Report: Oregon State HC Jonathan Smith 'Top Target' for Michigan State Job

Oregon State football coach Jonathan Smith is a "top target" for Michigan State, The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach reported Friday.

Auerbach expects the search for a replacement for Mel Tucker to conclude "by the end of this weekend."

Smith is 34-34 since taking over at Oregon State, his alma mater, in late 2017. He led the Beavers to winning records in 2021 and 2022, and an 8-3 record so far in 2023.

Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes said earlier this week his "No. 1 priority" is a contract extension for Smith.

Barnes said in his statement he had discussed with Smith "a new contract and guaranteed compensation" in addition to "extending assistant coaches' contracts and increasing the salary pool for his staff."

Michigan State fired former coach Tucker for cause in September amid the school's investigation of a sexual misconduct complaint involving Tucker.

Less than a week after the official firing, Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller said in a letter to the university community that Michigan State would "thoroughly evaluate and do everything required to find the right individual to lead the Spartan football program."

"I expect that you will hear a lot of names and rumors," Haller wrote. "I expect to speak with many individuals throughout this process."

Those names have included Smith in addition to Kansas' Lance Leipold, Arizona's Jedd Fisch and Toledo's Jason Candle.

According to The Athletic's Chris Vannini, Michigan State "always planned" to hire a new school president before finalizing a football coach. Former MSU president Samuel Stanley Jr. resigned in October 2022, and interim president Teresa Woodruff announced in August she would not be seeking the role permanently.

That search is nearing an end, according to Vannini, who reported Wednesday that UNC chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz is "the last remaining finalist" for the role of president.

Installing a new president and head football coach could end a period of uncertainty for Michigan State while beginning one for Oregon State. OSU is currently one of just two remaining Pac-12 members yet to find a new league home for 2024.