hours later. Wouldn’t be that crazy if Jonathan Smith bailed on Michigan State tomorrow and took the UCLA job. He’d have a chance to have two fanbases rooting for him to fail lol

          • I’ll honestly have zero rooting interest when Sparty travels to Autzen next year. I’ve heard some crazy stuff about the MSU board of trustees, they are very involved with the athletic program and even are elected by voters. All that to still have to look up at Michigan. My guess is that Smith figured the worst possible outcomes five years from now for going and staying and opted for the extra cash to dry any potential tears. Losing his staff to other schools if he stayed probably also weighed on his mind.

        • Bowl game selections are pretty much determined now.

          Oregon and UW will get a NY6 selection no matter who wins.
          Alamo – Arizona goes to the Alamo bowl because they finished a clear 3rd and 2 games ahead of the next teams. They have to choose Arizona.
          Vegas – Likely choose Utah or USC to avoid a repeat choice. Lean Utah because they’ll travel better with the game on the 23rd. Plus USC won’t have Williams.
          Holiday – Here’s the tough one, will the holiday bowl choose the Beavs who don’t have a coach and maybe missing players but have never played in the game or USC who will be missing their QB?
          Sun Bowl – This is the furthest they could drop. Rather take the LA Bowl here.

          • Correct. Beavs can’t drop farther than Hell Paso. And likely where they wind up for the reasons you gave. Beavs aren’t winning any dog and pony shows vs Utah or USC. Even though they beat Utah.

            CFP/NY6 – UW/UO
            Alamo – Arizona
            Vegas – Utah (or USC but since Utah won head to head Utah lean)
            Holiday – USC
            Sun – OSU (obligated at this point)
            LA – Cal (won head to head vs UCLA but could still take the Bruins)
            Independence – UCLA

          • Even though the Holiday bowl isn’t what it once was – I’d still like the Beavs to go to San Diego and play in Petco. They’ve never gone to the Holiday Bowl. Independence would be different. In any case, it looks like a New Years Eve Bowl – wonder how many players will opt out.

          • Sun Bowl is on Dec 29. There is still a chance to go to San Diego. For that to happen Vegas has to pick USC over Utah. Then the Holiday bowl would have a choice between the Beavs and Utah. I believe the matchup will also play a factor. Is Clemson the opponent? Is DJU playing?

            Utah has played in the Holiday Bowl once in 2018. Beavs have never been there.

  86. 7
    1

    I received a message from somebody who has connections to some of OSU’s high level boosters and staff and he’s telling me Jay Harbaugh is our primary target.
    I have no way to confirm, so take it with a grain of salt.
    Not the first time I’ve seen his name brought up today.

    • 11
      1

      New rules this year, If a player wanta to leave a Pac2 program, they’re given immediate eligibility plus an extra year at their new school. Plus a shoe deal and a bag of cash.

  87. Jay Harbaugh would be interesting. He comes from strong football family who would be very supportive and he is OSU alumni (I know what you are thinking… so was the last guy). Young guy who probably wants to make a name for himself and he would do it out from under daddy’s wing.
    Meanwhile after sleeping on this if I were Barnes I’d be calling Riley today to see if he would step in for the bowl game. Then I’d call some notable past players, Quiz for instance, to come in and help with bowl game as well. Doing this would show current players the school will support them and just maybe buy us time to hire the new coach.
    Lastly, get and release the schedule for next season. Without a schedule I’d consider leaving if I was a player.

    • Just said interesting thought. But let’s be honest here, what does OSU have to offer a new coach here? Talk about dumpster fire… no conference, schedule?, money?, recruits?, and the school’s leadership? We need someone young and hungry to grow something is my vote. Not a has been who will put in their time to collect the money then move on. They all move on but give me someone who wants to build a name for themselves before moving on.

      • 2
        4

        We know a Barnes won’t make the right hire in this situation and it makes the current scenario all the more daunting.
        Unfortunately we are reduced to ashes and even the coaches from conferences below P4 will not be interested, due to geography and uncertainty.
        We are limited to 3 categories:
        1) those with knowledge of Corvallis, (Riley etc)
        2) those with nothing to lose and no other options and considered washed up or failures (Harsin, Jimbo Fisher etc)
        3) those who have not coached at D1 level and want a shot (think Lance Liepold 8 years ago, or Troy Taylor before Eastern Washington)

        Barnes will panic and ask Riley/Banker in for 2 years which will be disastrous.

        Rather go find te guy in D3 who wins every year and has a great scheme then pair him with some recruiting connections within OSU former athletes.

        • Barnes has been pretty good with hires. Tinkle extension was bad. But look at the coaches in place. I don’t think it’s fair to bash on him. I really doubt they saw smith leaving this soon.

          I’m hoping it’s Bray.

      • ‘We need someone young and hungry to grow something is my vote.” Mine too altho we only talk to ourselves so who will know? I am so impressed with the WSU coach – he reflects upon starting in the NAIA – not sure why the Cougs had the loss streak, mid-season tho.

  88. 3
    1

    Yeah – I’ll let someone else give Jay Harbaugh his break. I’m sure he’s fine, but I would worry about what kind of staff he could put together, he’s only worked for family so far.
    I do think that putting a schedule together and announcing next steps should be the priority. No coach is going to want to recruit for a school when they can’t say where the team will be or who they will play in four years, let alone NEXT year. Fans have been fed the “Trust Us” line from people who have said everything will work its way out – and they’ve all failed – I don’t blame Smith for not trusting school leadership anymore. He’s the one person who has actually done what he is paid to do in all of this mess. Remember when Canzano said Oregon State needed to make a committment to Tinkle after the Elite Eight run, that didn’t work out so great.
    The thing is – Wazzu and the Beavs could have joined the Mountain West yesterday if they wanted I imagine – it would have created “certainty” but I will say, splitting the estate with Wazzu might do more for Oregon State’s long-term athletic health – even if it takes a while to get through the courts – than a quick relegation would. Elevate an assistant, bring back Riley for the short-term, with a big option that could be picked up (or not) in two or three years.

  89. With the player transfer system in place, has there been any trend in terms of when coaches are released to be hired elsewhere?

    My understanding was in the past the more stable programs would wait until after their bowl game; I don’t know what the interrelationship is like, if any, with this window & the games.

    Mainly curious as it doesn’t seem there are many viable candidates available from what little I’ve read.

  90. I’d like to gather my thoughts and post sometime–but’s here’s some turkey to chew on:

    Oregon State offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren would be an option if the school opts for continuity. Lindgren has been the OC since he arrived with Smith in 2018. The Beavers were a top-20 team most of the season and are a top-30 scoring offense, thanks in large part to Lindgren’s work with DJ Uiagalelei. The 43-year-old is a Washington native who has spent his entire career out west, also working at Colorado, San Jose State and Northern Arizona.

    Oregon State defensive coordinator Trent Bray is another internal option. The former Beaver linebacker immediately improved the defense upon his promotion to the job from linebackers coach midway through the 2021 season. He’s been on staff since 2018 and also from 2012 to ’14.

    San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan has been in the mix for a few Power 5 jobs recently, including as a finalist at Arizona before it went to Jedd Fisch. Before SJSU, Brennan was Oregon State’s wide receivers coach from 2011 to ‘16. At SJSU, he’s taken the Spartans to three bowl games in four seasons for the first time in school history, highlighted by a 7-1 season and Mountain West title in 2020. He knows Oregon State, and he’s got head coaching experience.

    Fresno State head coach Jeff Tedford has twice done a remarkable job with the Bulldogs. In 2017, he inherited a 1-11 program and went 22-6 over the next two seasons, including a MWC championship. Tedford stepped away due to health issues but returned two years later when Kalen DeBoer went to Washington. In his second stint, Fresno State is 18-7, with another MWC title and top-25 finish last year. Tedford was Oregon’s offensive coordinator from 1998 to 2001 and is plenty familiar with the West Coast. The 62-year-old could be a steady hand during this time of transition.

    Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has led the most explosive offense in the country the last two years, with the Huskies 22-2 over that span and currently 11-0 with Michael Penix Jr. sitting as a Heisman Trophy favorite. Grubb passed on the Alabama offensive coordinator job to stay with Kalen DeBoer, knowing a big season was in store. He and DeBoer go way back, working together at Fresno State, Eastern Michigan and NAIA Sioux Falls. He’s expected to get looks to lead his own program soon.

    Former Auburn coach Bryan Harsin is expected to be in the mix for multiple Mountain West jobs. Harsin went 69-19 as Boise State’s head coach from 2014 to ’20. He won the Fiesta Bowl and finished with a top-15 team in his first season but never quite reached that level again, though he did go 45-8 in Mountain West play and won three conference championships. Harsin was fired less than two years into his tenure at Auburn, a place that never made sense from a fit or culture perspective. But back out west, he could be a good fit again.

    Former Virginia and BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall is an Oregon State graduate and former assistant, playing for the Beavers from 1986 to ’87 and coaching there from 1989 to ’90 and 1995 to ’96. He was in the mix for the Colorado job last year, and he has been in contact with a few jobs in this cycle. He went 135-81 as a head coach from 2005 to ’21, a consistent winner with 11 seasons of at least eight victories. The Utah native is plenty familiar with the school and the region, if he’s ready to get back into coaching after stepping away in 2021.

    Montana State head coach Brent Vigen is 32-7 in two-plus seasons, reaching the FCS national championship in 2021 and the semifinal in 2022. Before that, he was a Wyoming offensive assistant for seven seasons and a North Dakota State assistant for 16 years. He knows the Mountain West region, and he’s got head coaching experience.

    Idaho head coach Jason Eck has turned the Vandals from a losing team into a top-five FCS program, currently 8-3 and ranked No. 4 in Eck’s second season. He’s 15-8 in two years with what will be two top-25 finishes. He was previously at South Dakota State, including three years as offensive coordinator.

    Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore has directed one of the most improved offenses in the SEC this season. At Mizzou, where he calls the plays, the Tigers went 10-2 in the regular season and scored at least 33 points in every SEC game except against Georgia, but Mizzou’s 21 points were tied for the most anyone has scored on the Bulldogs this year. He spent 2017-22 as Fresno State’s offensive coordinator, where he was one of the best recruiters in the Mountain West, and Fresno State led the league in scoring in his last season.

  91. 14
    2

    Recently, I had started to think that a court settlement might be best for our team, just to speed up the process that would set us up with a fair amount of money (maybe not as much as we deserved) and give us clarity so we can move forward.

    That was all based on smith sticking around for next season will it got sorted. Now, depending on the hiring process and what happens with the transfer portal on December 4, I now think we should just go scorched earth and try to take down the system for as much money as we can while exposing the behind the scenes bullshit that is killing the sport, even if it means waiting years and our program being in shambles.

    I feel like a toddler whose toy has been taking from them, and now I don’t want anyone to have toys, fuck the system.

    • I’ll admit I have not followed the trial closely at all. My one concern with going scorched earth on the money is that those other ten schools would make sure we never are invited to join a P5 conference and would never schedule us in football or any other sport ever again. Have they made that threat?

      • I think P5 talk is short sided at this point, the Big12 is protected in the short term due to their geography, taking up the southwest, so obviously joining them has a short term advantage, but we will be easily cut loose upon any reshuffle. ACC will lose their northern strengths to the Big10, and the southern to SEC.

  92. 20
    1

    With this recent news, I keep thinking about something I admired about Smith. Signing day was routine and predictable, every time. That’s because he insisted that his recruits buy wholly into the system–no looking around after committing, you gotta be all-in as a Beav.

    Then he does this. Betraying the players whose loyalty was a condition of their being on the field for Oregon State. Screwing up their last game in the Pac 12, the last game against Oregon.

    Classless. Utterly classless.

    Good luck, Smith, wherever you go. I hope you get what you deserve.

    Anyone considering following this guy would do well to think carefully about the man he has turned out to be.

    • 19

      Not to be overly dramatic, but Smith ran away from a burning building instead of running towards it. He makes almost 5 million a year and who knows how much more Barnes was going to give him. It’s not like he’s a pauper. He could have shown the fortitude to be the man to see this unique situation through at his alma mater, but instead chose the easy way out. He has no connection to MSU, he’s a little bit awkward. He’s not going to beat the elite of the Big 10. It’s like Riley to Nebraska or Ericksen back to the NFL again, ultimately pointless.

      • 17

        I hate when people compare coaches leaving to when a working class person gets a better job. A college head coach does not need to be making $5 million+ a year. It’s simply about greed. Beavers fans wouldn’t even be as pissed as they are now if he made this move in another week or 2. Just don’t go about it like a coward and the fans would get over it after a couple weeks. I can’t see him being welcomed back at Reser any time soon

        • I think the reality of the transfer portal required him to get the hell out of Corvallis as soon as possible. but spare me the four months of focus and dedication BS. With some of the crap I’m hearing now, who knows how long Smith has been in talks with MSU. Barnes obviously couldn’t sell the future to Smith. It would be fascinating to learn all the gory details because of the uniqueness of the situation.

    • 4
      3

      I think JS sees himself as a Saban level of coach that has the ability to be one of the most dominant and accomplished coaches in college football over the next 20 years. He’s probably not wrong about that. He’s up there in the top 20 of current coaches. His gambling is his biggest liability.

      At 44, if he hitches his wagon to a fledgling 2Pac with no real future, his roster and coaching staff about to get dismantled by factors out of his control, he runs the very real risk of derailing what *could* be a college football hall of fame caliber career. I think sees himself as that good and wants a chance to prove it.

      If Pac-12 were alive and well or if the 2Pac had a clear path to rebuilding with the ability to compete at a Power 4/5 level on the national stage, no way he leaves OSU.

      It was a terrible situation to be in and I don’t wholly blame him for feeling like he had to get off the sinking ship in order to chase his dreams.

      Just so disappointed in him as a fellow alum in how he handled it behind closed doors with the team and in the public eye with media. He totally sucks at navigating the public persona part of the job. Just an absolute fail in every way, could not have handled it any worse.

    • If there was time to recognize your own interest, indicate that interest, and be interviewed for a head coach position elsewhere; there was ample time to choose to shepherd this team through that eventuality.

  93. What’s really gonna sting, is wondering what would have happened if we won against Wazzu, Zona, and UW. I’m generally a cynic on beaver matters, but it’s hard for me to believe he takes that call if we are top 6, even with the Duck loss.

    Those losses hurt more than ever

    • 13

      If he won those games and they were in the PAC title game against Oregon depending on tiebreakers, he probably gets the A&M job offer and still leaves. Those wins would have just gotten him better offers and more money

    • I think Smith was going to take any random P-5 job just to get away from the situation. The fact is that he’s a young, established, successful P-5 coach, I don’t think Barnes could guarantee that the program was not going to be taking a serious step backward. I wish Smith had been the man to say “fuck this I’m seeing this through”, but he wasn’t.

      • That would fit with Barnes’s hiring MO. Look at who has taken over under his watch. Aside from Tinkle, it’s been heavy on former Beavs and rising assistants.

        I wonder what current MwC coaches think of the opening.

