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REPORT: Michigan State targeting Oregon State's Jonathan Smith for next head football coach

MSU athletic director Alan Haller has a top target for the Spartans' next head football coach, and hopes to close the deal this weekend...

Matthew Lounsberry

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As Michigan State football concludes its 2023 regular season against Penn State, it appears athletic director Alan Haller has zeroed in on a head coach candidate for 2024.

Prior to kickoff, NBC reported via The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach that Oregon State's Jonathan Smith has emerged as the top candidate for the Spartans, with Haller and MSU hoping to conclude its search as soon as this weekend. Video of NBC's report can be viewed in the embedded tweet below:

"Nothing is finalized yet, but the search is in its final stages and should be done by the end of this weekend," Auerback tweeted Friday night.

While the Spartans are battling the Nittany Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Smith is currently leading Oregon State in its own season-finale against in-state rival Oregon in Eugene, Ore. The Beavers currently hold an 8-3 record and the No. 16 ranking from the College Football Playoff committee. The fact that Michigan State and Oregon State conclude their regular season's tonight will give Haller an extra day to try to get the deal with Smith done this weekend.

With that said, Oregon State will not let Smith — a four-year starting quarterback for the Beavers from 1998-2001 — walk away without a fight. OSU athletic director Scott Barnes released a statement on Wednesday after Smith's name emerged as Michigan State's top target.

"Coach Smith and I have had ongoing conversations for more than a month regarding his future at Oregon State and our path forward for football specifically and our athletic department generally," Barnes said in his statement. "He has embraced our short and long term plans. My No. 1 priority is providing him with a new contract and guaranteed compensation that will help continue the success of the football program that has benefitted Oregon State University and Beavers' Athletics. Coach Smith and I have also discussed our commitment to extending assistant coaches' contracts and increasing the salary pool for his staff to retain the continuity of what they have all built together for Beaver Nation."

Spartan Tailgate's Justin Thind reports that Michigan State turned its "sole focus" to Smith on Tuesday of this week, while SpartanMag's Jim Comparoni reports that an offer was presented by Haller to Smith on Wednesday. As of now, the offer has not been signed by Smith.

More on this story as it develops...

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