Jonathan Smith Reportedly Hired as Oregon State Head Coach

Washington co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jonathan Smith will reportedly be the next head football coach at Oregon State. 

Danny Moran of the Oregonian reported the news.

Smith, 38, has served as an offensive assistant at Washington since 2014. He was the Beavers' starting quarterback from 1998-2001, leading them to a Fiesta Bowl victory in 2000. After graduating, Smith served as a graduate assistant coach for two years before moving on.

Smith's name has been mentioned in Oregon State circles for weeks following the sudden departure of Gary Andersen. When asked about the opening in October, he refused to speculate but acknowledged his "great memories" in Corvallis. 

“I’ve got a great job here, a great place, and I really don’t know what it’s like down there,” Smith told reporters. "It’s flattering. Obviously I’ve got great memories there and whatnot, but I’ve got an extreme focus on us and these next couple of practices. I thought we practiced really well today, and the Sun Devils present a challenge. And we’ve got a lot of things going, so it’s a huge game Saturday.”

Washington ranks 18th nationally in points scored this season, and Smith has been instrumental in the development of Jake Browning. The three-year starter has thrown for 77 touchdowns against 24 interceptions and 8,929 yards.

Oregon State has not had a winning season since 2013 and has gone 7-29 over the last three seasons.