      • Maybe Trent Bray realizes that this MSU maneuver is fool’s gold, just like Mckalk outlined brilliantly up above; it’s ultimately pointless. Smith is not going to be as successful there as he was of late here, and the whole crew will be fired in 3-4 years. The strengths of schedule in that conference just got twice as difficult, if not more.

        I don’t know much about Wozniak, what position does he coach? Mihalczik is a late career guy who doesn’t want to be a head coach anyway, so he’s just along for the ride with Smith.

    • The line by Smith about this being for his assistants to get better pay will only ring true if he takes all of the assiatants. Fact of the matter is, some of the assistants could have branched off and gotten a raise without Smith(Coach M in particular)
      Not to mention the optics of him leaving Blue, Perkins, Legi, Hynson behind while elevating Coach M, Wozniak, Bray & Lindgren is going to stick out.

  94. 2
    9

    Jay Harbaugh – Head Coach
    Mike Riley – AHC/Offensive Coordinator
    Bronco M – Defensive Coordinator

    Jay brings in young new energetic assistants to fill up remainder of staff.

    Beaver Nation rallies around Harbaugh.

      • I don’t know, I’ve been as critical of Riley as anyone but he’s still coaching in the USFL, selling him as QB coach to keep Chiles isn’t a terrible move. He may have no credibility with you but I bet he has credibility with the players still.

        • I fall into a similar camp. To say the game has passed him by isn’t accurate. Yes, he’s older, but he has been succesful at the minor league level and the players that play for him love him.
          Doesn’t mean I neccessarily want him in a top leadership position, but he could still be pretty nice as an O.C. and he’d probably comes at an affordable price tag considering he’s set for life already.

    • Not just you, but all the coaching pickems; your suggestions are going nowhere unless you have the prestige and money to influence the powers that be. Admittedly, at this point, we don’t know who they are or what that is.

  95. I am pissd beyond belief about this entire situation and how everything has gone down since at least August. I thought Smith had some intregity, but it looks like he is no different than any other mercenary. If it is in fact true he literally sabotaged the CW game by letting a few players know of his intent to take the MSU job prior to taking the field on Friday nght, that is about as low as you can get and any good feelings he had brought to the university or to the program itself are gone, as this is what he will be remembered for – and I watched him blow Notre Dame out in the Fiesta Bowl, too.

    I don’t know how the university, from an athletics standpoint, moves on after all this, as it certainly looks like way too much to overcome from where I sit; it just appears to be diabolical in its nature. Why would Smith do this, in this manner, to a university he puportedly loves?

    How many ‘rebuilds’ does OSU have in them? Just when it seems that you have some continuity, Lucy pulls the football away. Watching the bowl game last year, it never came to me that we would be the ‘Florida’ this year, playing with a depleted squad and stand-in coaches.

  96. The RB coach is gone now too. Considering we’ve already went thru 3 of those in the last 4 years. But, more importantly, it’s not Trent Bray.

    • Barnes knows he has to move fast, wouldn’t surprise me if Bray is named the new head coach by Wednesday/Thursday. It is interesting tho that the best assistant on Jonathan Smith’s staff isn’t coming with him. Imo, he needs Bray on his staff. The last DC he brought on was Tim Tibesar, who was god awful. You could make the case that Bray was just as important as JS. Turnaround doesn’t happen without the defense making huge strides under him.

  97. Come to think of it, Bray would be the ideal candidate, not only from an effective coaching angle, but also a compelling personal narrative. Born and raised in Pullman, played in Corvallis, was left behind to pick up the pieces when the presumed savior panicked in the face of adversity.

  98. I think this probably confirms that ultimately OSU/WSU are just gonna merge with the entire MWC under the PAC banner.

    And there was never really a more creative plan. Ultimately they may have been boxed in by the MWC when working towards a scheduling agreement but The PAC-14 will mean you need cheaper coaches.

  99. 1
    1

    Given the catastrophic situation, Barnes needs to try and call in any prior athletes who have played or are available to step in and recruit/build a roster and bridge the gap.
    Here is my random names for a rally to the alma mater staff:
    HC Bray/Lindgren
    OC Chryst or Riley on a short term leash
    DC Rocky Long or Bronco Mendenhall
    QB Coach Lyle Moevao or
    RB Coach Steven Jackson
    WR coach Kevin Cummings or Hynson stays
    DB coach Keith Heyward Johnson or James Dickert
    LB coach Michael Doctor
    Dline- Joe Seamalo

    Or you go completely new staff from someplace like North Dakota and bring them all over

    It all feels somewhat hopeless and we need Barnes to pull a rabbit out of the hat right away.

    • If Bray jumps into the HC role ahead of his own schedule, he may have the wisdom to bring some of DE’s band back into the fold as advisors. I’d much prefer that to Riley.

      Bray would be able to maintain at least some portion of the roster I’d think. He is much more personable than Smith in interviews also and has always been a good recruiter. His coaching tree and experience reaches in different directions than JS so we will see who ends up risking a career to join him at OSU.

      Agree about any coaches going to MSU as riding coattails for $$$ rather than any true expectation of
      Winning the Big10.

      • I spoke with coach M’s wife right after the initial pac explosion news broke, she said they were livid, as coach is close to retiring and they had hoped to finish here so they wouldn’t have to start over. Him leaving with that dick Smith says it all about the bag, not about expectations of winning, or stability

        • I mean who knows really knows unless someone spills the details. I think I saw where Canzano has a radio interview with Barnes on Monday afternoon. You would think Canzano would know better than to lob softballs given the situation. It would be a good time for Barnes to be detailed and candid.

      • 4
        1

        I have no problem with Rolovich and think he is a decent coach. That asshole of a governor we have in WA forced him to stand up in front of the entire team and refuse the vax. No governor should have the ability to force someone to make a medical decision. In retropsepect, Rolovich made the right call for himself, and sooner or later, the State of WA is going to be paying some big money to Rolovich.

  100. I could see Jay Harbaugh being a candidate. Like it or not, we’re probably seen as a MW school with a MW salary and budget. If you look at that conference, it’s basically young guys on their first job, FCS guys climbing the ladder or P5 washouts trying to re-establish their careers. With all the uncertainty surrounding the roster, schedule and TV money/exposure, we might be a little underwhelmed with the hire. It will be kinda hard to really evaluate the hire anyway because we’re not even sure what the program is right now or what we’re trying to accomplish.

    • 3
      1

      If Bray does somehow end up as the HC, you best believe Riley will be on the staff in some capacity. Riley gave Bray his first job and also took him to Nebraska.

  101. 31
    1

    Parental Advisory!
    If you are offended by profanity, do not read.

    I can’t believe that little dweeby motherfucker did this to his alma mater! I’m so pissed at that little fucking cocksucker if I ever got within strangling distance of him, I’d try to choke that son of a bitch out. He effectively has taken a wooden stake into the heart of Oregon State football, and probably the entire athletic department. What a lowlife scum sucker this little fucker turned out to be. NO character.
    This is the equivalent of leaving your wife after she’s been diagnosed with cancer. Obviously I’m pretty fucking pissed off today. That stupid son of a bitch thought he had the little brother complex here in Oregon, wait till he tries to deal with the University of Michigan.
    3 1/2 to 4 years that little fuck stick will be fired.

  102. 3
    1

    But no play on words in that post? no double entendre? I’ll help: “3 1/2 to 4 years that little fuck stick will be fired.”

    That’s what she said….

    Luv ya, man.

      • Yeah, Big Dave pretty much said what he thinks in the Eggers piece too; it’s all about the money. For “the family” you know.
        Better than 30% chance DJU goes to nike…….but y’all know how defective my crystal ball is, lol.

      • He’s talking about leaving early though. Sure, DJ is a free agent at the end of the season. But Smith already had agreed to another job while in the middle of the season and while asking his players to buy in for a full season. It’s not like that MSU job wasnt going to be there in a few days if he asked them to give him time to finish the year.

    • Here is a list my friend came up with for a nice staff around Bray filled with a combo of OSU guts and a good mix of outside up and coming coaches from
      Different areas:

      HC Bray
      OC/AHC Bush Hamadan (Boise St)
      DC Inoke Breckterfield (currently
      Dline coach at UW)
      QB coach- Lyle Moevao
      OL- Kyle DeVan
      DL- Legi Suiaunoa
      RB- Cornell Ford (UNLV)
      WR- Kevin Cummings
      Strength &Conditioning coach- Jordan Barber (Georgia)
      Fill out the rest of the staff with young guys who are eager for the opportunity and can recruit well

      Not sure who some of them are but I like the idea of trying to go young and get a different vibe in the near future than what OSU has traditionally touted. Lead in with NVidia sponsorships and innovative analytics/recruiting model, mixed with a tech centered approach to create an urban tech culture that makes players want to be part of the next cool thing in collegiate sports.
      OSU must let go of “Giant Killers”, “Lunch Pail U” and move forward independently. Without the other PAC schools to recruit against or compare ourselves to any longer, OSU is free to create its own makeover in its own style rather than why has been acceptable and limiting.
      Mayberry, giant killers, lunch pail u were all playing into a niche branding which was understandable 25-30 years ago but society/technology has changed so
      Much that OSU is on the edge of the entire tech field/industry through several alums and businesses. Change the approach from underdog to leader and build a young staff to play into that both program and
      Community wide, use the imagery to draw recruits and build a new brand of OSU football at least.

    • It looks like USC is targeting the new mexico DC to replace grinch. I did see brays name being thrown around a few days ago for that job.

  103. 11
    2

    Glad to see most on here coming to the conclusion that Smith owed it to the program to stick it out through the next 2-3 seasons. Let’s dissect and dismiss all of the arguments in favor of what Smith did:

    1. “Your loyalty is to your family first”: This is an obvious statement but laughable in context of the current situation. Smith’s actual family is already set for life. Nobody would have to work one minute of one more day if they didn’t want to.
    2. “Too good of an opportunity to pass up. Have to cash in on those when you can”: This is only true if it’s a means to an end for a coach that uses programs as their own personal stepping stones. Essentially the Willy Taggert mentality. If you are actually an elite coach you will thrive in any situation. Then some day the true Godfather offer will come.
    3. “He’s too competitive. Just not possible to take a step down in competition”: If Smith had stayed, the next 2 seasons wouldn’t cement his career legacy one way or the other. Smith could still coach 20 more years after that if he wanted and would almost certainly have gotten a big offer again somewhere down the line.
    4. “It’s not Smith’s fault that the Pac12 collapsed and OSU was left in dire straits. Why should he have to sacrifice his own career when everyone else fended for themselves “: This is the classic….”If your friend jumped off a bridge would you do it too?”. Yes, everyone else is selfish. That has zero bearing on your own ethical choices and what is actually morally right. Maybe the situation actually was so dire that it would have harmed Smith’s career to stay. As I’ve argued above, I don’t believe that’s the case but let’s entertain it for a minute. Well, you know what? Sometimes in life you get dealt a bad hand. Sometimes people end up in situations that require personal sacrifice. Sometimes everything isn’t about YOU! If Smith had to fall on the sword then so be it. At least he would have been honorable. I really don’t know how a person looks themselves in the mirror after doing something like this. I guess Smith is just like the rest of them though. Probably didn’t even give it a second thought.

    • You become who you hang with. He has been in coaching circles for 20 years, he is one of them now. We were delusional to think otherwise.
      Bad company corrupts good morals. I am surprised but I’m some ways not surprised by his actions. I’d guess coaching circles are pretty insulated and out of touch with what we might call normal life. So his reasoning is likely quite different than yours or mine. Certainly not excusing any of it but attempting to explain it in some way.

      • I think you’re right. In that case OSU will always just be a stepping stone program. If that’s our fate then so be it. But if it is, then the administration has to think outside the box on how to maintain a program that is consistently competitive despite it’s challenges. What they should actually do is embrace the fact that their head coach will leave after having success…and always have a succession plan in place. That way “the organization” remains stable even during coaching changes. Recruits would have piece of mind that the system they are buying into will always stay in place regardless.

    • 9
      1

      A lot of people saying “You can’t blame him for leaving. Anyone else would have done the same” would be singing a different tune if say Aidan had been the starter this season and the week of the Oregon game there were leaked reports that he was gonna transfer and then he transferred the day after the game and got a big NIL deal. Media would be furious and demanding changes to NIL and question his leadership. Since it’s a head coach, then it’s no problem lol. Media also loves to tell Beavers fans that we should enjoy the shit sandwich we’re handed repeatedly cause we “shouldn’t expect better.” Sorry, we don’t have to accept spineless behavior. Coaches always preach loyalty and respect until it’s their turn and then the goal posts move and we’re supposed to be “grateful.”

      • it’s not just the media; a sizable portion of the OSU fanbase believes we “shouldn’t expect better.” they have been brainwashed

  104. Anyone have any insight on Bray off the field? I read a couple of quotes elsewhere yesterday implying some things and that he isn’t HC material.

    • 6
      1

      The introductory press conference would be hard to watch. He’ll be happy and excited and acting like he’s never even heard of Oregon State. Just a tough moment for the fans who lose their coaches every year.

    • Damn, the list is getting longer for coaches stuck in the Midwest who will need jobs in 3-4 years! I just saw where Danny Langdorf is the OC at Temple now, ouch!

      • Yeah, and they better not be coming back hat-in-hand if expectations don’t meet reality. I’ll never forget when Riley left for the Chargers after his first tenure. You see, he was a ‘qb’s coach’ and the only one that could effectively handle Ryan Leaf, evidently. Well that didn’t really work out so well, but DE personally endorsed Riley’s return and virtually said that he was the only one for the job at OSU. I was on a trip though Oregon yelling at the car radio when they announced Riley as the new head coach, again. I figure if you left the first time, there is no second chance.

    • List is essentially everyone except Bray and the newest secondary coach that came on board. Bray and Hinson gonna have to go back to peewee football and 1 guy takes the offense and 1 guy takes the defense. Lol

  105. I’m kind of curious if Mike Elko turned down Michigan St or lost out to Smith. Sounds like Elko may be in line for the Texas A&M job, so financially it could work out very well for him. Duke is another stepping stone job.

  106. Beavs need to hire a hell of a salesman as HC since it going to be a challenge to recruit with so many unknowns at this time. Second would need to a “big name” with a big personnality. We really need to survive the next couple years until we get some stability/direction.

  107. This is playing out basically how I thought it would play out when USC/UCLA left and I was playing out the scenarios where the Pac-12 dissolved. Being a good G5 athletics program is the new ceiling. There are significant road blocks to ever getting there. In the short term it could be a *bad* G5 tier team since we’ll lose our coaches and players. Digging out of that hole with waning fan and booster interest is going to be *hard*.

    As far as coaching candidates… I think people need to lower their expectations. I don’t count on Bray to take it. No one is going to sacrifice career to take the job out of loyalty to the school, and I think will have good opportunities out there.

    The OSU job is now a MWC tier job, but MWC school with *significant* questions and challenges. Bray could be a HC at a better situation or a DC at a really good one (better than MSU).

    Barnes has proven himself to be an incompetent moron his whole tenure. There’s no way I trust him to navigate well what seems like one of the most challenging situations I can really think of.

