Oregon State Football’s Bold Move: Why JaMarcus Shephard’s Hiring Could Change Everything

Oregon State’s football saga took another sharp turn when they decided to part ways with Trent Bray after a tough 0-7 start—talk about pressure cooker territory! The Beavers, having missed their initial marks with other prospects like Tim Polasek, finally zeroed in on JaMarcus Shephard, a rising star from Alabama’s coaching ranks, now signed on with a five-year deal to helm the program. So here’s a puzzle for you: can a coach with zero previous head coaching gigs flip a struggling team’s fortunes in a Pac-12 landscape that’s shaking up faster than ever? Shephard’s journey—from high school sidelines to sharing a national championship spotlight at Washington, and now to leading Oregon State—promises a fresh chapter. But will his winning pedigree translate into success for a Beavers squad heading into a radically revamped conference? Stay tuned, because this is a story just getting started. LEARN MORE.

Oregon State football fired Trent Bray on October 12 after an 0-7 start. After striking out on other targets, such as Tim Polasek of North Dakota State, the Beavers have found the new man to lead their program.

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, JaMarcus Shephard has agreed to a five-year deal with Oregon State to become the new head coach. He is currently the assistant head coach and wide receiver coach at Alabama.

CBS Sports reported that Shephard had become the primary target on Thursday, after other coaches signed extensions with their programs.

This will be the first chance for the current assistant to be a head coach. After his playing career at DePauw ended, he entered coaching at the high school ranks. He then joined Willie Taggert’s staff at Western Kentucky, first as a volunteer, until he worked his way to a paying position.

He has spent time on the West Coast as well. In 2016, he was an assistant under Mike Leach at Washington State. After spending from 2017-2021 at Purdue, he joined Kalen DeBoer at Washington. Shephard would follow DeBoer to Alabama, also spending time as the co-offensive coordinator.

Shephard brings with him winning experience. He was part of the Washington staff that played for the National Championship in 2023. Meanwhile, Alabama has a chance to play for the SEC Championship if it can defeat Auburn at the Iron Bowl this weekend.

Oregon State is 2-9 on the season, and will miss a bowl for a second straight year. They will be part of the revamped Pac-12 conference next season. As Washington State and Oregon State were left behind by other former Pac-12 members in one of the latest rounds of conference realignment, six new schools will become conference foes. Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State, and Texas State will all join the Pac-12 for the 2026 season.

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