Football
Smith, Jonathan
Jonathan Smith
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 737-2614
Jonathan Smith, in five seasons as Oregon State’s head coach, has a lengthy list of significant achievements by the Beavers and OSU’s student-athletes.
• Ten wins in 2022, the third such season in Oregon State history.
• Pac-12 Co-Head Coach honors during that 10-win season, which also included Region 5 Coach of the Year honors by his peers, the American Football Coaches Association.
• An 11-1 record at Reser Stadium over the last two seasons, turning Reser Stadium into one of the top home field advantages in the nation.
• Overall, Oregon State is 17-9 over the last two seasons.
• The Beavers were ranked as high as No. 14 by the College Football Playoff in 2022, and earned their first Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Poll rankings in nearly a decade.
• Fifty-nine All-Pac-12 selections by the conference’s coaches over the last four seasons, proving that his peers are taking notice of OSU’s resurgence.
• Seven All-Americans during his tenure, including three selections in 2022: Anthony Gould, Jack Colletto and Taliese Fuaga. The 2021 Beavers also had three All-Americans - Avery Roberts, B.J. Baylor and Nathan Eldridge - for the most since 2012.
• Colletto was named the 2022 Hornung Award winner. He’s the fourth major award winner in Oregon State history.
• Two Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Players of the Year in Jermar Jefferson (2018) and Damien Martinez (2022). Both were named Freshman All-Americans, and were joined by Omar Speights (2019) and Jack Velling (2022).
• A total of 151 Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll selections in five seasons, showing success in the classroom.
• Eight Beavers have been drafted by NFL teams during Smith’s tenure, with an additional 17 signing as undrafted free agents after their collegiate careers.
• Smith is 26-31 (.456) in five seasons at OSU, with a 24-21 (.533) mark over the last four years.
Smith agreed to a new contract that will take him through the 2029 season.
“Coach Smith has taken the Oregon State football program to new heights, and we knew it was important to reward him and his staff to keep the momentum moving forward,” Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Barnes said. “The success they’ve achieved on the football field has been evident, and Coach Smith’s leadership and the work of his staff also has changed the culture of the program in the classroom, the weight room and the community.”
The 2022 Beavers finished with a 10-3 record - the team’s first 10-win season since 2006. The team reached the 10-win plateau with a 30-3 win over Florida in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl.
That win capped a season in which the Beavers finished 6-3 in Pac-12 play, had a 5-1 record at Reser Stadium and out-scored opponents by nearly 13 points per game.
The 2022 Beavers’ defense was dominant, proving to rank first in the Pac-12 in scoring, rushing and total defense, earning spots among the nation’s best.
Oregon State advanced to the 2021 Jimmy Kimmel Los Angeles Bowl, its first postseason appearance since 2013. The Beavers won seven games to post their first winning season since 2013. And Oregon State was in the thick of the Pac-12 North Division race until the last few weeks of the season, finishing in the upper half of the division for the second time during Smith’s tenure.
Roberts led the Pac-12 in tackles for the second consecutive season, while Baylor became the first OSU player to lead the Pac-12 in rushing - 1,337 total yards - since Steven Jackson in 2003. Eldridge was recognized for his first All-American honor and was All-Pac-12 for the second time in his career.
Statistically, the Beavers finished with one of the most potent offenses in school history, setting the program’s record with 6.4 yards per play. OSU also tallied 5,581 total yards, the fourth-most in a 13-game season. The Beavers averaged 31.2 points per game, which was among the Pac-12’s season leaders. It also marked the second time OSU averaged better than 30 points per game during his tenure.
This all came after the Beavers were selected to finish in the bottom half of the Pac-12 North Division prior to the season.
In 2020, Eldridge, Roberts and Jefferson became the first Beavers named to the first team since Brandin Cooks in 2013.
Jefferson became a two-time All-American in 2020 and was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Year for the conference by the Associated Press. The junior, who was in Smith’s first Oregon State recruiting class, ended his OSU career fifth in rushing yards (2,923), rushing touchdowns (27) and 100-yard efforts (15). He was also selected as a Freshman All-American and the Pac-12’s Freshman Offensive Player of the Year in 2018.
Jefferson was a two-time Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week in 2020, while Jesiah Irish (special teams), Champ Flemings (special teams) and Eldridge (offensive lineman) were all recognized, giving the Beavers five selections for the first time since the 2013 season.
A near unanimous selection to finish in last place in the Pac-12 Conference in 2019, Smith led the Beavers to a near bowl game berth before ending the campaign tied for second place in the Pac-12 North. OSU improved statistically in nearly every possible category on the field, won three road league games for the first time since 2013, and tied for the best winning percentage improvement in the Conference.
