“I’m Trying To Be Truthful” – Jonathan Smith Gets Candid On His Future At Oregon State

750 THE GAME STAFF

Oregon State head football coach Jonathan Smith joined John Canzano on Tuesday on 750 The Game ahead of Friday’s 127th rivalry game against the Oregon Ducks in Eugene.

Canzano asked Smith about his feelings about the future of Oregon State football and his own future in Corvallis. Smith has been linked in reports for coaching vacancies around the country, including Michigan State.

Canzano asked Smith about his message to Oregon State fans worried he may be considering leaving the Beavers.

“They can be confident, (we’re) completely focused on the task at hand,” Smith answered on 750 The Game. “Confident that we’re battling week in and week out and that has not changed, there has not been some distraction on that. I think it’s known what this place means and what I’ve done and been around here, and I think that speaks for itself.”

Canzano followed up asking Smith whether or not he or his agent (Jimmy Sexton) have had contact with other schools.

“I’m not trying to be sarcastic here, I’ve got an agent that’s got a job, he best be finding out what is out there and people calling — right? I mean that’s how that works. I can tell you from his side, he best be working, just ’cause I’m paying him so much, right? They get a percentage… I’m making him a couple million bucks,” the Beavers coach said with a laugh before continuing.

“I’m not trying to be sarcastic. And I think any coach, they’re aware of what’s potentially out there if their agent is doing their job. And again, I’m not trying to dodge the question or anything but I’m also trying to be truthful here of how this thing works.”

Canzano asked Smith his level of commitment to Oregon State given the uncertainty around the university’s future in football and athletics as a whole in the wake of massive realignment that saw OSU and Washington State as the lone remaining Pac-12 schools beginning in August 2024.

“The uncertainty part, I will say, I grow more and more confident, every time I talk to (athletic director) Scott (Barnes), in regards to hey, this is how the plan we’re going to operate to continue to fund at the Power Five level,” said Smith. “Scheduling, trying to create a schedule that works and of course be competitive. And that’s not an easy task. You know the situation us and Washington State are in. But my confidence grows, listening to Scott more and more on the plan to fund it at the same level and how we’re going to get that done. Same thing on the president’s side, talking about a commitment to expand on what they’ll support athletically, so my confidence grows on that end.”

Regarding a possible contract extension for him at OSU, Smith said he’s not worried for himself but realizes the trickle down effect his decisions about his future has on his coaching staff.

“There’s been conversations. Some of it for me, individually on my contract, because we’ve won the amount of games we have, I’ve already got an automatic extension and so I’m sitting on another six years. And so that part is not as critical. The big piece is just not about me. We got a big time staff here. It’s not about me, oh the insecurity or uncertainty, well we got a staff here, same way, players same way, we want to continue to fund and support it so we operate like a Power Five level.”

Listen to the full interview with Jonathan Smith below.

John Canzano delivers the Bald Faced Truth afternoons 3-6 p.m. exclusively in Portland on 750 The Game.