    • 1
      2

      Pretty spot on assessment. The football stadium and facilities are top notch beyond any lower tier program.

      We need to hire the guy who built up Boise St in less than 15 years. They had a long term plan forgot going from D2 to PAC10 in a 15 year span and almost did it. Their academics were the roadblock but the infield product and reputation exceeded anything thought possible.
      Who will be the Chris Petersen of OSU for this window of time? Who will be the AD that can cast such great and broad vision with the imagination to achieve and implement everything necessary?

      Barnes needs to be gone at this point. Bring I some outside perspective.

      Lawyers need to go scorched earth in lawsuits.

      PAC2 needs to with- hold all 2023 revenues immediately once given full authority.

      Begin negotiations with Apple for a new media steaming deal that includes MWC in some form of kickbacks.

      Begin filing antitrust lawsuits asap.

      OSU administrators need
      To understand we are at war with
      The rest of the college sports landscape and only a complete
      Commitment to fighting it will have a possibility to prevail.
      I don’t think OSU understands this yet. If they don’t care enough, then OSU fans will depart just like the athletes.

    • 3
      1

      No way does OSU become a bad G5 program with our fan and alumni base, institutional support, etc. Directional schools that nobody has ever heard of make bad G5 schools, not Oregon State University.

      • I mean more in the short term things could be really bad if coaches leave and players transfer out. Just putting together a roster for next year that competes with a 5 P4, 6 MWC schedule could be hard depending on how that shakes out.

        I initially had MWC in place of everywhere I said G5, so that is more what I was thinking. Bad G5 might be too harsh even in the short term.

  108. I’m new to the world of X (Twitter), but find it interesting to try to keep up on this stuff. Is “Angry Beavs” our Angry are is it someone else? Also, Jalen Moore seems to be going off against the fan base. Isn’t he going to East Lansing? I would say STFU at this point, but maybe the longer he babbles the more insightful information might come out.

    • Well some of those reports have been retracted so it doesn’t seem like he’s leaving? At least nothing confirmed. But he did delete some of his posts…one of which was to the effect of “OSU for Life”. So some weird shit for sure. It’s a hot mess. There’s obviously a lot of turnover with a new coach but this seems pretty wild the amount of coaches already accepting MSU jobs. I’m sure Traitor Smith is waiting for the outcomes of Bray to do anything on the defensive side.

      • Yesterday he blasted people for their takes on Smith. Had another post saying something like “do your homework, OSU for life”. Then the post was deleted and it was reported he had taken a spot with MSU. So people obviously started to pile on and then he started posting back about the real colors of some Beavs fans, etc. Then the reports were retracted so I guess he isn’t leaving? Anyway, some really bad optics all the ways around.

      • found it: from Moore: “Y’all beaver fans are really showing y’all true Colors. A lot of y’all coming out of the woodworks ever since we’ve been having success. I remember y’all wrote us off 6 years ago, especially Me!!! When I played with coach Anderson. Now y’all want to talk about y’all loyal fans. Y’all wild bro.!!!”

        Good luck in the Big 10, bro.

    • 6
      1

      My experience with Moore in Corvallis is that he has some sort of attitude problem. Almost every time I’ve seen him around town, he’s been arguing with someone on Monroe outside a bar or yelling about some perceived sleight. This is at least 3 or 4 different instances. In fact, he once ran out with no warning into the street in front of my car on Western when there was no cross walk, causing me to have to slam on the breaks and then he started loudly jabbering at me as I drove by.

      • 4
        2

        That ding dong mama Machado posting moore was leaving with smith, she got the info wrong but in the meantime beav fans starting lighting up his Twitter.

        Fucking Machado so anxious to be first and stay relevant and cash a bag, she just throwing shit out there. No better than Smith, tbh

    • Maybe a good option. He certainly got robbed of a win this year against Texas. And his offense is likely
      The best option to shift away from pro set etc of the recent past.
      Chiles could win the Heisman in his offensive scheme.

        • Good! We need to open up the offense. Love Martinez and our running game but like to pass first to set up the run. A more explosive offense can only help keep and recruit athletes (ie.. bigger receivers).

        • 11

          We have never been successful as a pass-first program.

          It’s just not who we have ever been, and it’s likely not who we will ever be. It can compliment the run game, but we need to start putting two backs behind the QB and running downhill.

          • 1
            1

            Jack, I don’t think we have the horses to run that kind of offense. Mich, Georgia, Alabama can do that but we can’t. The other thing about running that offense is it is too bland. It would be difficult to attract athletes. They want to be seen on Sportscenter high lights not blocking. And lastly, a high octane offense you have a chance to get back in games. If you have primarily a running offense and you get behind a couple touchdowns its difficult to come back. Just my thoughts over the many, many years of watching sports.

          • Wellll…. we had a terrible stretch under Kraigthorpe when we did a pass first attack. It sucked, but not as much as the no-pass Pettibone years

      • Backs get a lot of touches in the air raid in addition to being a receiving threat out of the backfield which is what the NFL likes as well.

  109. D Mart posted this a bit ago on X: So much I wanna say but y’all sayin it fa me ?can’t do the fake, LOVE the REAL Beaver Nation?

  110. 5
    1

    So has Smith been thinking about jumping since the 8 jumped? What is the actual behind the scenes? Will there be any tv coverage of games next year? When will they have a schedule? When will they have money? A lot of valid questions, but on the other side if you care about OSU, you would leave with the least negative impact on the program. He has been building a house for Beaver nation for 6 years and now after he accepts a new job offer takes a chain saw to cut all the exterior studs on the house. Beaver nation was living under an overpass when he got here and by his actions of destroying the house, we will be back under the overpass. His actual damage to the house will be the continuity of the coaches and the players who will bail when the portal opens up. I think Smith could learn a lot about how you treat your team and institution, from John Wooden.

    • 7
      1

      Even early in the season he was telegraphing this a little, talking frequently about how the portal has changed the game and he preaches to his players and staff to buy in for 1 year and re-evaluate at the end of each season.
      Even then it sounded like he was preparing to jump ship but was stuck for the time being

  111. 5
    2

    Do you think this is the end of Mamma Machado? Who is going to care about a 2 star recruit coming to play in the MWC or PACWEST? I don’t see how she survives this.

  112. I get the implosion of the PAC likely had a lot to do with the leave happening at this point, but one has to think, if getting offered a job at your Alma Mater where you were already a legend of the program, and became even more of a legend after bringing the program back from the dead (before destroying what was left of it all over again), a strong program with albeit with a cloudy future, no pushy/demanding rich boosters or admin, getting to raise your family in an amazing town and a familiar environment, 5 million dollars a year, and what amounted to a virtually lifetime head coach job contract with the 6 win extension clause and the respect the school had for him to grant him many additional years if he wasn’t winning 6 a year wasn’t enough for a guy like Smith to stay, then what in the world WOULD be enough for a Corvallis man like him or any other successful coach? College sports have become yet another thing ruined in this day and age of over commercialization.

    What was the rush as well? As I’ve stated previously, I didn’t expect him to stay for life if that’s not what he wanted, but what was prompting him to be actively be searching for a new job instead of fully focusing on the team presumably when we were still very much in the running for the PAC 12 title game earlier this season? Why not wait another year or two to see us through all of this uncertainty? There are always big time jobs opening up in college football.

    • MSU probably gave him a deadline. He’s clearly a hyper rational kind of guy and not sentimental, so I’m sure the “being a legend at your alma mater” stuff didn’t factor in at all.

      I’ve never gotten the impression he’s a “Beavs for life” kind of guy like many of our alumni. He always mentions UCLA in the same breath and doesn’t gush quite as much about it.

  113. Yve’s tweet an hour ago looks like the signal we’ve been looking for. I forgot that he and Bray overlapped for two years at OSU.

    Also, Bray’s Wikipedia page was updated 3 hours ago.

  114. 5
    11

    9/23 WSU loss
    9/27 Tucker fired at MSU
    10/7 Cal onside kick turned a near blowout into a dogfight
    Bye week
    10/28 UA fake fg and loss essentially ruins the
    chance to appear in the conference championship
    11/18 UW loss eliminated a championship opportunity
    11/24 Civil War pregame meeting assures a flat showing and forgettable game

    So here is speculative theory on what happened with those 2 specific calls. He needed another road loss to get bumped out of the championship game and gain a week on his departure to MSU. So the WSU game was the last actual game unaffected by the MSU situation and JS operated with it in mind from early October onward. It is touchy to make an assertion that he would lose games on purpose. But it looks to me like some of this season’s gambles were more in line with his possible timeline with MSU. It wouldn’t have been ideal for him to win and get to the conference championship if he planned on leaving
    Immediately before the transfer portal opened… which is why he is in Lansing today. If the Beavs win at UA, he would be on the hook to stay through the conference championship if the Beavs were to win against either the Huskies or the Ducks. I think he was aware of the real possible upset at Reser and needed to be out of the running before that. UA late night and a close game created the ideal spot to throw the season and give himself a window to get out of “Dodge” as quickly as possible once the Civil War was over. His calculation is that it would still be 8-4 season and OSU fans are always happy with 8-4 and wouldn’t blame him for a winning season, and the coast is clear to move on.
    All speculation of course, but how else can those 2 peculiar calls be explained? Unless it is sheer stupidity to do insane special teams calls multiple times
    I’m one season, and that is possible.

    • Cookus isn’t anything special as a ST coach (based off our production there in his time). He does seem to have the best in-state recruiting relationships. Reading between the lines, I think that’s the main reason JS had him on staff in the first place.

  115. is it true that since Smith has “announced” his departure that the portal is already open for OSU players, and if true is a good sign that we don’t have any announcements towards that end.

  116. Just saw the video of Smith arriving in Michigan. God it is so weird how the big coaching switches like this are handled. One day they’re a relatively long term coach, almost the next day they’re on a private jet decked out in the gear of another team and already putting in work for another program. There’s zero transition period. Like the last 6 years never happened. It was weird to see it with Lincoln Riley to USC and Brian Kelly to LSU, but it’s incredibly weird seeing it with Smith given it’s his Alma Mater he is leaving.

    Sorta seems like getting dumped by your girlfriend of many years and then seeing them holding hands with someone else in public the very next day.

    • 1
      2

      It’s Michigan.

      It doesn’t get better, unless you get on the streets of Detroit. I love Detroit and its people.

      They are the epitome of making it work.

  117. 12
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    Pretty cool to see some current players (Damien, Jaden Robinson, etc.) as well as some former Beavs showing their love to Beaver Nation on Twitter the last couple days.

    • Only explanation I can think of is that it’s better to let the coordinators focus on their current roles of generating an gameplan, and giving a position coach the additional responsibility of game management.

    • Makes perfect sense, you want him to focus on recruiting, getting a staff, and retaining talent. Let someone else take the HC reigns for 1 game. Being DC will take enough of his time.

    • What I heard elsewhere is that they chose an interim HC from the list of assistants that weren’t offered by Smith to go to MSU. Bray was offered by Smith (but as far as we know hasn’t accepted) and thus wasn’t an option for interim here. Makes sense, you can’t offer the interim gig to a guy who may head out with Smith.

    • If Bray is the HC to be, saddling him with bowl game coaching duties while he has to also fill out a coaching staff and worry about recruiting is just way to big of a lift.
      The bowl game is more of a distraction at this point.

      • 6
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        The players deserve the party and celebration of the bowl game.

        They played through a tough season, and they had to put up with some questionable directions.

        It doesn’t matter if they win or lose, which is what a bowl game should be.

  118. 7
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    The Beaver Moon still rose tonight, everything will be fine.

    The Ducks will crow (ha ha) about their B10 status from now until next realignment and be more insufferable, but it will all be all right…

    We’ve known for a decade or more this was coming.

    • 5
      4

      The Ducks are second class citizens to UCLA.

      Just keep repeating that.

      They are second class citizens, as they deserve to be, based on their actions.

      • Honestly, their academic rigor is third class, compared to UCLA and other unnamed universities within their own state.

        But it is what it is.

        • Me too. I didn’t understand why Chryst got fired by Wisconsin, he had a solid record there. Another example of a program with stupid expectations.

          • It was a weird situation.

            I think he was fired for refusing to give into the spread option bullshit that everyone now knows and can defend.

            I don’t see Fickell doing better.

            Run the dam ball.

    • Paul Chryst is the one who recommended Tibs as DC…

      He is worthy of a look. Would need to update his offensive scheme by hiring an up and coming OC and on defense, he better be hiring Jim Leonhard as his DC. Would be a fit for DJU and Martinez.

      I am not really for retreads and Chryst has not had to rebuild a program. Wisconsin always had resources. I’d rank him as a B level candidate. Nothing bad about him but upside seems limited.

    • Any way in hell we get Chryst AND keep Bray? Below is Chryst’s record as HC at Wisconsin. He was consistent. I also like that he won 6 out of 7 bowl games, although he did lose the Rose Bowl. 70% conference win percentage. I’m all in favor of a pro-style offense with some wrinkles thrown in week-to-week depending on the competition.

      Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Conference) (2015–2022)
      2015 Wisconsin 10–3 6–2 T–2nd (West) W Holiday 21 21
      2016 Wisconsin 11–3 7–2 1st (West) W Cotton† 9 9
      2017 Wisconsin 13–1 9–0 1st (West) W Orange† 6 7
      2018 Wisconsin 8–5 5–4 T–2nd (West) W Pinstripe
      2019 Wisconsin 10–4 7–2 T–1st (West) L Rose† 13 11
      2020 Wisconsin 4–3 3–3 3rd (West) W Duke’s Mayo
      2021 Wisconsin 9–4 6–3 T–2nd (West) W Las Vegas
      2022 Wisconsin 2–3[b] 0–2

  119. 14

    Rumors bouncing around that coach M may end up staying. Its hand to hand combat vs MSU/Smith for assistant coaches and we are winning some of the battles. It is VERY toxic and bridges are being burned as we speak.

  120. 11

    Omar’s mom tweeted that Omar transferred to LSU because Tibs informed Omar’s brother (Jeromy Reichner) that he would never play a snap again for OSU, nor be able to transfer, as a result of opting out of the COVID year, as a result of an asthma condition. She discussed the matter with directly Smith prior to a game, but nothing changed.

    That’s some dirtbag treatment if true.

    • So Omar played 2 more seasons here after that? Seems like the timing is a little off doesn’t it? Why would Omar stay an extra year after tibs was fired?

      • 1 more year. If I understand, she says Jeromy opted out of the 2020 covid season and then during the 2021 season he got strung along and got no PT from the coaching staff. Omar then played the 2022 season here before transferring.

      • Was Omar a graduate transfer? Would that explain it (not having to sit out a year)? Bidding his time to strike back? I always commented that it was an odd transfer, but the standard line was NIL money.

  121. 7
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    While i know play is more important than what the players wear, i think OSU should move away from nike at the earliest available opportunity. Addidas, Under Armour, someone else. New gear incorporating Benny…

    • 4
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      Not UA!

      I’m also not a fan of Adidas, but they are more ethically viable than Nike… which doesn;t seem that high a hurdle, at this point.

      I want Columbia to make our unis. I don’t care who their alma maters are. They make quality apparel I would buy without thinking about it.

