Former Oregon State Head Coach Dave Kragthorpe Passes Away at 93

Dave Kragthorpe, who helmed the Beavers football program from 1985-90, passed away yesterday.

Oct 26, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; A view of the Pac-12 logo on the jersey of Oregon State Beavers punter Josh Green (37) during the second quarter against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

As Oregon State's first year head coach JaMarcus Shephard prepares for his first season in Corvallis, a former Oregon State head coach has passed away.

First reported by the Idaho State Journal, former Oregon State coach Dave Kragthorpe passed away yesterday. The Utah State alum led programs at South Dakota State, Idaho State, and Oregon State, before retiring from coaching following the 1991 season. Kragthorpe was 93 years old.

In Corvallis from 1985-90, Kragthorpe's Beavers went 17-48-2, including a hard-earned 4-7-1 1989 season that saw him named Pac-10 Coach of the Year.

At his alma mater, Kragthorpe starred as a two-way tackle on the Aggies' football team, and played catcher on the school's baseball team. From 1951-54, the young lineman excelled on the gridiron, earning two all-conference honors. At the turn of the century, he was named to Utah State's All-Century team.

After two years in the United States Navy, the Minnesota native learned to coach in Big Sky country. First, he spent two seasons as an assistant at Montana. Then, he spent two more seasons climbing the ranks at South Dakota State. In 1969, Kragthorpe replaced longtime Jack Rabbits head coach Ralph Ginn, who had led the program since 1947. A year later, he joined his old Utah State teammate LaVell Edwards at BYU.

Together, they worked at the forefront of a football revolution.

Edwards was named the Cougars' head coach in 1972, and soon tabbed Kragthorpe to run his offense. During their time in Provo, BYU's passing games were on the cutting edge. Three years before Mouse Davis brought his influential Run & Shoot offense to Portland State, the two former Aggies developed an offense that prioritized passing over rushing. What's more, their impact on the game lingers far beyond their time together. When the legendary Hal Mumme & Mike Leach developed the Air Raid offense in the late eighties - now a staple of football at every level - they would teach their players through BYU tape.

In 1980, Idaho State tabbed Kragthorpe to lead their program. Over three seasons, he went 21-14, including a Divison I-AA national championship run in 1981. After two seasons serving off the field as the Athletic Director at his alma mater Utah State, Corvallis beckoned.

Before Kragthorpe's arrival, the Beavers had won just six games across the previous five seasons, inspiring the new coach to set low expectations. In an honest assessment with The Oregonian, Kragthorpe explained that "I don't think success is going to be immediate — nothing comes that quickly. I go in with my eyes open".

In his first year, Kragthorpe's Beavers pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Oregon State history, defeating Washington 21-20. Before kickoff, bettors favored the Huskies by a 38 point spread, a record upset until Jim Harbaugh's first Stanford team stunned #2 USC 41-38 in 2007. Still, lasting success proved elusive. After six seasons without a winning record, Kragthorpe resigned in November 1990. A year later, he retired from coaching.