Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer November 28, 2023, 9:42 p.m. ET
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- College football reporter.
- Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
- Graduated from Northwestern University.
Oregon State promoted defensive coordinator Trent Bray, a former Beavers linebacker who has dramatically improved the team’s defense over the past two or more seasons, to head coach on Tuesday night.
Bray, 41, replaces Jonathan Smith, 44, who was introduced as Michigan State’s head coach earlier Tuesday. Bray joined Smith’s staff at Oregon State in 2018 as linebackers coach, but made a name for himself when Smith named him coordinator in 2021. After the defense performed well across the board, Bray earned the title of permanent coordinator before the LA Bowl. Bray also served as an assistant at Oregon State under Mike Riley from 2012-14 before joining Riley at Nebraska, where he served as interim head coach following Riley’s firing in 2017.
“After interviewing several qualified candidates, we determined that our top candidate, Trent, was already a mainstay at the Valley Football Center and Reser Stadium,” Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes said in a statement. “It has been a part of Beaver Nation for a long time and the love for this place is real. The connection and trust he has built with our student-athletes is second to none. His energy and determination as head coach will be a catalyst for the program’s continued success.”
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Bray will be introduced at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Oregon State is 20-9 with Bray as D-coordinator and leads the Pac-12 in points and yards allowed in 2022.
Sources said the school considered several candidates with previous head coaching experience, including Brent Brennan of San Jose State University and Paul Chryst, an offensive analyst at Texas and former offensive coordinator at Oregon State University who later coached Pitt and Wisconsin.
The Beavers finished the regular season 8-4 and sit at No. 20 in the current CFP rankings as they bid for a bowl berth this weekend.
Bray played for Oregon State from 2002 to 2005 and was named first-team all-conference in his final season. He was an assistant at Arizona State University in 2010 and 2011 before returning to his alma mater.
“I have been a part of Oregon State for a long time, as a coach and student-athlete, and know how special Beaver Nation is,” Bray said in a statement. “I’m excited to lead an outstanding group of men that our fans can be proud of.”
He takes the reins at Oregon State at a time of transition and uncertainty with the Pac-12 set to disband. Oregon State and Washington State, the two Pac-12 members that have not found a home in other conferences, are seeking full control of the Pac-12’s board and finances. The Washington Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a lower court ruling earlier this month that had granted control to the two schools.
Oregon State and Washington State still need to finalize their 2024 football schedules and other important matters.
Bray’s hiring provides Oregon State with an opportunity to maintain the continuity of its roster, including key players like star running back Damien Martinez, who has announced he will remain with the program.