Michigan State Hires Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith as Head Coach

The former Oregon State quarterback has coached the Beavers since 2018.

Michigan State has hired Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith as its new head coach, the Spartans announced Saturday afternoon.

Smith has been at Oregon State, his alma mater, since 2018 in what is his first stint as a college head coach. In that span, the Beavers have gone 34–35, but Smith is 18–7 since last year, including Oregon State’s first 10-win season since 2006 last year.

“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,” MSU athletic director Alan Haller said in a statement. “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.”

A new era of Spartan Football is here!

Please welcome Jonathan Smith as the 26th Head Coach in program history.

📰 | https://t.co/cianmGIS3E#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/3lGTurivLF

— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) November 25, 2023

The 44-year-old emerged as the leading candidate for the job Friday night after Oregon State lost its final regular-season game of the year at archrival Oregon. The Beavers ended the regular season with an 8-4 record, but were ranked as high as No. 10 in the AP poll at one point this year.

Michigan State is hiring Smith to replace Mel Tucker, whom the team fired for cause earlier this season amid a sexual misconduct scandal. The Spartans ended the season with a 4-8 record after losing to Penn State in Detroit on Friday night.