The Michigan State Spartans are a step closer to finding a new head football coach. Michigan State is on the verge of hiring Oregon State's Jonathan Smith, per ESPN. The two parties still have some negotiating to complete.
Via Adam Rittenberg:
“Michigan State and Jonathan Smith are at ‘the 5-yard line,' a source said, but still some meetings later today before anything is finalized with the Oregon State coach.”
Smith is an alumnus at Oregon State and has had a great deal of success with the Beavers football program. But the school has been left hanging by conference realignment, as Oregon State and Washington State are soon to become the only two schools left in the Pac-12 Conference. Smith had the Beavers ranked for most of the 2023 season and finished the campaign with an 8-4 record. Oregon State will play in a bowl game, but it's not been announced where and who they will play.
Smith is one of the hottest commodities in the college football landscape, and will possibly be linked to other openings if he doesn't go to Michigan State. In his first season in 2018 at Oregon State, Smith finished 2-10. He's since built the program back into a Pac-12 conference power, winning 25 games in the last three seasons. And after initial reports suggested he was close to joining the Spartans, the official news rolled in later on Saturday afternoon.
Via Nicole Auerbach:
“NEWS: Michigan State is expected to hire Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith, source says. Deal is being finalized with an announcement expected today.”
Michigan State football is searching for a head coach after the school parted ways with Mel Tucker earlier this year following a sexual harassment investigation. Mel Tucker has disputed the allegations against him, but the school fired Tucker in September. The football program had been led by interim coach Harlon Barnett for most of the season. The Spartans finished the 2023 campaign with a disappointing 4-8 record. The Spartans have had two losing seasons in a row.
Finally, Michigan State football pulled the trigger and hired Jonathan Smith as their new head coach, per ESPN College Football. It's official. “Breaking: Michigan State hires Jonathan Smith as its next head coach, the school announced.”
It's a smart move by Smith considering how unclear the future is for Oregon State right now. With that said, the Spartans hope for Smith to re-build its program the same way he did for the Beavers.
Jonathan Smith has a head coaching record of 34-35 at Oregon State. He's also been an assistant at Washington, Boise State, Montana and Idaho in his coaching tenure. He played college football at Oregon State.
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