Michigan State hires Jonathan Smith as head football coach

Michigan State has found its next head football coach in now former Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith.

On Saturday afternoon, Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller announced that Smith will become the 26th full-time head coach for the Michigan State football program.

"Today is an exciting day for Michigan State as we welcome Jonathan Smith, wife Candice, and children Robert, Bella and Charles to our Spartan family," Haller said. "Jonathan has a proven track record of success, building the Oregon State program from the ground up by implementing a plan resulting in sustained historic success for the Beavers. He's been a part of championship staffs, coached in the College Football Playoff, and understands what's required to be successful at the highest level, learning from some of the game's most successful coaches."

"On the field, his teams are tough and physical, yet innovative," Haller continued. "This year, Oregon State has controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, ranking among the nation's leaders in both rushing offense and rushing defense. He's shown not only the ability to recruit talented student-athletes who fit his system, but also to develop and maximize players once they're in the program. At his core, he's a quarterbacks coach, and throughout his career he's been instrumental in the development of young quarterbacks, which is essential in today's college football landscape."

"Beyond the football field, the Smith family will be an excellent addition to the entire Michigan State University community," said Haller. "Jonathan and Candice are excited to be invested community members and realize that Spartan football is just one part of the University's larger mission."

Haller also highlighted the positives at Michigan State that Smith will be stepping into.

"With the Tom Izzo Football Building nearing completion, demonstrating our commitment to providing championship resources, and with the support of our passionate and loyal fan base, this is certainly an exciting time to begin a new era of Spartan Football," said Haller. "Jonathan has a great appreciation for the rich history and tradition of our program, and is committed to doing what's required to compete for championships at the Big Ten and national level."

As a formality, the hire requires formal approval from the MSU Board of Trustees at a future meeting. This is not expected to be an issue.

In early November, Spartans Illustrated was the first to report that Smith was one of the candidates that Michigan State was pursuing. A couple weeks later, Spartans Illustrated was also the first to report that Smith progressed to the second round of interviews with MSU. As more intel was gathered in what was an extremely quiet coaching search on Michigan State's end, it became increasingly evident that Smith was at or near the top of the list for the Spartans as the coaching search entered its final stretch.

Smith most recently was at the helm for his alma mater, Oregon State. He led the Beavers to an 8-4 record and a top-16 ranking in the country. OSU is coming off of a 31-7 loss to rival Oregon in the "Civil War" game on Friday night.

Under Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren in 2023, the Beavers rank in the top-36 in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in scoring offense (33.8 points per game), total offense (426.9 yards per game), rushing yards per game (180.8) and total first downs (269).

Defensively under Smith and defensive coordinator Trent Bay, Oregon State ranks seventh in the nation in sacks per game (3.00), 37th in yards allowed per game (340.2), tied for 33rd in points allowed per game (21.5), 17th in rushing defense (104.1 yards allowed per game) and 87th in passing yards allowed per game (236.2). OSU is also ranked 22nd in the FBS turnover differential this season (plus-seven).

In 2022, Smith was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year, leading Oregon State to a 10-3 record. That season, Oregon State beat rival Oregon and easily defeated Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Throughout Smith's tenure in Corvallis, he led Oregon State to a record of 34-35, including back-to-back seasons of eight-plus wins. Prior to the past two seasons, the Beavers had not won eight or more games in back-to-back seasons since 2008 and 2009.

Smith was hired at Oregon State in late November of 2017. In his first season in 2018, the Beavers went 2-10. Since then, OSU has complied a record of 32-25, including a mark of 18-7 over the past two seasons. In the three seasons prior to Smith's hire, the Beavers had a combined record of just 7-29 from 2015 through 2017, including going just 1-11 the season before Smith took over the program.

Before being hired as the head coach at Oregon State, Smith served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Washington under head coach Chris Petersen. While with the Huskies, Smith helped lead Washington to a College Football Playoff appearance during the 2016-2017 season, and a Fiesta Bowl appearance during the 2017-2018 season. He also developed UW quarterback Jake Browning, who currently plays for the Cincinnati Bengals, into the Pac-12 player of the year in 2016.

Prior to his stint in Seattle, Smith was the quarterbacks coach at Boise State in 2012 and 2013, also under Petersen. Before that, Smith was Robin Pflugrad's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Montana in 2010 and 2011. While with the Grizzlies, Smith helped guide the team to Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) semifinals in 2011.

From 2004 through 2009, Smith had his first full-time coaching role, serving as the quarterbacks coach at Idaho, working under a couple different head coaches. Before that, Smith served as a graduate assistant coach at Oregon State under head coaches Dennis Erickson (2002) and Mike Riley (2003).

In addition to coaching for Oregon State, Smith played quarterback for the Beavers from 1998 through 2001. The California native joined the program as a walk-on and left OSU as the school’s all-time leading passer with 9,680 yards at the time, and currently ranks third among all Beaver quarterbacks in total passing yardage.

He completed 638 out of 1,261 passes (50.6%) and finished his career with the Beavers with 55 passing touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns and 29 interceptions. Smith was also the 2001 Fiesta Bowl offensive Most Valuable Player.

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