The 2019 season also included a number of individual honors, led by junior linebacker Hamilcar Rashed Jr., earning All-America by every major college football organization and fellow linebacker Omar Speights being highlighted with Freshman All-America accolades.
By all accounts, Coach Smith’s immediate goals upon his return to OSU prior to the 2018 season in the football leadership position of creating a culture, laying a foundation, and emphasizing recruiting for future success has been widely successful.
Smith was officially introduced as the Beavers’ head coach November 29, 2017. He inherited a program in need of stability, strong leadership, and with a vision of success on and off the field.
In his first season, the team was among the most productive in the Pac-12 for several offensive categories, won on the road for the first time since 2014, and featured true freshman Jefferson, who set school records for rushing on his way to All-American and Pac-12 Offensive Freshman Player of the Year accolades. In addition, receiver Timmy Hernandez secured the program’s first Academic All-America honor since 1999.
When Barnes officially introduced Smith, the first OSU graduate to ever lead the football program, he highlighted the former Beaver quarterback’s legacy in Corvallis.
“He has a unique perspective on what it means to be a part of Beaver Nation and to be successful for our student-athletes on and off the field,” Barnes said.
As a student-athlete, Smith was a four-year letterman quarterback at Oregon State from 1998-2001. He came to the program as a walk-on from Glendora, Calif., joining then head coach and OSU’s all-time winningest mentor Mike Riley. Smith earned his first start on Oct. 31, 1998 and never relinquished that role for the final 38 games of his career. The two-time team captain led the Beavers to the 1999 Oahu Bowl and the 2001 Fiesta Bowl, where OSU capped an 11-1 season with a dominating 41-9 victory over Notre Dame and a No. 4 final Associated Press ranking.
“Oregon State University is a special place and I have many memories of being a part of Beaver Nation,” Smith said at his introductory press conference. “I played for some of the best coaches I have ever been around and learned many of the qualities I have utilized in my coaching career.”
Smith left OSU as the school’s all-time leading passer with 9,680 yards -- he now ranks third among all Beaver quarterbacks in total passing yardage. At the time of his graduation his records included career touchdown passes (55); single-game passing yards (469 yards); and single-season passing yards (3,053 yards in 1999). He still holds the mark for the longest touchdown pass at 97 yards to Chad Johnson in 2000. Smith left OSU ranked No. 3 at the time in conference history for passing yards and total offense.
His honors as a player were numerous while wearing the Orange and Black. He was the Fiesta Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player, earned Pac-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week multiple times and was a two-time member of the league’s Honorable Mention team.
Smith’s coaching career started, in many respects as a player, but officially as a graduate assistant coach in 2002 and 2003 under both Dennis Erickson and Riley, respectively. He helped the Beavers to the 2002 Insight Bowl and 2003 Vegas Bowls, and in the process assisted in the grooming of longtime NFL quarterback Derek Anderson.
Prior to returning to Oregon State, Smith served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Washington Huskies, a program that he helped build into a conference and national championship contender. During his tenure he coached Husky record-setting quarterback and 2016 Pac-12 Player of the Year Jake Browning, and helped the Huskies to the 2016 College Football Playoff and the 2017 Fiesta Bowl.
The 44-year-old Smith earned his first full-time coaching position at Idaho in 2004, where he served as the quarterbacks coach through 2009. In his final season with the Vandals, the team ranked ninth in the NCAA for total offense (451.4 yards per game); 12th in the nation for passing offense (286.7 yards per game); and 20th in scoring (32.7 points per game).
From 2010-11, he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) powerhouse Montana, leading the Grizzlies to the NCAA Division I semifinals in 2011. While Smith was at Montana, the Grizzlies’ offense ranked in the top 20 nationally in multiple categories.
Smith joined Boise State for the 2012 and 2013 seasons as the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach. He helped guide the team to the 2012 Mountain West Conference co-championship and a victory over the Washington Huskies in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Following the 2013 regular season at Boise State, Smith followed head coach Chris Petersen to Washington to serve as the Huskies’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
A three-year starting quarterback at Glendora (Calif.) High, Smith graduated from high school in 1997 and earned his bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Oregon State in December, 2001.
He and his wife, Candice, have three children, Robert (14 years old), Bella (12) and Charles (8).
COACHING HISTORY
2017-pres. -- Oregon State -- Head Coach
2014-2017 – Washington – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2012-2013 – Boise State – Quarterbacks
2010-2011 – Montana – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2004-2009 – Idaho – Quarterbacks
2002-2003 – Oregon State – Graduate Assistant
BOWL TEAMS
2022 – Las Vegas
2021 – Jimmy Kimmel LA
2017 – Fiesta
2016 – Peach/College Football Playoff
2015 – Heart of Dallas
2014 – Cactus
2013 – Hawai’i
2012 – Las Vegas
2009 -- Humanitarian
2003 – Las Vegas
2002 – Insight
2000 – Fiesta/Bowl Championship Series*
1999 – O’ahu*
*-as a player
• Ten wins in 2022, the third such season in Oregon State history.
