Jonathan Smith gets contract extension at Oregon State

On3 imageby:Ashton Pollard11/26/21

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It appears Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith will be sticking around his alma mater for a few more years.

Smith, who is in his fourth year in Corvallis, will sign a new deal through the 2027 season.

“The new contract includes a strong investment for staff and support staff,” Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports tweeted on Friday.

Smith’s 2021 salary was just $2.5 million, making him the lowest-paid Power Five coach in the country. Smith had four years remaining on his current contract, a deal which was renegotiated in 2019.

“Coach Smith has led the resurgence of our football program in a way that has made all of Beaver Nation proud,” athletic director Scott Barnes said in a statement. “Their steady growth, improvement and success on the field, in the classroom and the community is apparent. A strong foundation has been laid for success and the future of Beaver football is bright due to Coach Smith’s leadership.”

A former Oregon State quarterback himself from 1998-2001, Smith took to Twitter on Friday to express his appreciation for the opportunity.

Smith was the offensive coordinator at Washington prior to taking the Oregon State job, but he has said he is not a candidate for the job opening in Seattle.

The Beavers are 7-4 and bowl eligible for the first time since 2013. Additionally, they are undefeated at home. The offense looks much better than it has in recent years, and the Beavers even lead the Pac-12 in rushing yardage with 229.5 yards on the ground per game.

The defense is giving up 24.8 points per game, the first time they have held opponents under 30 points per contest since 2012. Just three years ago in 2018, they gave up 45.7 points per game.

If they beat Oregon on Saturday and Washington State falls to Washington, Oregon State will head to Las Vegas for a shot at the Pac-12 title. If Oregon wins, they win the Pac-12 North.