Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith gaining national attention after big win

Pete Martini, Salem Statesman Journal
·2 min read
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After Oregon State’s stunning 38-34 comeback win against rival Oregon Saturday, Beavers head coach Jonathan Smith is getting national attention.

On Monday’s “The Herd” Fox radio show and FS1 television show, host Colin Cowherd and Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt praised Smith’s performance.

“Best coach nobody talks about. He’ll probably never leave. I covered him as a player,” Cowherd said about Smith. “That’s the only team, I thought, all year long that played USC, and you could argue they outcoached them. I don’t think he’ll ever leave Oregon State, but man, is that guy a coach.”

Smith is in his fifth season as the Beavers’ head coach. He had been Washington’s offensive coordinator prior to taking over the Oregon State program and inherited a Beavers team that went 1-11 in 2017.

Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith reacts to a foul called against Oregon State during the fourth quarter against Oregon at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.
Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith reacts to a foul called against Oregon State during the fourth quarter against Oregon at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.

Smith was Oregon State’s starting quarterback from 1998 to 2001, and he helped the 2000 Beavers go 11-1 and finish No. 4 in the AP poll.

As the program’s head coach, Smith last season took the Beavers to the Los Angeles Bowl, their first bowl game since the 2013 season.

Takeaway:After stunning upset win, Oregon State is looking at a historic season

This season, Smith has Oregon State 9-3 and ranked No. 16 in the AP poll. 

The Beavers’ only losses this season came against No. 4 USC, No. 12 Utah and No. 9 Washington. And Oregon State now has a signature win against No. 15 Oregon.

The Beavers will learn Sunday which bowl game they’ll play in, likely either the Las Vegas Bowl or Sun Bowl.

“If you were to ask me what coach does more with less than anybody in the country, it would be easy to say (Utah coach) Kyle Whittingham,” Klatt said. “But the actual correct answer is Jonathan Smith at Oregon State. I think he’s one of the best coaches in all of college football, and nobody knows about him because he’s in Corvallis, Oregon.”

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith gains national attention