Jonathan Smith's stock has never been higher. The Oregon State coach has enjoyed a breakout 2023 season, rallying the troops to propel the Beavers to an 8-3 record entering Friday night's finale at Oregon, a No. 15 ranking in the AP Top 25, and wins over Pac-12 powerhouses Utah and UCLA.
Smith's growing stature in the sport has earned him a collection of admirers. If recent reports are to be believed, it could also earn him a bigger paycheck.
The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach reported Friday that Smith is Michigan State's top candidate to replace Mel Tucker. Although talks are yet to have concluded, it seems the Spartans have zeroed in on their target, with Auerbach indicating that a formal agreement should be reached by the end of the weekend.
As I just reported on @NBCSports, Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith has emerged as the top target for the Michigan State vacancy, multiple sources say.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) November 25, 2023
Nothing is finalized yet, but the search is in its final stages and should be done by the end of this weekend.
Here's what you need to know about the man tipped by many to take the reins at Spartan Stadium.
Why Jonathan Smith is an attractive coaching candidate for Michigan State
Smith has paid his dues in the college game, first starring as a quarterback at his alma mater, Oregon State, then taking his talents there as a coach. While he's only 44, he's spent 20 years in the backroom, offering guidance as a graduate assistant with the Beavers before setting off to become Idaho's QB coach in 2004.
After stops in Montana and Boise State, Smith took charge of Washington's offense in 2014. What followed was four years of explosiveness, the highlight of which was the 2016 season when the Huskies made it to the College Football Playoff and quarterback Jake Browning finished sixth in Heisman voting.
Since taking charge of his beloved Beavers, Smith's status in Corvallis has grown. Under his tutelage, Oregon State has gone from a 2-10 team in his first year to a sneaky Pac-12 contender. But with the conference set to undergo some major changes in the coming few years – and Oregon State no closer to clarity on its own affiliation after the latest round of conference realignment — greener pastures could prove alluring.
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MSU, to that end, would be a step up. The Big Ten figures to be college football's first super-conference. And although the Spartans are clearly a few paces behind conference dignitaries Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State (not to mention incoming forces USC, Oregon and Washington), the new-look league should prove to be highly-profitable for all sides.
Also, for what it's worth, Michigan State is only two seasons removed from an 11-2 season under Tucker, who was fired in September after a complaint was filed by a sexual assault advocate against him. The infrastructure is there to succeed. Given Smith's proclivity for the transfer portal — he was one of the first coaches to embrace the transfer carousel back in 2020 — there's no reason to believe he can't get a tune out of the players, or the program.
Home is where the heart is. And it's hard to argue that Smith's heart lies anywhere but Corvallis. He's a program legend who, for his second act, revived a long-dormant fanbase. But greenbacks talk. And the stability that comes with joining the Spartans could prove too enticing to pass up.