• Pac-12 Co-Head Coach honors during that 10-win season, which also included Region 5 Coach of the Year honors by his peers, the American Football Coaches Association.
• An 11-1 record at Reser Stadium over the last two seasons, turning Reser Stadium into one of the top home field advantages in the nation.
• Overall, Oregon State is 17-9 over the last two seasons.
• The Beavers were ranked as high as No. 14 by the College Football Playoff in 2022, and earned their first Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Poll rankings in nearly a decade.
• Fifty-nine All-Pac-12 selections by the conference’s coaches over the last four seasons, proving that his peers are taking notice of OSU’s resurgence.
• Seven All-Americans during his tenure, including three selections in 2022: Anthony Gould, Jack Colletto and Taliese Fuaga. The 2021 Beavers also had three All-Americans - Avery Roberts, B.J. Baylor and Nathan Eldridge - for the most since 2012.
• Colletto was named the 2022 Hornung Award winner. He’s the fourth major award winner in Oregon State history.
• Two Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Players of the Year in Jermar Jefferson (2018) and Damien Martinez (2022). Both were named Freshman All-Americans, and were joined by Omar Speights (2019) and Jack Velling (2022).
• A total of 151 Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll selections in five seasons, showing success in the classroom.
• Eight Beavers have been drafted by NFL teams during Smith’s tenure, with an additional 17 signing as undrafted free agents after their collegiate careers.
• Smith is 26-31 (.456) in five seasons at OSU, with a 24-21 (.533) mark over the last four years.
Smith agreed to a new contract that will take him through the 2029 season.
“Coach Smith has taken the Oregon State football program to new heights, and we knew it was important to reward him and his staff to keep the momentum moving forward,” Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Barnes said. “The success they’ve achieved on the football field has been evident, and Coach Smith’s leadership and the work of his staff also has changed the culture of the program in the classroom, the weight room and the community.”
The 2022 Beavers finished with a 10-3 record - the team’s first 10-win season since 2006. The team reached the 10-win plateau with a 30-3 win over Florida in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl.
That win capped a season in which the Beavers finished 6-3 in Pac-12 play, had a 5-1 record at Reser Stadium and out-scored opponents by nearly 13 points per game.
The 2022 Beavers’ defense was dominant, proving to rank first in the Pac-12 in scoring, rushing and total defense, earning spots among the nation’s best.
Oregon State advanced to the 2021 Jimmy Kimmel Los Angeles Bowl, its first postseason appearance since 2013. The Beavers won seven games to post their first winning season since 2013. And Oregon State was in the thick of the Pac-12 North Division race until the last few weeks of the season, finishing in the upper half of the division for the second time during Smith’s tenure.
Roberts led the Pac-12 in tackles for the second consecutive season, while Baylor became the first OSU player to lead the Pac-12 in rushing - 1,337 total yards - since Steven Jackson in 2003. Eldridge was recognized for his first All-American honor and was All-Pac-12 for the second time in his career.
Statistically, the Beavers finished with one of the most potent offenses in school history, setting the program’s record with 6.4 yards per play. OSU also tallied 5,581 total yards, the fourth-most in a 13-game season. The Beavers averaged 31.2 points per game, which was among the Pac-12’s season leaders. It also marked the second time OSU averaged better than 30 points per game during his tenure.
This all came after the Beavers were selected to finish in the bottom half of the Pac-12 North Division prior to the season.
In 2020, Eldridge, Roberts and Jefferson became the first Beavers named to the first team since Brandin Cooks in 2013.
Jefferson became a two-time All-American in 2020 and was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Year for the conference by the Associated Press. The junior, who was in Smith’s first Oregon State recruiting class, ended his OSU career fifth in rushing yards (2,923), rushing touchdowns (27) and 100-yard efforts (15). He was also selected as a Freshman All-American and the Pac-12’s Freshman Offensive Player of the Year in 2018.
Jefferson was a two-time Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week in 2020, while Jesiah Irish (special teams), Champ Flemings (special teams) and Eldridge (offensive lineman) were all recognized, giving the Beavers five selections for the first time since the 2013 season.
A near unanimous selection to finish in last place in the Pac-12 Conference in 2019, Smith led the Beavers to a near bowl game berth before ending the campaign tied for second place in the Pac-12 North. OSU improved statistically in nearly every possible category on the field, won three road league games for the first time since 2013, and tied for the best winning percentage improvement in the Conference.
The 2019 season also included a number of individual honors, led by junior linebacker Hamilcar Rashed Jr., earning All-America by every major college football organization and fellow linebacker Omar Speights being highlighted with Freshman All-America accolades.