    • I agree in theory, and a full rebrand back to Old Benny is a must, but for all we know Phil Knight/Nike might be helping with this. Wouldn’t be the first time.

      It is the perfect moment to make a uniform change though. I really like the idea of building off the look they wore in the 2010 Civil War, the game sucked but man I love those uniforms.

    • 2
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      I agree with this wholeheartedly! Fuck Nike. I imagine that one of the other suppliers might even pay a premium for a team located down the road from corporate HQ to wear their stuff instead of the swoooosh.

  122. 19

    Damn, keeping Coach M and Bray and adding someone smarter than Smith could turn out to be an improvement! Fuck the players would LOVE that.

    Beaver Moon! Shine your light on the Beavers!

    • Bray will be the new HC. Coach M and coach Woz are the coaches we are trying to pry back. Hearing coach M is 50/50 longer odds for coach Woz.

      • 2
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        Still comes down to keeping the players. And specifically Chiles. That’s why I feel they need someone with I’ve produced NFL QBs street cred on the staff. Riley would fit that, other guys out there that might have connections?

        One last thought on the staff, Pulling Jay Harbaugh in some capacity would be nice. Wonder if he’d be ready to be a DC? It would have to be a promotion. From what I gather he is a great recruiter and could maybe poach from B1G country occasionally?

        • The more I read up on Harbaugh (the Jay tyoe), the more I like.

          It makes sense, given where he went to school, versus the mediocre secondary schools his family ended up attending.

    • Hearing now that Christ interview will be for OC not HC. Makes more sense now (if he would want to be OC again?). This is probably tied in with the coach M news.

      • Chryst and M would be deadly.

        And they would be people who could just retire in place, while coaching.

        I would kill to be them, if this was the scenario.

  123. 7
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    Quote from Traitor Smith on an MSU interview…”I just needed 1 more night to sleep on it. In my mind I’ve known it for a long time”. Wow

  124. 1
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    beavers93 – It appears everything you are hearing is about any former player who has turned coach is an option or any coach who has been here before. Doesn’t sound like much substance, someone is just throwing names out there for clicks.

    • Coming from folks “in the know”. I guess we will find out soon enough if they really do have good info. I will say Angie has also said she is hearing a lot of the same things.

          • 1
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            How influential are they? They definitely seem like they are from the old guard with all the names mentioned being formerly connected to OSU. No outside the box names being mentioned.

            I’m a mid level donor with no input but I do know from donor events, it does not seem like there are a lot of high level influential donors.

          • Strategy is to keep Bray and other key pieces from current staff. Keep the culture and the players LOVE Bray. Making Bray HC should limit the exodus to the portal and keep recruiting class somewhat in tact. It’s moving forward vs starting over. Also hearing the schedule will be out by the end of the week. 5 P4 teams / 6 G5 teams / 1 FCS team. No scheduling alliance with Mt West. Mt West wants a guarantee we will merge after the 2 years of an alliance. We said no thanks. Trying to work out a deal with Hole to keep Civil War going.

          • I wonder if the play is to grab teams from various conferences to create a new PAC (whatever the number) after next season. Maybe Cal and Stanford realize their folly for starters.

          • I think (just my own theory). We are going to stall for 2 years and see if any P4 doors open. Once the lawsuit is settled hopefully things get clearer on our future. Nobody is going to extend a conference invite while you are suing your current conference. Also the expanded discovery phase of the lawsuit has just started and who knows what we will find. Maybe we find more leverage against other conferences/ TV networks and that helps us secure a P4 landing spot.

            In 2 years the Mt West TV deal is done and at that point we could pick up top tier Mt West teams if we had to rebuild. Maybe some PAC12 teams have buyers remorse and ask to come back and try to revive Apple deal. It’s obvious we don’t want to “merge” with Mt West so we are going to use the 2 year grace period and see what happens.

          • “Also hearing the schedule will be out by the end of the week. 5 P4 teams / 6 G5 teams / 1 FCS team. No scheduling alliance with Mt West. Mt West wants a guarantee we will merge after the 2 years of an alliance. We said no thanks. Trying to work out a deal with Hole to keep Civil War going.”

            This is the take that caught my eye – to delay into the NCAA 2 year grace period while you evaluate options/wait for MW TV deal to expire begs the question of who will be running the Pac2 conference? Can’t be GK, he’s gotta go. I like MW Gloria, but she can’t do it if we’re leaving her conference members twisting in the wind, so who runs the day-to-day ops of the league for ’24-’25 season? Please don’t say Luck – he’s useless.

            I like the thought of biding our time to see what the landscape looks like in a year, but there are a bunch of student athletes at OSU and WSU that want to compete in postseason tournaments and get Pac12 honors, etc. Plus, I assume we’ll be trying to get our athletes on TV for games somewhere, who’s negotiating those deals in ’23-’24?

          • The away games will be picked up by the network contracted with the home team so no issues there. I am hearing we will sell our homes games individually to highest bidder. I assume we will probably have almost if not all night games as those would be TV slots where potential inventory would be needed. Hopefully we can get all of our games on TV and not have any relegated to ESPN+.

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    Can I say without making anyone misty eyed ( sarcasm ), I love this site. Been coming here almost daily for years now because I can get laughs, fights, but most importantly good up to date information on my Beavs… often before hitting the headlines.
    Carry on Beavs, carry on!

  126. I’m easily confused, so please help. The word was that Chiles was practically going on the plane to Michigan with he who shall not be named. Now Chiles is not leaving, at least not to Michigan?

    • ?????

      Why would you expect him to make a rash decision in one day?

      If he wants to go somewhere, there are a multitude of schools who will gladly take him.

      He doesn’t have the base he’s already created with us, and he’s not guaranteed anything special, except getting beat up by B1G defenses.

      But a rational decision does not come within a couple days.

  127. There’s a commenter on Canzano’s most recent piece named Tanner, who seems to know a bit about current things with the players and staff at OSU(Makes me wonder if it’s Tanner Sanders possibly?)
    He’s mentioned there’s a players meeting scheduled for tomorrow, and we may already have our new coach announced as soon as tomorrow, being Bray. Says the rule where the school has to open the search for a period of time only applies if the hire comes from outside the school. Since Bray is already an employee, it would be a promotion. Similar to how oregon hired Mark Helfrich only 4 or 5 days after Chip Kelly left for the Eagles.
    Also says Bray will be able to keep a few coaches on staff and is working on building a coaching roster to fill in the gaps already.

    Anyway, again this isn’t concrete evidence of anything and just message board chatter, but it at least sounds conceivable.

    • Also, if this really is Tanner Sanders, I have noticed that that family appears to be very tight with Bray.
      I remember after the bowl game last year, Scott Samders and family were some of the first people allowed onto the field after the Beavs won, and they immediately went over to hang out with Trent on the field when he came down from the Coordinator booth.

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    The more I talk to people tonight, the more “It’s Bray” comments I keep receiving. None of it from the horse’ mouth of course, but it seems to be the prevailing thought right now.

    • That seems to be the prevailing thought floating out there. I’m not opposed, but I do hope Chryst gets a serious look at his interview today. Someone with his consistent track record shouldn’t be discounted. A 72% win percentage is impressive, and I would like to keep the pro style offense a part of our identity.

  129. 5
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    Hopefully someone in the AD office has a clue that they better have a coach in place when the portal opens. And the best thing to keeping the team together is a known and respected coach. From what I have seen the team respects Bray. I think bringing in someone new in this climate would lead to a mass exodus. Angry and others have been saying Smith is gone, and I wouldn’t believe it. But then again I have never hung out with Smith, so what do I Know. He should have left after the San Diego State game if he was thinking about new opportunities. He took the money and had a fiduciary obligation by receiving the money to do his best for the team now and into the future. I hope the MSU kicker is prepared to run the ball in from the 20 on 4th down.

    • “Hopefully someone in the AD office has a clue that they better have a coach in place when the portal opens.”

      Well the previous coach said fuck this due to impending uncertainty/circumstances.

        • Yes, but I’m saying in the end it might not matter.

          We may have a mass exodus for the same reason he said fuck this, I’m out.

          We have no conference, no schedule and no certain future.

          If I’m a player do I want to gamble half of my college eligibility on those circumstances?

          • The indication from smith before he left (canzanos piece with the awkward sarcastic statement) was he liked what he heard from Barnes as far as the future was concerned. That could have been BS because his character is questionable now. Let’s face it he left for the money and nothing else. He’s going to get double the pay if not more at MSU.

  130. I’m conflicted on Chryst. He knows what it takes to run a program, but also started sputtering once NIL and the portal changed the game. His record at Pitt is unconvincing and part of me thinks he benefited from Alvarez at Wisconsin the same way GA did. I do like the idea of continuing to play a pro-style offense with a power running game and his network of coaches is definitely wider than Bray’s. It’s also a plus that he has experience cleaning up messes left behind by other former Beaver coaches! Not sure I could get used to seeing his dumbfounded stare from the sidelines: https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.-wY_XIEd3Z36Sc3k-O1vOwAAAA?rs=1&pid=ImgDetMain . You watch a game that he’s coaching and it’s just that look the whole game.

    If Bray really is the guy, it’s essential that he have some more experienced, well-networked guys on staff that he’s willing to listen to. More and more HC is an executive position and just as much about being a good organizer and manager as being a knowledgeable football guy.

    Another name I haven’t seen yet: if the “get Jim M back” thing doesn’t have legs, let’s go get TJ Woods to fill the same role. Our OL’s under GA were always good and he has a good track record from everywhere he’s been. He’s at Georgia Southern as OL coach and run game coordinator right now, so OSU would be a clear step up.

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    Does the quote by Smith lend anyone to consider he was borderline throwing but certainly sabotaging the Cal game or the UA game with those trick plays?
    I’m nearly convinced he wanted out as soon as possible and one sure way to shorten the season was to miss the conference championship game, and he may have sabotaged the Civil War by his announcement pregame too.

    • 5
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      It seemed to me like just more retarded gambling, except that civil war announcement. That was pure sabotage on his part, who in there right mind would do that? He obviously didn’t give a shit at that point and told everyone to be a dick.

  132. If Bray isn’t selected to be the next HC, he will be on the next plane to Landsfield.

    JS is holding the DC position open for Bray.

    Bray knew about Smith’s move for awhile.

  133. 6
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    Problem with Chryst is if you give him the keys to the car he will want to bring in his own guys and good chance we lose the rest of the staff. At that point a ton of guys jump in the portal and we are starting over. Being the PAC2 for 2 years we have to stay relevant/competitive. If we hire Bray and keep some assistants we stop the bleeding and can move forward. Not saying Chryst would be a bad hire at all I think this more has to do with the circumstances we are in with us not having a conference and not waiting to try to do a full rebuild at the same time.

    • It feels like there needs to be an overarching plan (long term) which will be based on how legalities pan out etc, but with aspects that manage the immediate concerns — what actions are done to bring more immediate relief, need to segue way from one into the other.

      Having that plan(s) communicated in as clear fashion as possible, will mitigate how many student athletes leave.

      Some will go, a lot even; that’s to be expected because of the suddenness on this side of things.

  134. 5
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    Nothing is set in stone but Beavs are poised to hit a grand slam by retaining Bray as HC plus majority of current staff. If and when that is finalized, they will announce Bray as head coach along with a great schedule (slight possibility of playing Ducks at Reser). In addition, there’s a chance P2 appeal is decided in favor of P2 this week and $1M NIL match is achieved. If all of the above happens this week before transfer portal opens, I expect the majority of players to stay. That said, there’s still a lot of uncertainty so we’ll see… but there is hope.

  135. Regarding Paul Chryst….
    I would be very happy to see him hired as Trent Bray’s offensive coordinator. He is the classic technical guy and would be a good as a staff mentor for Bray as he has been a successful head coach. That being said, hiring him as the head coach in today’s environment would be an absolute disaster. I know people are wondering how could Wisconsin fire him? Basically, Chris is the great programmer who gets chosen as the head of the Tech company. Everything was in place for him to be successful, and he didn’t screw things up with Wisconsin. That being said, some of the recruiting had started to tail off, and God forbid he actually lost to Minnesota. He is totally old-school and was reacting against all the NL stuff and supposedly blowing off opportunities to get money flowing into the system. The crazy thing about Wisconsin is they had Jim Lenaord as his defensive coordinator who everyone assumed would be the next head coach at some point. He got the gig as the interim coach, and then, in a shocking move the new AD did not hire him.
    Chryst also has the personality of a Chia pet… An absolutely boring Chia pet.

  136. Given the status of the program – Bray seems like the safest hire, for the players at least. He’s up to speed on “the situation,” and while there will undoubtedly be upheaval, it won’t be a tear-down situaion that a new coach would do. This is a top 25 program and is likely to have at least a winning record next year regardless who they schedule.

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    I don’t think Smith “owed” Oregon State anything – but I am curious if his relationships within the university were a problem. I can understand being pretty chapped about the implosion of the conference, kind of like being hired for one thing and then the job changes. If he stayed, ab won a bunch of games over the next couple of years in the Pac-2, would he be able to do better than Michigan State? I don’t think so.

  138. 8
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    The stuff with Bray and Coach M rumors that worries me is it could all be a bunch of fanbase circle jerking started because Angie put that stuff out in a Spaces last night on twitter. Some Beaver fan had her on as a guest, and she dropped “intel”.
    Guess what, fans, Angie also was saying Smith was staying at OSU.

    There’s the very real possibility that Bray and Coach M are just using OSU for negotiating leverage.
    Why take MSU first offer when you can show you can get paid more to stay at OSU? MSU certainly doesn’t want to lose out on a staff member because of a bidding war they lost to a future MW school.
    Anyway, cautiously optimistic here, but I just don’t have a solid feeling about all this talk. Hopefully we find out more today after this supposed players meeting and everything that falls out from it.

    • I was just thinking the same thing about Chryst. Indiana isn’t a great job, but there’s a lot more certainty there than here and the buyout money will be amazing.

    • As a former subscriber of blitz, I’m taking the talk of Coach M potentially staying with a huge grain of salt. Angie is notorious for dangling carrots out there to drum up interest and clicks, and often they don’t have legs. Big reason why I canceled my subscription. Bray as the next HC seems logical, but I’m skeptical about this Coach M report since she’s the only one that seems to be peddling it.

    • Same, seems like rumors are being generated out of thin air to give fans a glimmer of hope or some kind of win out of this. Or the “insiders” are just telling people what they want to hear and not what’s realistic.

      Eggers reporting is far more trustworthy. So the only facts I see right now are Bray and Chryst are talking/interviewing for the job.

      Last time around, the players wanted Cory Hall to stick. But what the players want right after being jilted is not always the best decision.

    • Agreed. Could be a total leverage move. It could also be a legitimate “wait and see” on who the HC is. Maybe they actually love Corvallis and aren’t necessarily desperate to leave to East Lansing.

      Coach M and Bray will have other opportunities, they can afford to be patient to a point.

