Oregon State hired Alabama assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator JaMarcus Shephard as its next head football coach, the school announced Friday morning.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the school, but it’s a five-year deal, per ESPN.
“I’m extremely excited to announce JaMarcus Shephard as the head coach of the Oregon State football program,” Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes said in a statement. “His character and persona are top-notch and genuine, which will make all of Beaver Nation proud. His values align perfectly as an exceptional leader who fosters a sincere connection with his student athletes. He has coached at the highest level, with stops in the Pacific Northwest, and I cannot wait to see him on the recruiting trail and leading our football program to immediate success.”
Shephard, 42, will be a first-time head coach tasked with resurrecting a program that fell off the last two seasons under Trent Bray. After three consecutive winning seasons under Jonathan Smith, Bray went 5-14 with the Beavers — including an 0-7 start this season — before he was fired Oct. 12.
“I’m honored to lead the Oregon State University football program and to join a community that cares so deeply about its student-athletes,” Shephard said in a statement. “We will build a culture rooted in toughness, integrity, and relentless effort, and I’m excited to get to work with our players, staff, and supporters to write the next great chapter of Beaver football.”
It’s a return to the Pacific Northwest for Shephard, who has spent the last four years on Kalen DeBoer’s staff after joining him as Washington’s assistant head coach/pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach in 2022 and following him to Alabama ahead of the 2024 season.
In his second season at Washington in 2023, he coached a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk, who had a combined 2,799 yards and 22 touchdown catches as the Huskies made it to the national championship game before losing to Michigan. These two plus fellow receiver Jalen McMillan were all selected in the top three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Shephard’s coaching stops have also included Purdue pass game coordinator/receivers coach (2017), Washington State receivers coach (2016) and Western Kentucky receivers coach (2014-15).
“I am thrilled to welcome Coach Shephard to Oregon State University and Beaver Nation,” Oregon State president Jayathi Murthy said in a statement. “I strongly believe that his energy, enthusiasm and experience in winning programs will lead OSU football to success as we launch the new Pac-12 Conference and beyond.”
–Field Level Media
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