By all accounts, Coach Smith’s immediate goals upon his return to OSU prior to the 2018 season in the football leadership position of creating a culture, laying a foundation, and emphasizing recruiting for future success has been widely successful.
Smith was officially introduced as the Beavers’ head coach November 29, 2017. He inherited a program in need of stability, strong leadership, and with a vision of success on and off the field.
In his first season, the team was among the most productive in the Pac-12 for several offensive categories, won on the road for the first time since 2014, and featured true freshman Jefferson, who set school records for rushing on his way to All-American and Pac-12 Offensive Freshman Player of the Year accolades. In addition, receiver Timmy Hernandez secured the program’s first Academic All-America honor since 1999.
When Barnes officially introduced Smith, the first OSU graduate to ever lead the football program, he highlighted the former Beaver quarterback’s legacy in Corvallis.
“He has a unique perspective on what it means to be a part of Beaver Nation and to be successful for our student-athletes on and off the field,” Barnes said.
As a student-athlete, Smith was a four-year letterman quarterback at Oregon State from 1998-2001. He came to the program as a walk-on from Glendora, Calif., joining then head coach and OSU’s all-time winningest mentor Mike Riley. Smith earned his first start on Oct. 31, 1998 and never relinquished that role for the final 38 games of his career. The two-time team captain led the Beavers to the 1999 Oahu Bowl and the 2001 Fiesta Bowl, where OSU capped an 11-1 season with a dominating 41-9 victory over Notre Dame and a No. 4 final Associated Press ranking.
“Oregon State University is a special place and I have many memories of being a part of Beaver Nation,” Smith said at his introductory press conference. “I played for some of the best coaches I have ever been around and learned many of the qualities I have utilized in my coaching career.”
Smith left OSU as the school’s all-time leading passer with 9,680 yards -- he now ranks third among all Beaver quarterbacks in total passing yardage. At the time of his graduation his records included career touchdown passes (55); single-game passing yards (469 yards); and single-season passing yards (3,053 yards in 1999). He still holds the mark for the longest touchdown pass at 97 yards to Chad Johnson in 2000. Smith left OSU ranked No. 3 at the time in conference history for passing yards and total offense.
His honors as a player were numerous while wearing the Orange and Black. He was the Fiesta Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player, earned Pac-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week multiple times and was a two-time member of the league’s Honorable Mention team.
Smith’s coaching career started, in many respects as a player, but officially as a graduate assistant coach in 2002 and 2003 under both Dennis Erickson and Riley, respectively. He helped the Beavers to the 2002 Insight Bowl and 2003 Vegas Bowls, and in the process assisted in the grooming of longtime NFL quarterback Derek Anderson.
Prior to returning to Oregon State, Smith served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Washington Huskies, a program that he helped build into a conference and national championship contender. During his tenure he coached Husky record-setting quarterback and 2016 Pac-12 Player of the Year Jake Browning, and helped the Huskies to the 2016 College Football Playoff and the 2017 Fiesta Bowl.
The 44-year-old Smith earned his first full-time coaching position at Idaho in 2004, where he served as the quarterbacks coach through 2009. In his final season with the Vandals, the team ranked ninth in the NCAA for total offense (451.4 yards per game); 12th in the nation for passing offense (286.7 yards per game); and 20th in scoring (32.7 points per game).
From 2010-11, he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) powerhouse Montana, leading the Grizzlies to the NCAA Division I semifinals in 2011. While Smith was at Montana, the Grizzlies’ offense ranked in the top 20 nationally in multiple categories.
Smith joined Boise State for the 2012 and 2013 seasons as the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach. He helped guide the team to the 2012 Mountain West Conference co-championship and a victory over the Washington Huskies in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Following the 2013 regular season at Boise State, Smith followed head coach Chris Petersen to Washington to serve as the Huskies’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
A three-year starting quarterback at Glendora (Calif.) High, Smith graduated from high school in 1997 and earned his bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Oregon State in December, 2001.
He and his wife, Candice, have three children, Robert (14 years old), Bella (12) and Charles (8).
COACHING HISTORY
2017-pres. -- Oregon State -- Head Coach
2014-2017 – Washington – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2012-2013 – Boise State – Quarterbacks
2010-2011 – Montana – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2004-2009 – Idaho – Quarterbacks
2002-2003 – Oregon State – Graduate Assistant
BOWL TEAMS
2022 – Las Vegas
2021 – Jimmy Kimmel LA
2017 – Fiesta
2016 – Peach/College Football Playoff
2015 – Heart of Dallas
2014 – Cactus
2013 – Hawai’i
2012 – Las Vegas
2009 -- Humanitarian
2003 – Las Vegas
2002 – Insight
2000 – Fiesta/Bowl Championship Series*
1999 – O’ahu*
*-as a player
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