    • Good counsel here…

      But I’m curious. Would Bray and M be negotiating for leverage directly? Wouldn’t Smith be doing that on their behalf? I don’t suspect that MSU negotiates with each coach directly, but rather with Smith for rates for the staff he proposed to bring with him? I suppose Smith/Bray/M could all be working together in a coordinated effort…that would be disappointing but consistent with the “college-football-is-a-business” reality.

      I think keeping Bray and M, and adding an up-and-coming OC, could be addition by subtraction (lose the dumb gambler Smith).

      Bray is aggressive (love the CB blitzes and the defensive game plan and play calling v. USC last year for example), but not stupidly so. His aggressiveness probably appeals to players.

      Chryst as an OC is interesting, but if he has zero personality and doesn’t like the NIL game, can he recruit good QBs?

      I still say go after the OC from UNLV, or at least interview him and have him in a competitive candidate pool.

      Bray leading the Beavers into the Holiday Bowl(?) would be worth watching. He could get the 9th win, likely a top 20 finish, and end the season on a good note.

      • Reports are MSU will get a much larger assistant salary pool then mel tucker who already had one of the highest in the country. I don’t see how we can compete if that’s the case, unless Bray is given the HC job.

    • Seattle Times on Smith’s departure, and potential candidates. The list is more thoughtful and interesting than what were seeing in Oregon media.

      “In our view, Oregon State should consider the following (listed alphabetically):

      Oregon State defensive coordinator Trent Bray: One of two candidates on OSU’s current staff, along with offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren. Bray’s advantage lies in the bloodlines: He played for Oregon State under former coach Mike Riley. Also, the Beavers’ recent uptick in success coincides with Bray’s elevation to the role of permanent defensive playcaller after the 2021 season. To the extent that OSU must avoid risk with this critical hire, Bray is the safest play available.

      San Jose State coach Brent Brennan: Brennan took over a low-resource program that fell into the Group of Five gutter and steadily rebuilt the Spartans: They are bowl-eligible for the third time in the past four years. Brennan is a tireless recruiter and engaging personality who also knows Oregon State well. He spent six seasons on staff, coaching wide receivers under Mike Riley (and Gary Andersen) before taking the SJSU job in late 2016. Is Oregon State a better job than San Jose State given the uncertainty? Yes. But Brennan is a Bay Area native whose parents attended SJSU. So it would not be an easy decision.

      LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock: Few coordinators have been more successful this season than Denbrock, who oversees the nation’s top offense (46.8 points per game) and has developed quarterback Jayden Daniels into a Heisman Trophy front-runner. Denbrock knows the Pacific Northwest — he spent four years coaching UW’s offensive line in the mid-2000s — and has worked for two elite coaches over the past decade: Brian Kelly (Notre Dame and LSU) and Luke Fickell (Cincinnati).

      Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb: Hiring UW’s offensive coordinator worked for the Beavers in 2017, so why not consider another raid on Montlake? It would be a harder sell with Grubb than it was with Smith, of course. But clearly, the Huskies’ playcaller knows offense, has worked for a first-rate head coach and carries a strong enough reputation to attract players in the transfer portal. Might Grubb be hesitant, given OSU’s situation? For sure.

      Ex-Boise State coach Bryan Harsin: If you lost track of Harsin’s career following his string of Mountain West titles with the Broncos, know that he lasted a grand total of 1.5 seasons at Auburn — a poor fit in every regard. Harsin wants to get back on the sideline, with an eye on the West Coast. (We believe he’s pursuing the San Diego State vacancy at full speed.) Like Smith, he knows the Pacific Northwest, is a former quarterback and worked for Chris Petersen.

      Oregon State offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren: If the Beavers promote from within, Lindgren stands alongside Bray as the only options. He has a stellar reputation as a playcaller and obviously understands what works for OSU’s recruiting pool. Plus, promoting Lindgren might give the Beavers a better chance to retain one of their quarterbacks, D.J. Uiagalelei or Aidan Chiles, plus tailback Damien Martinez and stellar offensive line coach Jim Michalczik.

      UNLV coach Barry Odom: Many fans might have missed the remarkable turnaround in Sin City, where Odom has transformed the Rebels in a single, spectacular season. Hired just 50 weeks ago, Odom took over a program that hadn’t posted a winning season in 10 years and is currently atop the Mountain West with a 9-2 record. Odom has Power Five experience, as well, having coached Missouri for four seasons in the late 2010s. As with SJSU’s Brennan, we offer the same opinion: Despite the lingering uncertainty, Oregon State is a better job than UNLV.”

      I’m interested in UNLV’s OC, but hadn’t considered the HC. Anyone familiar with him.

      https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-football/osu-loses-jonathan-smith-could-uws-ryan-grubb-be-a-candidate-to-lead-beavers/

      • We can steer clear of people like Grubb and Denbrock.

        We don’t need to pay them for what Penix and Daniels have done. These guys were known quantities before they were gifted to these coordinators in a winning environment.

        • Daniels was always a huge disappointment at ASU. Looked disinterested and never lived up to his potential. LSU’s staff absolutely gets credit for helping him fulfill his potential.

          • No doubt, but he was always known to be very talented.

            And let’s not pretend their HCs are D-minded coaches, and these OCs are standalone at their jobs.

            I would much rather look at someone like Brennan Carroll.

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    Barnes needs to have a press conference or at least issue a statement on our path forward or some type of plan going forward. He needs to reasure our players, recruits, fans and boosters to minimize damage.

  140. If there is ‘full schedule’ let’s see it, like today. This sounds like total BS. I’m sure that many of you in business have had the promise of some service or product that is better than what is currently available shoved at you – the promises just keep coming, and coming, etc. until you finally realize that nothing better is going to show up – you were just told that to string you along. I get that sense here. If there is a ‘schedule’ in place, why the secrecy?

  141. 1
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    Coach M being announced at MSU really makes Bray less appealing to me as a HC. I think he’s a tremendous DC, but this decision is too important to make it emotional (e.g. fanbase and players want him). Keeping the staff together is a lot less important when the key pieces are gone.

    Maybe he ends up being the best candidate, but spend the extra couple of days to kick the tires on other candidates. Chryst is a winner, in my book. Some of you mention he’s a boring personality – Smith wasn’t exactly a “rah rah” leader either. Chryst can hire coordinators and position coaches to fill that “passion” void.

    The ideal (but unlikely) scenario would be Chryst as HC and Bray as DC and “Head coach in waiting”. Give Bray $1M/year as a coordinator and Associate Head Coach. Chryst is only 58 years old, but maybe he’s ready to retire in 4-5 years.

  142. I’d rather have bronco than chryst. Don’t know interest level of bronco. Again bronco was interested last go around until beavs went with cheaper option of smith.

    • 13
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      Neither Mendenhall nor Chryst are exciting to me. Can’t imagine the 18-20 year old players/recruits will get excited about old retreads, no matter how much prior experience they have at OSU. To maintain even a semblance of THIS team, you gotta go with Bray – someone who is already a part of this team’s culture, and who is a high-energy guy that can convince the kids that he cares for them and their future. To pick anyone else (even Brennan) amounts to starting completely over and most likely results in massive turnover via the transfer portal.

      • 10
        1

        Bray seems like the best guy in a transition period, and this is no ordinary transition period. I’d think a 4 year contract would give him and players the sense of stability they need, provide adequate time to evaluate him without over committing, and allow for an extension and fair compensation if he performs well. If the Beavers end up in a major conference in the next round of realignment, Bray could be replaced if necessary.

  143. While I think Chryst would be a good solution at OC if Bray were selected as the HC, part of me wants to have a more evolved offense than the traditional pro-style. I think that niche worked for us while at a P5 level and in a conf that didn’t have a lot of schools that fit the mold, I don’t think that’s as good of a selling point bring a G5 school. Think we need to evolve the offense a bit, get something that is a little more exciting/easier for xfer and juco guys to adopt. Also have to consider what will put butts in the seats. Obviously winning is the ultimate cure but I doubt people are gonna get super excited about 17-21 pts a game and facing G5 opponents all season. Consider men’s basketball. It sucks watching a losing product year in and year out but then add to the mix that we score 50pts a game and it’s boring as shit.

    • I disagree, somewhat. A traditional pro-style offense is an equalizer because it utilizes personnel (FBs and TEs) that make it more of a difficult matchup for defenses. Linemen and linebackers can be converted, if needed. A successful pro style offense can be obtained with good blocking and a good strength/conditioning program. The downside is if we get behind in games.

      The spread offenses require speed. A defense can blow up the middle of that OL and it’ll be alright, but if a team cannot outrun a defense, there’s virtually no hope. That might bode well for us if we were playing solely a G5 schedule but if we’re playing Texas Tech, Ole Miss, etc. they will shut it down. Bolden and Gould were the fastest guys on the team and they had trouble outrunning Oregon’s safeties.

      • Yeah, I get there are pro/cons to it all. Not an easy choice to abandon and adopt something different. I just don’t know how attractive being a G5 team with an offensive scheme that isn’t “fun” will be. Have to consider caliber of recruits and what might be easier to learn and attract. I also think if Chiles does stick around that we could use him more dynamically than pure drop back with the occasional run. Being relegated, media income reduced…I just feel we’ll need something different than what we could sell at the higher level.

        • Fair point.

          Everyone digs the long ball. I thought the offense was set up such that the occasional shot play would work, but the fade was called way too many times under Lindgren.

  144. @Angry, lately when I try to post comments from my phone it says a VPN or Proxy is detected. But I’m on the same wifi network as my desktop computer and I have issues posting from there. Any ideas?

    • Are you using the new iCloud ‘Private Relay’ feature on your iPhone? I got the same error when I had that on.

      You can check in your settings app, tap your name/iCloud box in the top, then iCloud, then Private Relay and uncheck (there is an option to disable it for 24 hours, instead of turning it all the way off.)

  145. Canzano has some Q&A with Barnes up now, but he’ll play the full interview later on the radio show.

    Most of it was just about the timing of JS leaving and asking Barnes when he found out (ongoing discussions for week, but the decision to leave came Saturday morning)
    One thing he mentioned about the schedule, is we’ll have 6 G5 games, 5 P5 schools and 1 FCS.
    I think somebody on this site basically posted the same information yesterday, so kudos to whoever tracked that down.
    That doesn’t sound like a MWC only scheduling alliance at least. But also makes me wonder who the 3 P5 schools are besides WSU/Purdue (assuming he’s calling WSU P5 here)
    Said a couple of those game contracts aren’t finalized yet, so he can’t announce them quite yet, but should be able to soon.

      • Kinda fun to poke around on that site. Of note, it looks like these schools have open slots (some folks have already mentioned some of these):

        San Diego State
        Utah State
        New Mexico State
        Washington State (duh)
        Notre Dame
        Cal
        Utah
        Florida Atlantic
        Rice

        Not exactly murderer’s row there, but whatever.

        • It would be better that playing basically all MWC teams.
          Utah, Cal and WSU make sense. If the Oregon game gets scheduled that’s 4 home games vs P4 teams plus they already have Purdue and Idaho State scheduled for a OOC home games. Thats a good home slate. If the ND game is a possibility, then you have to take that one. Doesn’t matter if it’s on the road.

    • I would guess Cal and Utah for two of them since they have openings. And of course the early-season civil war has been rumored. I know Notre Dame has that opening but I read they may be adding a game vs army at yankee stadium.

    • Hope he got one of those Notre Dame open weeks they had. Like I said before- go big and see where you land.
      I like Bray to stay and I think it was Jack who mentioned the OC from UNLV as a possible coach on Bray’s staff. Brennan Marion is his name and he was on the staff at Texas so he has good recruiting ties to that area and it is an offense both Martinez and Chiles could thrive in. A guy to look at. He is young, successful, and by all accounts well thought of.

  146. I hadn’t heard about the Notre Dame possibility till today. Hope that can somehow happen, that would be a big game for a program that needs financial wins. And Notre Dame isn’t considered a body bag game any more. They’re prone to dropping 1 or 2 games they’re favored in.

  147. I guess when some of the shit hit the fan with Beaver fans and Jalen Moore yesterday, it had something to do with another erroneous report that Angie made where she told her lodge members that Moore and Doctor were also leaving for Mich State.
    So several fans must have said unkind things towards Moore which in turn got him more riled up about the people dissing Smith.
    And then Angie said “my bad” and pulled the report down.

    Can somebody put together a scorecard of the hits and misses from her reporting throughout this fiasco?

    • I could see Doctor hanging around. His wife is from the area. Of course I think they also realize that a move is inevitable at some point with his chosen career.

    • Hahaha…yeah that about sums it up. Myself and some others I saw replied to her erroneous tweet with things along the line of ‘you don’t have to be in such a rush to be first ‘ and she blocked myself and apparently several others. So soft. Like they weren’t even mean just slow down everyone’s already on edge.

      Sad day, she’ll just have to read my far harsher comments here instead.

  148. One other thing Barnes mentioned. He has about 6 potential candidates and today is a big interview day. Said he will have a coach announced prior to the portal opening, but it sure didn’t sound like a “today” announcement is coming.
    Could still surprise us, but I don’t know how you announce today without giving those other candidates a chance to all interview.

      • Is it even fair to look at MSU stats for this year, after Tucker was canned?

        That’s like wanting to judge our team based on the CW, when we know there were other things going on.

        • He didn’t start until after Tucker was gone. He still had most of a season and a full coaching staff. To be dead last in the Big Ten is still rough. That said, MSU’s QB depth was pretty weak. Maybe he just got thrown into the deep end too soon.

          Either way, JS and BL must have burned a bridge if he announced his intention to transfer that fast after two guys that recruited him hard from one of his “finalist schools” come to town.

  149. MSU just finished an $80 million renovation of their football complex too. Our favorite walk-on flying around on $20 million private jets and moving into a brand new office and a locker room with climate controlled massage chairs for every player. Low ego, high output.

  150. 2
    1

    I went to one of the ND boards and found this item relative to the 2024 schedule: “The Irish are yet to announce an opponent [for November 2nd] to replace the Hurricanes . . . and with it being in early November, chances are relatively small that they will be able to find a big name.” That would seem to have OSU (or maybe WSU) written all over it.

    An MSU board has identified the most desired “gets” from the OSU roster: Chiles, Velling, and Mascarenas-Arnold.

  151. By the way, given what we now know about the timeline of SMith’s intentions, doesn’t his cultivation of Chiles all season long now make better sense? Saving him for his next job by playing him enough to show his promise, but by doing so cultivating the kid’s loyalty in anticipation of the big move.

  152. 1
    1

    I’m going to guess the hold up with the schedule is to get games moved around to fit the Beavs in. Lots of dominoes need to fall in the right order. They need to be scheduling James Madison and Liberty next year too.

    Then figure out how to be eligible for the playoffs next year as an essentially an independent with no auto bid.

  153. I know we’ve already piled on Smith alot over the past 48 hours, but the quotes just keep coming.
    This one from when he was asked about how hard it was to leave OSU behind.

