CORVALLIS — Oregon State football fired second-year head coach Trent Bray on Sunday morning, according to multiple reports, signaling a sharp turn for a program in crisis.
The Beavers (0-7) were blown out by Wake Forest on Saturday. It was the latest in a string of defeats brought on by self-inflicted errors and a lack of effort.
Bray, who previously served as defensive coordinator for the Beavers, lost 13 of his final 14 games as coach dating back to last season. He was hired to the top job in November 2023 following the sudden departure of Jonathan Smith to Michigan State.
Bray will be owed just over $4 million by OSU after his departure, according to his contract.
Even as Oregon State spiraled this season, Bray was reluctant to make changes. He waited until last Sunday to fire special teams coordinator Jamie Christian, even as the Beavers had the worst special teams unit among 136 FBS programs.
“Now is the right time to make a change in our football program,” Bray said of Christian’s firing last week.
Athletic director Scott Barnes released a statement at the time, saying “my expectations are high, and right now, we are not meeting them.”
Barnes added that he was working with Bray to review “every aspect of the program and is committed to making immediate changes” — changes that one week later included firing Bray.
Bray, 42, starred at linebacker for the Beavers from 2002 to 2005. He got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Arizona State in 2008 under Dennis Erickson, eventually landing back in Corvallis as a graduate assistant and linebackers coach under Mike Riley in 2012.
Bray followed Riley to Nebraska in 2015, returning to OSU in 2018 to coach linebackers under Jonathan Smith. He was promoted to interim defensive coordinator midway through the 2021 season before taking on the role full-time in 2022 and 2023.
Bray finishes his tenure as OSU head coach with an overall record of 5-14 across less than two seasons. Now, ahead of the first season for the rebuilt Pac-12 in 2026, the Beavers will be in search of a new face to lead the program into an uncertain future.
OSU players will have 30 days, starting Monday, to enter the transfer portal following Bray’s firing.
Next game: Oregon State (0-7) vs. Lafayette (5-2, FCS)
- When: Saturday, Oct. 18
- Time: 7 p.m. PT
- Where: Reser Stadium
- TV Channel: The CW (Channel 32 in Portland)
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