Oregon State names Trent Bray new head football coach

CORVALLIS, Ore. (KOIN) -- The Oregon State Beavers officially have a new head football coach.

After Jonathan Smith left Corvallis to become the head coach at Michigan State, the Beavers announced on Tuesday that they would be promoting defensive coordinator Trent Bray to be the program's 32nd head coach.

"I'm excited to be able to announce Trent as our next head coach," Oregon State Athletic Director Scott Barnes said. "After interviewing several qualified candidates, we realized our top choice, Trent, has already been a mainstay at the Valley Football Center and Reser Stadium. He's been a part of Beaver Nation for a long time and love for this place is real. The connection and trust he has built with our student-athletes is unmatched. His energy and determination as head coach will be a catalyst for continued program success."

"I'd like to thank Scott Barnes and President Jayathi Murthy for this opportunity," Bray added. "I've been a part of Oregon State for a long time, as a coach and a student-athlete, and know how special Beaver Nation is. I'm excited to lead an outstanding group of men our fans can be proud of."

Bray played for the Beavers from 2002-2005, ranking sixth in school history for tackles (337). He made 34 consecutive starts for Oregon State and was a 2005 first-team all-conference selection.

Bray began his coaching career as a grad assistant with Arizona State in 2009 before holding the same role at Oregon State from 2012-14. After following former Beaver coach Mike Riley to Nebraska to be the linebackers coach for three years, Bray returned to Oregon State to be the linebackers coach in 2018 before getting promoted to defensive coordinator in 2021.

He was a Broyles Award nominee for the nation's top assistant coach last year.