Oregon State rewards Smith with new contract after 9-3 season

Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith has agreed to a new contract that will last through the 2029 season, the school announced Sunday.

Smith’s deal comes after leading the Beavers to a 9-3 record and will include guaranteed compensation of $4.85 million per year, beginning March 1, 2023. It will increase by $100,000 each year, to eventually landing at $30.6 million for the duration of the contract.

“Coach Smith propelled the Oregon State football program to new heights, and we knew it was important to reward him and his staff to keep the momentum going,” the manager said. Beavers sportsman Scott Barnes in a statement. “The success they have achieved on the football field is evident, and Coach’s Smith’s leadership and the work of his staff has also changed the culture of the program in the classroom, weight room and community.”

Oregon State, which faces Florida (6-6) Saturday at the Las Vegas Bowl, was Smith’s first head coaching job after a quick rise through the ranks as an offensive assistant elsewhere.

Smith, 43, who played quarterback at Oregon State from 1998 to 2001, coached quarterbacks at Idaho before becoming offensive coordinator at Montana. He settled back into a quarterbacks coaching role at Boise State before landing the offensive coordinator job at Washington. He was hired to lead the Beaver program in 2018.

With the exception of the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Smith’s teams have shown progress in wins year over year. In 2018, the Beavers stumbled to a 2-10 record before a 5-7 2019 campaign gave way to the shortened 2-5 season. Last year, the Beavers finished 7-6 and lost their bowl game. And this season they have won nine with a thrilling win in the regular season finale over arch-rival Oregon.

“The program is much better, so that’s really meaningful,” Smith said ahead of this season’s senior day. “I can’t list them all right now, but I’m just thinking of some of these guys who have done some really special things and worked on them.”

As a player, Smith was under center for one of the most memorable offenses in 2000. A junior at the time, Smith led the Beavers to an 11-1 record and a 4th-place finish in the latest poll Associated Press Top 25. The top-flight offense also included wide receivers Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh, both NFL graduates. This team ended its run with a 41-9 win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Smith was named the game’s MVP.

“I want to thank Scott Barnes and the Oregon State administration for continuing to support this football program and everyone who works tirelessly for our student-athletes and the entire Beaver Nation,” Smith said in a press release on Sunday. “We are proud of what has been achieved, but the job is not done and we will continue to push hard and do it the right way.”