Why Trent Bray as Oregon State’s head football coach? ‘This is the program I want to lead’

Press conferences where college football teams introduce their new coach are often nothing short of a parade.

A marching band, cheerleaders and hundreds of boosters are usually in the room to greet the coach, and cheer after every promise of we’re going to get it done.

Pivot to Wednesday at Oregon State, where Trent Bray made his first public statements as the Beavers’ new football coach. It was done in a small room in the Valley Football Center. Bray’s family sat in the front row, and several school officials and coaches stood behind about two dozen media members.

It was low key. So Trent Bray.

Wearing a gray suit and orange tie, Bray didn’t undersell his feelings about Oregon State, a key reason athletic director Scott Barnes selected the former Beavers defensive coordinator as the school’s 32nd head coach. Bray’s OSU ties are deep, as he has a combined 13 years at the school as a player and coach.

Bray, 41, made it clear he was ready to go to battle for Oregon State during a turbulent time, as the school has an uncertain conference future and a 2024 football schedule that has yet to be announced.

“I am ready for that fight,” said Bray, OSU’s defensive coordinator since 2021.

Bray said when former coach Jonathan Smith announced he was leaving Oregon State after a six-year run and began to ask which coaches wanted to join him at Michigan State, he felt uneasy.

“It didn’t sit quite right with me, which is why I wasn’t in a hurry to get on the plane,” Bray said. “When I was presented with presented with this opportunity, I stayed even longer, wanted to hear it out and see where this could go.

“Real leaders step up when times are hard. We’re in a little bit of a tough situation with everything that’s happened over the last year in college football. To me that made it so much more important that I step in the fight and help this place.”

Almost a year ago, Bray said he didn’t want to be a head coach.

“I have no desire. I just like coaching and teaching too much. I’m not into the administration and politics stuff. Right now, not a good fit for me,” Bray said a week before the Beavers’ bowl game in Las Vegas.

What changed in a year’s time?

Bray said he viewed the question a year ago as wanting to be a head coach elsewhere.

“I wanted to stay at Oregon State and continue what we’ve done here,” Bray said. “When the opportunity was presented to be the head coach at Oregon State, that’s when it became a real, OK, this is what I want to do. This is the program I want to lead.”

Bray’s immediate tasks are enormous. Signing day is less than four weeks away. The transfer portal opens Monday. Bray needs to assemble a coaching staff, and some could include the four coaches who remain from the 2023 staff. Bray said he’s already received “hundreds of texts and calls” from coaches with interest.

Bray thought it’ll probably take less time to assemble an offensive staff because he wants those people on campus as soon as possible.

“I can sell the defense. I know what we’re going to do,” he said.

Bray won’t be coaching in Oregon State’s upcoming bowl game, which will be announced Sunday as either the Holiday or Sun. There’s much to do and Bray doesn’t feel as though he’d be able to give the team the attention it needs to prep for a bowl game. Receivers coach Kefense Hynson will serve as interim head coach for OSU’s bowl game.

Bray may need to mend a few fences with players who felt betrayed with the way Smith left for Michigan State. It became clear that Smith was playing footsie with MSU for several weeks, even after he repeatedly said he wanted the team locked into the season for four months.

Bray said it’s a situation he can meet head on. As a player he experienced a coaching change “where we won too many games.” He’s been through it a few times as a coach, too.

“There’s initial anger, and all those things. But I think it goes back to the trust that’s built over time that I’ve been fortunate to build with a lot of these guys,” Bray said. “It’s easier to mend those fences where there’s trust.”

While the challenges are steep, so are some opportunities. If Bray can retain most of the current roster, the Beavers have a chance in 2024 or 2025 to make a run at the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. It’s one of the first points Bray made when he was introduced Tuesday night to the team as its new head coach.

“We are more than capable of getting to the College Football Playoff with expansion next year,” Bray said. “I think they’re excited to take that step with me, and I’m excited to take it with them.”

-Nick Daschel |