Michigan State officially hires Jonathan Smith
Michigan State has made it official, Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith as their new head coach.
According to 247 Sports’ Justin Thind, Smith’s coaching staff may also be taking shape with defensive coordinator Trent Bray, offensive lines coach Jim Michalczik, and tight ends coach Brian Wozniak being “prioritized” to join him in East Lansing. However, Thind notes that Bray could be a top candidate to replace him as the next Oregon State head coach.
The Michigan State coaching search appears to be over.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, the Spartans are set to hire Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith as their new head coach replacing Mel Tucker who was fired earlier in the season.
The 44-year-old Smith is coming off an 8-4 season with the Beavers and is a year removed from guiding Oregon State to a 10-win season, its first since 2006. Additionally, Smith oversaw quite an amazing turnaround for the Beavers compiling 25 total wins for his alma mater after going 9-22 in his first three seasons with the school.
Now, Smith will undoubtedly be tasked with rebuilding a Michigan State program that faced plenty of turmoil in 2023, getting hammered by Penn State in the season finale 42-0 to drop their record to 4-8, while winning a total of just nine games over the past two seasons.
“Jonathan has a proven track record of success, building the Oregon State program from the ground up by implementing a plan resulting in sustained historic success for the Beavers,” said Alan Haller, Michigan State’s vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics.
“He’s been a part of championship staffs, coached in the college football playoff, and understands what’s required to be successful at the highest level, learning from some of the game’s most successful coaches.”
It is now expected that Smith will leave the Oregon State team, which faces an uncertain future due to the collapse of the Pac-12 Conference. Currently, only two schools, Beavers and Washington State, remain in the Pac-12 for 2024 after a mass exodus that saw the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC poach the once-powerful conference.