    “I wasn’t going to just abandon the place. I wanted to be going to a place.”

    https://twitter.com/CamDerbyTV/status/1729247360172355685

    I really don’t know what to make of this, other than he’s just so extremely awkward and doesn’t even know what to say unless it’s already been scripted, similar to his game planning.
    The one thing I thought he could be somehow hinting at is maybe he didn’t want to abandon OSU and wanted to make sure they had a backup plan (Bray) available once he leaves. Like maybe he was about to say something to that effect but knew he couldn’t so he just threw a bunch of extra words out there to fill up space?
    I don’t know, doesn’t make any sense on it’s own

    • I dunno, seemed to pretty clear cut to me: he wasn’t going to bail on OSU because of the uncertainty. He wanted to have another option he felt good about before he jumped ship. That’s in line with the “glow about the new place” line of messaging.

      He’s never been a particularly eloquent or emotive guy. More of a cold-blooded, cutthroat competitor type.

    • I saw that quote goo, it doesn’t even make any sense. As I pay closer attention, he’s more socially awkward than I thought. I’m sure the spotlight is freaking him out a little, he’s got to be an introvert.

  154. guy that messages with me from time to time who is fairly connected is telling me Bray is going to be HC and Martinez/DJ are planning to return, but Chiles is gone.

        • I’m always pretty skeptical of people claiming to be insiders. If a person doesn’t work for the university, they are hearing it second or third hand in a game of telephone.

      • 5
        1

        Barnes: hello, Nick Saban would you be interested in join beaver Nation and become out next head coach? You get all the gas station burritos you can eat.
        NS: uh, no. And how the fuck did you get this number?
        Barnes: BAM INTERVIEWED.

        Like that.

    • Interesting. I heard Chiles wants to stay but only under right circumstances. Lot depends on coaching staff, schedule, and how many players return… definitely not “gone” or made any decisions. In fact, I heard Chiles and most players want to return… looking for a reason to stay vs a reason to leave. Just what I’ve heard through my son who’s close with a couple players on the team. By no means do I really have any concrete information and who knows what actually happens.

      I’d also say while Martinez has indicated he’s returning, I believe it’s in his best interest to leave based on what our OL will look like next year. In fact, I’d say there’s a better chance DJU and Martinez don’t return and Chiles does vs the inverse of that.

  155. 3
    2

    With both Houser and Leavitt entering the portal within 24 hours of JS arrival, hard to believe Chiles won’t be in East Lansing for spring practice.

    • 11
      1

      Interesting quote from Sam Leavitt

      “I’m a home town kid and [Jonathan Smith] didn’t offer me,” Leavitt told Spartans Illustrated. “There are some hard feelings there.”

      Leavitt did meet with Coach Smith today and brought up what happened in the past.

      “I felt slighted by that,” said Leavitt. “Why would they like me now when they didn’t like me before?”

      When asked if there was any chance that he might return to Michigan State, he replied, “Yeah, I’m kinda just done.”

  156. 9
    1

    Daschel has info that MSU contacted JS agent around 5 weeks ago.
    Puts it at UA week or the bye week. And JS refused an extension 2-3 weeks ago. He has been mentally gone for over a month…

  157. 8
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    I think it would be pretty cool if no players on the team follow Smith to East Lansing. Send him that message.

    Even if Oregon State isn’t the choice for some of them, there are other options than following a traitor.

  158. Beav in OH had made it sound like Chiles was not happy with Smith based on a social media post by Chiles. What did Chiles say?

    • I think it’s fair to say no one other than the players know what they are feeling. And knowing 18-22 year olds, they are bound to change their mind instantly at times.

    • Chiles could be a superstar if he stays. A different path but he could still be in the spotlight with a great chance to make the 12 team playoffs given the difference of schedule from a true PAC12 schedule.

      I hope someone is pointing this out for the guys left behind and on the fence about transferring.
      I’m not sure how any of them could want to follow JS at this point, or how the entire team isn’t turned off and feeling betrayed by the exit of multiple coaches overnight….

      • I think it depends on the coordinator they hire. If Bray is named HC, will be very interesting to see who his OC will be. If he run a similar offense or open it up more.

    • It’s on Twitter. He posted a picture of himself in a his OSU jersey with a song playing with lyrics to the effect of: you did it the wrong way, you weren’t who you said you were, I’m gone.”

      His dad also replied to someone somewhere saying “don’t read into this too much.”

      He repeatedly said his relationship with JS and BL was what made OSU stand out. I fully expect him to transfer, but he can make good NIL money somewhere AND still sit and learn another year. Doesn’t seem like MSU would be a good fit, but who knows?

  159. 4
    1

    I think the biggest factor is what coach we land. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of players stay because of the team we built and the relationships. Again, this all depends on who we land. The players we’ve recruited are high character folks and I’d be surprised if the best left for MSU for no reason. I think some of the unproven players may go. It’s on our hiring process to get someone in tow right away. I think was banking on the short notice to get some players to follow him, however that could backfire depending on how fast OSU reacts. I would love to see Smith lose on this latest gamble.

      • It’s a step up in money and prestige. I can see the appeal. Sounds like there are a lot of bridges being burned between the ones who left and the ones who stayed.

  160. It sounds like we all just need to take the time to learn more about MSU and its community and then we’d ALL be moving there in a few months.

  161. so may other teams have players hitting the portal today, but haven’t seen any from OSU. guess they’re waiting to see on the new coach decision first?

  162. 2
    1

    Having grown up in the Midwest, these coaches and players ready to jump at a chance to move from PMW to Michigan are insanely ignorant.
    So much of the Midwest is dramatically different in culture, climate, terrain, economics and just simply farmland culture of ruined cities overrun with crime.

    Im used by JS making a statement about fit etc and none of the coaches consider any of these things beyond a career arc and cash.
    Enjoy -20 wins chill and 100% humidity where the summer highs are 93* but you are melting from the heat/sweating yourself to death, bone chilling cold and no sun for the entire winter. Flat farmland is tough to come to grips with if you are used to seeing mountains in the distance.
    Im not hating on where I grew up, but h it holds no sway on me and I don’t miss those things and I expect they will be a shock to the system of a PNW/California guy who knows nothing about where he has landed and pretends that it is his dream destination.

    Fall colors are nice and spring showers are fun, summer thunderstorms are unforgettable but in all, it is nothing like PNW besides lots of farm houses just like the Willamette Valley.

  163. 10
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    Bray will bring some youth and energy. I’m getting used to the idea.
    Not Chryst. We don’t need a fat, old, boring, white man from the mid-west. I have experience as a fat, old, boring, white man so I know this.

  164. 7
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    On top of keeping Bray, the next best way to keep the team together would be schedule MSU in the next 2 years. Pretty sure the players would put a circle around that game.

  165. 5
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    Bray deserves the shot and has been shown how to win with our program. I imagine, he would understand the river boat gambling cost us games. Dude has over achieved every step of the way. You’d be stupid not to take a chance.

    The only reason I say no, is an established successful coach has interest or if there are these “outstanding” rumors where he is not who want leading our program.

    It was telling that he wasn’t the interim head coach.

  166. 4
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    I saw Michalzcik wife today…I asked how she was doing, heard they were moving, she seemed stressed, says says part of the job, people keep being mean like it’s their fault, and that people don’t understand ‘if he didn’t take the job he would be unemployed.’

    Does that make sense ? Isn’t his contract guaranteed? He’s one of the best line coaches in the country why wouldn’t an incoming coach want to keep him on board? Just seemed silly.

  167. 3
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    Only chance: hire Chad Johnson as our new head coach if he is interested. It will create a Colorado-like affect and some major conference will want us. It can’t be another bland hire, or we are done, and it’s FCS time. I don’t blame Smith for leaving. Too much uncertainty. If we hire Johnson, or someone similar, we have a shot. If it’s Bray or someone else, Riley again, we are done and time to think about FCS where we could win championships. Our AD is delusional and thinks we are set up for the playoff next year. No. No chance

    • How does an independent team even with a weak schedule not make a 12 team playoff if undefeated? Hell even 11-1.
      You’re in the mix.

    • 4
      4

      Can’t get it through to their brain.

      They are like frogs in a frying pan. They don’t even feel the heat till it’s too late.

      Tried to tell ‘em that JS wasn’t dedicated to OS but they can’t see their ass from a hole in the ground.

      Smith played OS just like mediocre Mike did.

      Frogs in a frying pan, the lot of em.

      Love the Beavs, but damn Oregonians are dense.

    • 3
      1

      ???

      I would say this is way too stupid for a Duck troll, but the interwebs have expanded to include many losers, other than Ducks, into the world of, “What the fuck did you just say?”

  168. Do we have reliable intel on who has interviewed thus far other than Chryst or Bray?

    How much is Sugiyama being paid? I’m fine if it’s Bray, but the consultant better round up some good candidates for Barnes to at least talk to.

    • I haven’t seen any other names verified.
      I did see UNLV’s OC is a top candidate for the UTEP HC job, so he does appear to be getting considered for HC jobs already and you’d think if he’s feeling out that job, he’d also throw his hat in the ring for the OSU opening.

  169. I would be upset if Bray became HC and Chryst came in as OC, although the latter doesn’t seem likely.
    Consider this. OSU did not turn the corner until Bray was made DC. Almost overnight our defense became not only good but one of the best in the conference. Also, how many of you were worried about what Bray called for each play compared to what was called for each play on offense. Offense was often predictable and left you scratching your head. Now I know Lindgren is the OC but I would say Smith had a lot of say in what calls went out on the offensive side more than in the defensive side. It was Smith that said he choose the fake field goal. Did Smith once have to apologize for one of his gambles on defense?
    So I submit that the best coach over the last couple years has been Bray who to me has shown more qualities in an HC then Smith.

  170. 12

    The Belligerent Beavs guys are tweeting that they’ve confirmed Bray is the next head coach. I talk with them from time to time and I know they’re close with several of the players, so pretty trustworthy sources

  171. 2
    2

    If we retain Bray as HC then we need a proven OC. Happy to have Bray be a HC running the defense but we need an effective offense.

    If we can continue to recruit decently then sticking with pro style is fine but I almost feel like we have to go for an air raid or triple option if not. Something to become known for that will get lower level guys excited to be featured and scoring a decent amount.

    I’m confident in Bray but I have zero confidence in our administration whatsoever at this time.

    I think at this point we know Smith’s rhetoric was an absolute crock of shit and he was lying through his teeth. I don’t think he would sabotage the games to prevent a CCG spot because who cares he could just leave anyway.

    The thing that pisses me off the most is that he knew for a while he was already out the door. That’s not fair to the players, the fans, or the university as a whole. That prick should have just left whenever the frozen tundra came calling because that would have given us more time to prepare for transitioning Bray and keeping guys from entering the portal.

    If we can stay afloat with lawsuit money we may yet be able to make a run and join the Big 12. If not I’m on the doom and gloom side of things where we get worse and worse from lack of funding.

  172. You know the reported comments from the players about Bray, speak volumes about the man. One of the most important things that has to be done to stop the bleeding is retain most of the current roster. The second is to try and keep current commitments. I’m sure Bray and remaining coaches are burning up the phone lines.
    I’m good Bray becoming HC as he has done a great job as DC, having one of top defenses in the conference. Anyone know what Brays’ salary currently is? I know Smith made close $5MM. I think it would be huge if we could maybe triple or quadruple his salary to say, $3MM, freeing up more money to attract and pay top notch coordinators and position coaches who also can recruit. Maybe when the Pac 12 lawsuit is settled it will provide us with a windfall of cash to bump up Brays’ salary and others if needed.

  173. So the defense seems like it will seem mostly intact. Interesting that no offensive players other than SM have chimed in. Several D players (including top recruits like MMD and Howard) have publicly supported Bray.

    • Defense will see a lot of changes. No KO, no Cooper, Golden, Hodgins, McCartan, Hart, Stover, Robinson. I’m sure there’s more I’m forgetting

      • 1
        1

        Lolohea, and Easton are the two huge players we have to keep. And build around them.

        McCoy, noble Thomas, Skyler Thomas (healthy next year) piper-Jordan and akili Arnold is a lethal secondary, Ivy Keep all them.

        Chisom inside with Easton upgrade.

        Dline- don’t forget we added schuster before the season(couldn’t play due to transfer rules),

        I think defense might be upgraded next year dramatically.

        • 1
          1

          Offense if you keep at least 1 of dj and Chiles than Martinez, velling, Gould and bolden. We will be insane next season.

          Interior oline is solid, get a transfer tackle and offense should be improved as well.

          All in all- barring huge transfers, the team should be in really good shape next season. 2 holes to replace it seems are offensive tackle- and add a body or 2 at dline

  174. If OSU’s supposedly releasing a game schedule soon, does anyone know if Wazzu is doing the same? Would seem like they’d want to coordinate a bit on schedule releases since I assume they’re both going through the same process of trying to find games – especially if we’re not doing the mystical Mountain West “scheduling alliance”…

  175. 1
    1

    Let’s go! Cut the Beaver Bray loose!
    Man, wouldn’t it be something it we went from the pit of hell last Saturday to the beacon of hope by this Saturday.
    I haven’t been super happy with Lindgren over the past couple years but I now wonder if he wasn’t as much of the problem as Smith. I would not be surprised if the gambler was controlling his reigns in some of these games where we hated Lindgren.
    I’d be ok with Lindgren for a while to see if under Bray things improve.
    Did Lindgren go with Smith? I lost track of who jumped ship with the captain of the ship.

  176. Happy for Bray. His first test will be to find a damn good OC and play caller. Chiles signed with OSU because of the offense. I’m not saying you cater to his desires, but you need an OV with a vision who can sell an identity he wants for the team.

    I also hope Bray signs a DC to at least call plays (with his oversight). Too many head coaches try pulling double duty and it stretches them too thin.

  177. 1
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    Probably not going to be a popular opinion…..

    The more I think about it? The less I am on board with Bray becoming the head coach.

    Experience matters. He’s only been a DC for what? 2 years?

    What the players want is irrelevant. How has elevating a coordinator worked out for other programs?

    Mississippi St off the top of my head.

    Maybe it’ll be easier in the MWC.

    • 17

      As someone mentioned earlier, the Yucks elevating Chip Kelly after Belotti left seemed to work out okay…

      Experience with THIS roster is what matters for THIS hire. This situation is so unlike the “typical” coaching search that it’s not even funny. The mission for Barnes is to stop the bleeding before it really starts (i.e. the portal opening next week) so we can have some semblance of continuity as we head into the tumultuous next 12 months trying to figure out what our macro athletic future is…

    • Was Sean McVey even a DC before he got the Rams job?
      Sometimes the true leaders of a staff are behind the scenes until they aren’t.
      Bray needs to be a leader and a visible, vocal leader which is what OSU needs more than anything right now.
      I’d take the risk and see how it goes for the next 2 years. You may strike gold, which would be awesome.

    • Yeah it’s the situation that makes it different. He’s essentially getting his first head coaching job at a G5 level. If he can keep the talent level above G5 schools, there will be something to build on.

    • We’re rolling the dice anyway this shakes out. If you go outside for a coach you’re taking a bigger chance with the portal then keeping Bray and seeing what happens. It might fail it might not. There are so many variables it’s impossible to know what is the best thing to do is.
      At this point Bray is the safe bet I think. The portal is not going anywhere and there’s no guarantee we can convince guys to show up and take a chance here with no conference yet. In 2 years we’ll have a better idea as things become clearer with realignment and league building.
      One thing that may hurt us in the future though is if Bray is successful he’s going to do what Smith just did for sure. But at this point Bray is in a better position then smith was coming in.

