Final Thoughts on Jonathan Smith Hire

The last coaching cycle, I targeted Bronco Mendenhall as the #1 choice. You can read about this here. Of course, when GA became available, I was high on that like everyone else. Seemed great based on the little info we had on him. Egg on everyone’s face with GA. Who could know he was mentally unstable, etc?

This cycle, I said I wanted someone with PNW ties who would “get the culture”, etc. I targeted Baldwin as my #1 guy, but I had Smith up there the more I looked into him. By the end it was a toss up, and I gave Baldwin the slight edge. After watching the press conference yesterday, I think we took the right guy in Smith. Main reason I liked Baldwin slightly better was the media kept saying Smith had no personality. That’s not what I saw. I saw a focused, bright, articulate and passionate personality. Once I realized the media was wrong (shocker), Smith became a home run hire in my book.

Laugh at that all you want.

But the guy has over-achieved his entire life and knows how to win. I also agree with Smith’s assessment that the team isn’t as far off as they look. With a proper QB things would have looked much better last year. I think by year 2 or 3 Smith is winning. Yes, a lot depends on the staff. Even if we don’t get Heyward at DC, which I think we will, Smith knows he needs to get some great recruiters and sell the place. The only thing I don’t like about Smith: he seems to want to hire ALL Beavers. I think if he’s going to fail, it’s because of that. Some outside perspective is a good thing, and this can’t be “Let’s get the Fiesta Bowl team together as coaches”. Last time we saw a coach “get the band back together” they were basically a Milli Vanilli cover band. So, Heyward and Breckterfield are the only two I’d want. Both are legit at what they do and just happen to be Beavers. That’s fine. But don’t put a Beaver everywhere unless they’re truly the best fit for the job. I also didn’t like how there was so much reminiscing about the past during the presser. That is a bit concerning. It implies he’s already succeeded and might take some edge off.

Finally, I also like that Smith, if he is successful, will likely stay put. He’s raising a family and genuinely loves Corvallis. The price is okay at 1.9 mil. Overall, I think Barnes did a nice job. It might not work out, but it’s a great fit all around and the best possible hire under the tough circumstances. I personally really like it. It feels good to have “one of us” leading the way. GA never seemed to truly like Corvallis, just as Taggart doesn’t seem to like Eugene. They say the right things, but you can tell…something is just off. With Smith it just feels right. I was craving a good cultural fit with a plan, and he fits both bills. Good hire.