CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon State University announced Trent Bray as the new head coach for its football program on Tuesday, a whirlwind few days after the sudden departure of Beavers coach Jonathan Smith.
"After interviewing several qualified candidates, we realized our top choice, Trent, has already been a mainstay at the Valley Football Center and Reser Stadium," said Scott Barnes, vice president and director of athletics, in a statement.
"He's been a part of Beaver Nation for a long time and love for this place is real. The connection and trust he has built with our student athletes is unmatched. His energy and determination as head coach will be a catalyst for continued program success," he concluded.
Oregon State introduced Bray as the program's new head football coach during a news conference Wednesday afternoon. KGW streamed the news conference at kgw.com, on the KGW News app, on KGW's YouTube channel and on KGW+.
During the news conference, Bray confirmed that he won't be coaching in the Beavers' bowl game. He said with all the work he has to do building his staff and recruiting, he wouldn't be able to give the time needed to prepare for and coach in the bowl game, so he's leaving it to the other coaches. A group of coaches have committed to staying at Oregon State through the bowl game, a gesture he said he appreciates.
Bray had been the Beavers' defensive coordinator for two-and-a-half seasons. The 2024 season will mark his 10th as an Oregon State coach. A 2022 Broyles Award nominee for the nation's top assistant coach, Bray returned to Oregon State in 2018 as linebackers coach and was promoted to its defensive coordinator in Nov. 2021, according to his bio.
"I'd like to thank Scott Barnes and President Jayathi Murthy for this opportunity," Bray said in a statement. "I've been a part of Oregon State for a long time, as a coach and a student-athlete, and know how special Beaver Nation is. I'm excited to lead an outstanding group of men our fans can be proud of."
The Beavers ended their 2023 season with a 31-7 loss to the No. 6 ranked Oregon Ducks — what could be the last rivalry game between the two for some time following this year's mass exodus from a mortally wounded Pac-12. OSU and Washington State University are the only teams remaining in the greatly diminished conference.
During Wednesday's press conference, Barnes said an announcement about "the bulk" of Oregon State's 2024 schedule will be coming soon, and that a couple games on the schedule that can't be announced yet will be announced later.
Amid the upheaval around the program, students reported feeling blindsided by the news over the weekend that Smith was leaving the program. Michigan State University announced Saturday that Smith would be their new head coach for the 2024 season, formally introducing him on Tuesday.
Smith was named head coach at Oregon State prior to the 2018 season. He finished his coaching tenure at Oregon State with a 34-35 record, including an 8-4 record this season where the Beavers were ranked as high as 11th in the College Football Playoff rankings. Smith was also the recipient of the 2022 Pac-12 Coach of the Year award after leading the Beavers to their third 10-win season in program history with a final record of 10-3.
Smith released a statement on social media following the announcement, expressing gratitude towards the people he's worked with and the OSU community.
"When I arrived as a freshman college student, I had no idea the opportunities and relationships this community would provide for me and my family," he said.
Smith becomes Michigan State's 26th head coach in program history. The Spartans have been without a head coach since September after former head coach Mel Tucker was suspended and eventually fired over allegations of sexual misconduct.
This is a developing story and may be updated with more details as they emerge.