    • Wasn’t Smith an OC prior to getting the OSU HC job? It is a natural progression. I hear you but we aren’t in a good position right now with not much to offer.

      • I want to point out down the road the head coach was a dcoordinator and only for a couple years (very similar timeline).

        He seems to be doing ok

      • How long was he an OC? I’m guessing longer than 2 years?

        I also seem to recall some UW fans not happy with his play calling and wanting him gone.

  178. Worked pretty good for Chip Kelly.

    Also if you don’t hire Bray a lot of the roster and recruiting class are gone and this turns into a complete rebuild.

    Going into the “PAC2” situation I believe you need to stay as relevant as possible. Moving forward vs starting over is probably the correct move.

    • Exactly. This is a hire you have to make with a short-term perspective because Years 1 and 2 you HAVE to preserve as much as you can of what you already have.

    • Chip Kelly is a poor example. Once the rules were changed so he could no longer exploit a tired defense that wasn’t allowed to substitute his offense became pedestrian.

      He hasn’t had the same success at ucla that he did at UO for this reason and he never will.

  179. Hiring a new head coach is alway a roll of the dice. So many can’t miss hires don’t pan out. Scott frost comes to mind. Beavs got good when he took over for tibs,

  180. Looking at the 23 and 24 recruiting classes, Kefense, Bray, and Legi have pulled the majority of our top guys. Chiles and the OL are the only ones who would have had their recruiting coaches leave. Top-rated OL have seldom been the ones that actually turned into standouts under Jim M, so even that probably doesn’t mean a whole lot (other than loss of numbers, depth, etc).

    We’re actually in pretty good shape at most positions, especially if DJU is coming back. OL is the glaring weakness with as many losses as we’ll have, but if most guys stick around, there’s plenty of depth.

    • OL has enough depth if they stay. They got plenty of playing time this year. Have to take into account that the schedule is going to be 50% easier than last year with as many G5 opponents replacing conference games.

  181. As for an OC, not sure. Bray’s coaching circle is basically the same as Smith’s.

    The philosophy should stay similar. Build inside out. Lineman are the high priority. Find an OC who knows a great OL coach.

  182. First priority for Bray’s staff is to find (or keep) a QB who can run, because our O line is going to be obliterated. We could very likely look like Colorado next season. Exciting times!

    • I’d guess Starck and Miller will be back. Starck might be stuck since he’s used his free transfer. I think the rules changed so multiple transfers are not allowed as an underclassman. See JT Daniels.

      Lopez, Vincic, and a bunch of other guys got a lot of time this year with the injuries. Lopez and Vincic were both top OL recruits.

      And I’ll keep pointing it out, but the schedule will essentially by 3 less conference games replaced by G5 games.

      • Can someone summarize the case? Is it for past NIL money?

        I mean this is all ridiculous. I hope the NCAA gets blown up for good and gets called out for what it is: a government subsidized private (NFL) enterprise. I don’t understand why schools are the minor leagues in football but not baseball. This would make for a good history lesson and documentary for any filmmakers looking for an interesting topic.

        • There’s nothing particularly sordid or dramatic about it.

          College football has been a money maker for a LONG time and baseball never has been. Minor leagues in baseball were developed so teams had a more consistent flow of players that were coached properly. They were feasible organizations because people in every town in America wanted to watch baseball. Now they’re just subsidized academy teams.

          People outside of metro areas that want to watch football watch college football. Major college football predates major pro football, so the money in college actually came first.

          • Because it’s a massive revenue generator for the universities and that’s money the NFL doesn’t have to pay.

            The dark part is the horrendous debt these programs and schools are racking up to keep up with the Jones’s. It’s all going to come to roost as interest rates stay high and the economy tanks.

          • It’s all going to come to roost as interest rates stay high and the economy tanks.

            Someone has been reading ZeroHedge and Peter Schiff, I see.

          • High or low interest rates aren’t inherently bad. There were just so many investment decisions made with low interest rates in mind that are now kaput because high is the new low. If you model is based on good times forever and ever, every investment looks better than with more realistic assumptions. It goes the other way, too. If you invest in a period of high interest rates anticipating lower ones, you make decisions that end up looking a lot better in hindsight.

            College football isn’t immune to this. You have mid-tier programs like Michigan State getting climate-controlled recliners for every player, etc. like the money is always going to be good. You think that was funded with cash? What happens if the TV money dries up because the ad revenue goes away? The university and, in many cases, state end up bearing the debt on this stuff. Interest payments don’t fuel economic growth.

          • It’s not really been for that long. More like 50.

            The college game was the more respected and more attended sport for most of the 20th Century. The NFL was too small a market, until they expanded, due to competition.

            But you’re not wrong.

  183. I wonder if Bray really wants to become a head coach at this time. I recall an interview from a while back where he said that he loved being a coordinator and was in no hurry (or had no desire) to be a head coach. I don’t remember his exact statement. Some people love focusing on a specific task and not being the CEO. The responsibilities of a head coach are so much different from that of a coordinator. If he wants the head role, then I am 100% in favor of it. I just hope that he does want it.

  184. Other than his time at ASU (under Erickson), Bray’s circle is basically the same as Riley’s.

    Go get an OL coach from any school in Montana, Wyoming or the Dakotas and we should do okay.

    Also something to note: didn’t realize this, but we have a ‘Senior Advisor Offense/QB’s, Jon Boyer, who was a former QB coach at OC at Northern Colorado. He’s been on staff for all of JS’s tenure. Sounds like a Lindgren connection, but maybe he’s a bridge to a more permanent solution?

    • I think Bray needs to start his own coaching tree, not one supplemented with (too many) friendly faces.

      I think we should be looking at an OC, not OL coach from that region, and Glenn Caruso has been the most impressive IMO, because of both the continued success he has (due to his coaching roots) and his ability to help his team transition from DIII to FCS. He looks everything like an up-and-comer to me.

      Since Bray’s a D-minded coach, it would also be an excellent opportunity for a friendly face like Jay Harbaugh to show some DC skills.

      And then I fully expect both to be hired away within five years.

  185. I’m not as worried about the lack of coaching experience for Bray. My thinking is that we need something more than “just a coach” for the situation and i believe Bray provides that. I don’t know how someone from outside would stop the mass exodus from both players and recruits and i don’t know if you can recover from that. Hell, 5 years in and we still dealt with dumbass coaching decisions so that’s just par for the course. Also, we are a MW school so get used to being the testing ground for new coaches moving forward. This is so much more than just a change of leadership that might see a slight bump in xfers or recruiting drops so I think there’s more to consider here than just the HC

      • Yeah I just don’t get it. All he ever had to say was something like:

        “This was a really difficult decision, I love OSU and I love all of the players and I know the challenges we were facing together in that “special place”. I’ll always be a Beaver, this was just the best decision for me and my family at the right time, and I can’t think the people and players at OSU enough for the work we did together and for helping me to be in this position.”

        I don’t think anyone would have any real hard feelings if he had showed up in that way. But just whiff after whiff has been painful.

  186. 5
    1

    Say one thing about Oregon State’s football program – whoever the coach is, there is a culture here. Former players are invested in it (literally). I think there should be a priority in keeping the position “in the family” during this period. And frankly, I’m tired of people talking about Oregon State as some football backwater – this is no longer a program that needs Mike Riley to succeed, the program is a thing unto itself whomever the coach is. Three of the last four coaches were successful enough to land better jobs, two in the NFL. How many schools can say that?

  187. 14

    The question seems to be what coaches are going to want to be at OSU? Not many that are worth a hoot.

    Mediocre Mike type coaches are a dime a dozen, and that’s where OSU Is headed.

    Anyone willing to jump into the hot pile of dog shit Is immediately suspect.

    Lots of “coaches” out there, but what kind of coach would accept an offer from a school without a future.

    Bray coached one and a half year as DC. His defense got destroyed by WSU. Get Bray as head coach and it will be Riley part three.

    • You play an aggressive style of defense that lacks backend speed and you’re gonna get burned some games. Even the ‘85 Bears got torched against Marino.

    • I wonder what kind of “whoa” moment we’ll get out of this cycle, when it all comes out.

      Like, will we find out Urban Meyer wanted the job for too much money, so we refused? Something like that? Is Chryst that guy?

      A lot of the younger coaches from Riley’s tenure have made their own way pretty well. They have their own identities, and they’re just starting to mature, now.

      While a lot of self-entitled schools are crying things like, “Us against the world,” we need to get down to business and build something. We don’t have time to go changing identities. And we got burned by the last gift HC out of left field–one who knew nothing about the talent he inherited.

    • There are always coaching candidates, head or assistant, that have an unfailing belief in their ability to turn any situation around. And working for market rate for at least two years can look like a great option for those that are recently let go off another program.

    • I agree with regard to retreads but like the idea of chancing Trent Bray. Bear in mind tho, unless you are the person who leveled up the NIL match no one who matters is paying the least attention to the recommendations on this site.

  188. 3
    1

    I just can’t believe we’re hiring a new coach. I stupidly and naïvely thought that little prick would be here for 20+ years.

    • I hope we come out next year with an intact roster and absolutely destroy the schedule. Meanwhile, MSU gets destroyed and we can all give one final middle finger.

      • I actually didn’t want him as a lifer, but hell, finish out the last PAC season ever(?) and prepare fully and seriously for an in-state rival and play for the best bowl position and ranking you can get. “Lock in!” You little prick. You’re an alum and you’re mentally out the door the week of a rivalry game.

        THEN go chase more $ and tell everyone you sincerely wanted it and its where you want to be…

  189. Sounds like Matt Wells was one of the candidates interviewed for the HC job.
    Makes sense, no OSU coaching search is complete without some Matt Wells name dropping

  190. Canzano has a paywall article with info on 7 candidates who are confirmed to have interviewed.

    Can someone list the names here please?

  191. 10

    Canzano has a new piece on the coaching hire. Says announcement is expected Wednesday and that the interview are still happening (possibly a formality at this point?)
    Here are the candidates he knows of:

    Bray – interviewed
    Brennan – interviewed Monday
    Josh Gattis (U of Maryland OC) – interviewed Monday Was 2021 Broyles award winner for top assistant coach
    Matt Wells – interviewed Monday
    Paul Chryst – interviewed
    Bronco Mendenhall – interviewed
    Troy Calhoun – interviewed Monday (I’m friends with one of Troys good friends, so that would be kindof cool actually)

      • Calhoun’s name has come up the last two coaching cycles. He’s an Oregon guy that desperately wants to come back home. He has a very niche thing going, though. Maybe he can give us a good OL coach recommendation?

    • only 1 minority candidate among this list (Gattis)
      There is that state of oregon requirement where an open coaching position needs to have at least 1 minority candidate interviewed, so helps explain why a guy from Maryland is looking at a west coast job despite no apparent ties to the west coast

      • Gattis has an impressive record, but he would definitely be a nomad and would be gone at the first opportunity.

        I’m in the minority, but I like Chryst a lot. Proven track record.

        7 consecutive bowl games
        4, 10 win seasons

        I could give a shit about his “boring” demeanor. You hire coordinators and position coaches to be the “rah rah” guys. This is a CEO position.

          • That may be true, but if he hated it that much would he be interviewing for the HC job at Indiana and OSU? We all have aspects of our jobs we dislike, but that doesn’t mean the cons outweigh the pros. Even Bray has noted he doesn’t have an interest in being a CEO.

        • “I could give a shit about his “boring” demeanor. You hire coordinators and position coaches to be the “rah rah” guys. This is a CEO position.”

          True, but then ya gotta consider how many top quality staff a boring CEO can bring along, and can he retain Bray?

          • My experience is in the private sector. I value a leader who provides a strategic vision of their goals, and then lets me lead my team the way I see fit to meet those goals.

            I don’t know Chryst at all, but if I’m a coach the things I want is respect and autonomy. I’ll take a “boring” leader over an outgoing @sshole any day of the week.

      • Gattis is a mediocre OC that had one good year at Michigan, but checks the diversity hire box. Calhoun and Mendenhall have been down this road before and are just retreads. Bray already lives in the building.

    • That’s actually a pretty good list, and it makes me wonder if JS didn’t inform Barnes of his decision weeks ago so he could contact all of these candidates and be ready to jump.

  192. Smith took 7 years at 7.25 mil according to reports. Doesn’t seem like that huge of a raise, reckon he could have made more with another year at OSU and held out for closer to 10 mil. Surprised the gambler played it safe and didn’t bet on himself.

    • So he moved up from about 40th highest paid coach to about 20th highest paid coach. I’ll bet Barnes’ offer was going to move him up to about 30th anyways.

    • Lol, he wanted no part of OSU anymore. 2.5 mill extra for a big10 gig that was paying their last coach 10 mil. I’m betting he didn’t even negotiate he just took the first offer and bolted. What a prick.

    • I haven’t seen it confirmed anywhere, but there was a Twitter Spaces by Beav Blitz yesterday that was floating 10/$100 mill for Smith. If true, going with the Colorado approach and Deon saying, we’ll find the money. Lol. Suffice to say, he was being offered more than his current $5 mill annualy so whatever he got at MSU isn’t a major bump.

      • Probably the easiest filler for the recruiting coach. It used to be rb coaches, then DL. It cycles because the “power” schools recognize who’s beating them in recruiting, and they hire them away with an elevated position of responsibility. Thus, people like Tupoi, Eddie Gran, and KHJ follow the Peter Princple.

  193. 11

    Call me an idiot, but I am really looking forward to next CFB season.

    Not just the Beavs but the whole damn thing.

    Might be my last year of caring about any of it though.

    Don’t think the Beavs will do much next year, but I am anxious to find out.

    Fire Tinks and I’ll watch BBALL.

    Go Beavs

  194. Just read the PAC-X is going to pay the Mtn West $14 mil each of the next two seasons for the schedule alliance.

    Just more $$ that we will just deduct from any monies paid to departing members.

  195. I want to assess the following…something is just not adding up. Listen to his presser today. Absolutely trembling in his voice.
    1. Not a great public speaker when it comes to stringing together a sentence but the trembling is just bizarre for a guy his age.
    2. Asst coaches still have OSU on twitter and listed on OSU site. I totally get OSU webpage being updated at a snails pace. Not twitter though. Those with OSU still labeled on their twitter.
    https://twitter.com/FBCoachM
    https://twitter.com/CoachAdamsOSU
    https://twitter.com/Coach_Lindgren
    Those who have left and update to MSU
    https://twitter.com/CoachWozniakTE
    https://twitter.com/DVDizzle
    https://twitter.com/KbTheStable
    Unknown/Not found on twitter
    Mike McDonald
    3. Clearly those 3 above either had second thoughts or using as leverage for $? Doesn’t make alot of sense tho. If you wanted to go with Jonathon Smith and he is this high character guy making sure MSU had everything he needed for his family and coaches. Then you wouldn’t be holding back. It would be a done deal.
    4. My guess is Bray may have undervalued the Beaver Nation effect and the support that came out immediately. I would assume once the support and honestly the “good riddance” to Jonathon Smith some of the staff had second thoughts on jumping to MSU. Strong support for Bray has some of the others reconsidering as well.
    5. Barnes is a very good politician. Good and bad.
    I believe Jonathon thought this move would be a step up and lateral with respect to the staff following him. Can Barnes piece something together? With Smith’s buyout and money out there I wonder what he could do. I would keep everything short in contract years. 1 or 2 year deals. Dangle the lawsuit money as a carrot. Bray could take 2 years, 5 mil. Take the remaining 8-12 mil a year pool and hire the guys you want. Chryst, Mendanhall, etc. You get them motivated to bust ass in the short term.

