Oregon State is not altering conferences, however its head coach is.
On Saturday, Michigan State introduced it employed Jonathan Smith as its subsequent head coach. Smith grew to become Oregon State head coach in 2018, taking up a program that went 1-11 in 2017, and led it to a few consecutive successful seasons (2021-23).
He was named (together with Washington’s Kalen DeBoer) Pac-12 Coach of the 12 months following the 2022 season wherein Oregon State went 10-3, its first 10-win season since 2006 and solely the third in program historical past.
Sports Illustrated reported Smith was a number one candidate for the Michigan State job on Friday, the identical day each the Beavers and Spartans had their seasons ended with losses. No. 16 Oregon State (8-4, 5-4 in Pac-12) misplaced to No. 6 Oregon (11-1, 8-1 in Pac-12), 31-7, whereas Michigan State (4-8, 2-7 in Huge Ten) was trampled 42-0 by No. 11 Penn State (10-2, 7-2 in Huge Ten).
The Spartans made a wonderful rent that ought to shortly erase the stench of the Mel Tucker period. For Oregon State, Smith’s departure may make the Huge Ten the varsity’s largest rival.
Not solely is the convention partly answerable for the demise of the Pac-12, however it’s additionally taking a coach who made the Beavers related.
The Huge Ten pulled the primary block that led to the Pac-12’s demise when USC and UCLA introduced they have been leaving on June 30, 2022, adopted by the convention agreeing so as to add Oregon and Washington this previous summer season.
These 4 colleges will be a part of the convention in 2024, leaving Oregon State (and Washington State) behind because the Pac-2. Whereas the Beavers strive to determine a path ahead exterior a serious convention, they need to additionally discover a head coach to steer them throughout these unsure instances. This offseason simply acquired much more difficult in Corvallis.