Jonathan Smith Named AFCA Region 5 Coach Of The Year

Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith has been named the American Football Coaches Association FBS Region 5 Coach of the Year, it was announced on Tuesday.

Smith has guided the Beavers to a 9-3 overall record this season, and Oregon State will be looking for its 10th win of the year for just the third time in school history when OSU plays Florida in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 17.

Oregon State enters the bowl game ranked 16th in the AFCA Coaches Poll and 17th in the Associated Press Top 25. Both polls ranked the Beavers for the first time in nearly a decade. Additionally, OSU made its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff rankings and placed 14th in the final version of its top 25.

The Beavers’ nine wins this season are the most since the 2012 Oregon State team finished with a 9-4 record. Oregon State, meanwhile, went 6-3 in Pac-12 play, the team’s most wins against league foes since 2012.

Smith is in his fifth season as the program’s head coach and has guided the Beavers to 16 victories over the last two years. Oregon State has been one of the toughest teams in the Pac-12 to play at home as the Beavers are 11-1 at Reser Stadium dating back to 2021.

Smith is the fourth Oregon State head coach to be recognized as a Regional Coach of the Year by the AFCA. He joins Dee Andros (1967), Dennis Erickson (2000) and Mike Riley (2008 and 2012).