  196. 3
    1

    I’m wondering now if Smith put Bray up to this job when he left with the stipulation if he didn’t get it he could come to MS with him?

    • Put Bray up to the job how? Barnes already knows Bray. And I doubt Barnes would give two shits who Smith wants to succeed him.
      But yes I have no doubt the MSU DC gig would be Bray’s if he didn’t/doesn’t get HC here.

      • Easy. ” Trent is interested in becoming a head coach, I think he would be a good candidate now that I’m leaving.”
        Bray could have even asked smith to do it and if it didn’t work he’d come to MSU.
        Brays name has been coming up in USC DC searches also.

        • Not that I’ve seen. They went hard on the DC from Utah who said no and someone else who said no also. Brays name came up because of the game last year, it was the lowest number of points in the last 2 years.

    • The more I think about smiths motives, the more he seems to have nfl ambitions or just sees himself as a re/builder and not a maintainer. I doubt he really enjoys recruiting; just doesn’t seem very personable. He may not even particularly enjoy the game, as evidenced by his ultra aggressive play calls to keep things interesting. It’s very likely there was some agreement with Bray to stay on bc he didn’t want a complete rebuild on his conscience.

      • Yeah it’s not shocking we had so much trouble landing a QB we wanted when you think about Lindgren and JS out there recruiting. The funny thing is MSU had two QB’s that knew both well and transferred immediately on hearing the news.

      • “It’s very likely there was some agreement with Bray to stay on bc he didn’t want a complete rebuild on his conscience.”

        Very likely???

        • Yeah, maybe he doesn’t have much of a conscience; it was more like:
          CS: I’m gonna take the MSU job.
          TB: wtf are you thinking, what about these kids, the Alma mater?!
          Just speculating, not making excuses for the guy, he can use his own words at some point.

        • It’s more likely he thought Bray (or others) was going to get poached, and he didn’t want to lose teh ability to keep hiring known quantities.

  197. 7
    1

    Michigan state has a 3rd QB declare he’s entering the portal today.
    But bad news, Aidan Chiles has started following their top WR, Nick Marsh, as well as Marsh’s mom.
    Let the tug o war begin.

    • Tough spot for a young kid to be in. He could:

      A) Start the recruitment process all over again and put himself on the portal market and land just about anywhere with a big NIL payout.

      B) Follow JS to East Lansing, also likely with a hefty NIL payout, and be competing against OSU/Michigan (and Oregon) in the new B1G next season, albeit on a team/roster that is beginning a multi-year rebuild.

      C) Stay with Bray and co. and try to make a run to the 12-team CFP by beating up on 6 MWC schools a season for 2 years (with a significantly less NIL payout) but he gets to stay in Corvallis and keep building upon the relationships he’s developed in the year that he’s been here.

      At 18, kid has absolutely no idea who he is or what’s really important to him in life. So many different people talking in his ear that all want to take advantage of his talents one way or another. As much of a privileged situation he’s in, I don’t envy it at all.

      • That’s definitely a bad sign.

        You’d think that the departing kids would say something if Smith told them Chiles was on his way.

        Guess we’ll see.

    • 6
      1

      While I hate to lose a dynamic player, I feel the same about Smith as I do about Chiles – if they don’t want to be here, then good riddance.

  198. 12
    5

    The Jackhammer for head coach!!
    You heard it here first.
    They always say recruiting is really recruiting the mom… Think how the Jackhammer would do with all those MILFs! He’d have them eating out of his hand and other body parts in no time!
    Beaver legend… Check
    Would run a creative offense… Check
    Unite the fan base… Check
    Would be a fundraising machine… Check
    Knows the NIL game already… Check
    Milf Hunter and slayer extraordinaire… Check

  199. 11

    Saw an X post that the ASU athletic dept Is a few years away from some heavy athletic budget issues. Could lead to downsizing dept, cutting programs, etc. Couple that with Zona’s missing $200 mill from their budget and things could get real dicey for both athletic depts very soon. I’ve been critical of Barnes, he hasn’t been perfect by any means, but have to appreciate him being fiscally responsible.

    • The future of the non-revenue sports is going to be a significant downsizing. Slash the coaches salaries. Slash the travel budget. Play mostly local/regional games prior to the post-season. Which is fine. You don’t need to have the golf coach making 800k and having the team flying all over the country.

  200. What’s really bugging me is the conflicting information about whether or not Smith told the team he was leaving just before the Civil War game. Barnes came out and explicitly said he did not do that. Then you get Gabe Milbourn’s mom posting on Facebook saying “Big (thumbs down emojis) at the announcement given to our boys the day before they played against Oregon. It did affect their hearts and minds during that game, and that could have waited till Saturday.”

    Now, she doesn’t explicitly say Smith gave that announcement, but I doubt she would lie about the announcement being given.

    • Therein lies the rub. Someone said something to players the day before the game, but it wasn’t Smith. Thus, perhaps both people are telling the truth.

    • I heard that one or more players finally confronted him the night before, and he admitted it. The story about before the game was that there were some angry people, but it’s not clear if most or all of the players knew.

      If Barnes was weeks into a negotiation, a lot of people probably knew.

      • Another spin to this story I’ve seen mentioned is that it was brought up in front of the players before CW but instead of confirming or denying he just said he’s “locked in” for the game tomorrow. Which, of course, is garbage. You’re already out the door…no way you’re locked in on the game. Handled so, so badly. Complete garbage.

        • That’s a lot more detail than I’ve heard, but it does fit with what cryptic narrative I have heard.

          Imagine if it all started with, “And what are you thankful for, coach?”

  201. 4
    3

    Fans are surprised that JS wasn’t faithful to the Beavers. The fabled story of a team that gave a walk-on a chance when nobody else would even consider this physically unimpressive qb. Some in Smith’s situation would have been grateful and stayed. Smith was never that type of guy and would have left us regardless. We were simply a steppingstone. His history shows that and no doubt his new gig will be rather short lived too. Probably the Pac 12 breakup hastened his decision. I only hope that he follows the Riley, Erickson, and Chip Kelly mold and eventually falls on his ass. Gets in over his head and finds out he is an adequate but not great coach. At least Erickson showed remorse for leaving. Smith never will.

    • 2
      1

      I think he panicked. He didn’t like the idea of possibly being a MWC head coach and took the first serious offer that came his way. If you watch his MSU pressers he looks super uncomfortable – he’s using all the same words, but the tone is unsure. Getting off that plane in Lansing and looking at that frozen tundra of a landscape, I think he’s got serious buyer’s remorse. But, of course, he’ll never say that. I can only imagine what the conversation with his wife is like as she considers the prospect of moving from Corvallis to Lansing (I lived in SW Michigan for 3 years, I know what it’s like – VERY different from the Willamette Valley) full time. Just like others have said, he likely isn’t super successful at MSU, and in 3-4 years he’ll get relieved of his duties and then be adrift like those that left Corvallis for “greener pastures” before him. I hope that someday he can return to Corvallis as an honored alum (but not as an OSU coach – none of the Riley treatment, please!). I bet his career as a head coach has peaked.

      • 2
        2

        I would say that it seemed like he’s ashamed but i no longer believe Smith actually has the capacity to feel shame. He’s just cold and calculated.

  202. My theory is that Smith never wanted a Beavers team to succeed at the same level or better than the one he lead to the Fiesta Bowl.

    But, I also think that he has a lack of empathy and seems rather cold and doesn’t care about his legacy or anything like that.

    • 3
      3

      Not sure about the first paragraph but the second is spot on. The quiet unassuming demeanor Smith portrayed had me and many others duped. Assumed he was just a humble guy who actually appreciated his job in Corvallis. Turns out he’s actually just a sociopath.

        • 1
          1

          No, it’s just my perception. And to be clear I’m not being totally literal in describing Smith as a sociopath. At least not in the way like a criminal who harms others would be or whatever. He’s mainly just a careerist which is obviously very common among coaches. I’ll get over it but he’s definitely lost my respect after the way this all went down.

    • If you want a conspiracy theory, how about this one.

      He wanted out early, like back in in August.

      His agent likely knew the Mel Tucker situation was going to end the way it did and knew Michigan State had a lot of interest.

      He wanted to make a reasonable run, but not go unbeaten. Knowing that even 8 or 9 wins would get an offer like this one.

      So, as early as Wazzu, he’s not really prepping the way he should be, abandoned recruiting, etc…because winning every game and possibly going to the Pac-12 championship, even the playoffs, would wreck his plan.

      He interviewed during the bye week, we came out flat against Arizona, another couple play calling blunders sealed the deal, he was going to leave for Michigan State.

      Washington was the nail in the coffin, but we were able to keep both of those games close enough that Michigan State never wavered from their decision.

      So, here we are at 8-4 and he’s not leaving the week before the Pac-12 championship with a potentially undefeated team playing for a spot in the playoffs, because leaving now would be absurdly bad optics.

    • If you want a conspiracy theory, how about this one.

      He wanted out early, like back in in August.

      His agent likely knew the Mel Tucker situation was going to end the way it did and knew Michigan State had a lot of interest.

      He wanted to make a reasonable run, but not go unbeaten. Knowing that even 8 or 9 wins would get an offer like this one.

      So, as early as Wazzu, he’s not really prepping the way he should be, abandoned recruiting, etc…because winning every game and possibly going to the Pac-12 championship, even the playoffs, would wreck his plan.

      He interviewed during the bye week, we came out flat against Arizona, another couple play calling blunders sealed the deal, he was going to leave for Michigan State.

      Washington was the nail in the coffin, but we were able to keep both of those games close enough that Michigan State never wavered from their decision.

      So, here we are at 8-4 and he’s not leaving the week before the Pac-12 championship with a potentially undefeated team playing for a spot in the playoffs, because leaving now would be absurdly bad optics.

  203. If you ever doubted that no one knows here Oregon State is:

    “Perhaps a member of Jonathan Smith’s quarterback room back on the east coast is on their way to reunite with their coach.”

  204. 2
    2

    What’s up with Oregon’s DL coach who is Polynesian and an awesome recruiter? Idk where he is these days but could be a good DC.

  205. Looking at the impressive year with Mannion and Cooks, the numbers fell off after Cooks left. Did Smith have some “Cooks” receivers he was throwing to? Maybe hype for Smith should have gone somewhere else. I hope if Bray doesn’t get the job, he doesn’t take a job at MSU out of disgust in how Smith handled this.

  206. 9
    1

    Reading some of the MSU gushing on Twitter is hilarious:

    “Tearing up listening to this man talk about family and low ego, high output. He’s exactly like Izzo!”

    “So proud to have a leader of such high character coaching our team.”

    “I can’t wait to see how some of these innovative/risky plays will help give us an edge in close games!”

    The last one is the absolute best and 100% real.

  207. 9
    4

    To hell with this coaching search! More importantly ‘23% of college students across the country face food insecurity…….’ If I get one more inane OSU email, they are really going to have a hell of time time getting any money from me. It’s getting ridiculous. If you can’t afford food, what are you doing in school?? Anybody ever heard of Top Ramaan?

    Gawd, the desperation in fund raising is getting epic and I’m sure it will get worse as the months roll on.

  208. So, at this point what’s the hold up? Multiple media personnel (Eggers, Canzano) saying Bray, so what’re we waiting for? The media interns to prep a snazzy image for social media? Agents hammering out final contract details? Some sort of administrative approval by the University? Waiting for closer to the evening news time slot so we can be “breaking news”?

  209. Team meeting at 6 pm this evening. Players think it’s the bowl game announcement. New coach (44) being announced tomorrow. Sources: two current players

  210. 6
    1

    I’m going to make a prediction that Jay Harbaugh will be the OC under Bray’s staff and Riley will be the QB coach/Assistant O.C.

    Based on nothing(although i was told at one point Jay was a coaching search target) but those guys have history and Riley also coached Jim Harbaugh in the NFL.
    It’s just too easy of a hire for Bray to make so he can focus on other vacant roles.

  211. Bray won’t be getting much sleep for awhile. There’s so much work to do with hiring a staff, retaining players and commitments, recruiting, and scouting the portal. He’s going to need help fast.

    • No sleep for sure, with the HC announcement isn’t it a lock that he’ll also coach the bowl game? Adds more to an already heavy load if it goes that way.

  212. Be interesting to see what the players are saying about this. I think it’s a good hire, we started winning consistently when he got promoted to DC.

  213. Funny how Smith felt like a C/C+ back then. He turned out to be more of a B-/B.

    Contextually, I think this is the right move. If he doesn’t have the right attitude and the right help around him, I could see this ending poorly. We’ll see.

  214. “A news conference introducing Bray will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday. It is not open to the public.”
    Per Daschel
    Official announcement today and private intro tomorrow……OK, whatever

  215. Been reading that Cam Ward has something like 10 different seven-figure offers to transfer. Brey brings some stability to the situation, but the transfer portal looks like it could be a real fight.

    • It’s like college football has a really now become a lower division of the NFL , with free agency, slimy coaches and 6-7 figure salaries for the players

      • It’s amazing the amount of players just today that have “entered” the portal. I’m wondering if it’s more guys looking for a fresh start/playing time or more guys looking for NIL money? BTW MSU has around 10 guys in it.

  216. The transfer portal I think will reflect what the players think of this hire. Need to keep the 2024 class together and add to it with hopefully some long athletic receivers.

  217. Brays staff will decide if he succeeds or not I think. He’ll need a mix of younger guys and experienced guys that can help him with the head coaching role. His most important hire will be OC because of him being a defensive coach and the offensive players that are currently on the team. It will be interesting to see the philosophy and schemes that Bray wants to run here. What offenses does Bray think are the toughest to defend?

  218. Well atleast b–ce, and his firends had their fun including the crowd at Harrys and P.C. downtown corvaley even the crowd at the title of this website had their fun…if their target only knew but alas they might already know and waiting for the cowards to step up and speak their cowardly tricks and laughing at their targets demise mentally.
    Maybe the leader or overseer is not the previously mentioned clown that perception leads to the revelations and acting to cover up a NIRO steal is all there is to this conspiracy besides cowards at play…it is not honorable and is the epitome of reckless idiots in charge…who has defended or revealed anything but a couple people staring too long or laughing with intent and a agenda are the idiots who have revealed their agenda. not ment to make any sense but those who reply will be taking seriously.
    -please step up now too show your loyalty. if not for old times but to show any kind of humanity that is this pitiful act………….!

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