Oregon State AD on JaMarcus Shephard: "His values align perfectly"
In this story:
After a search that lasted nearly half of the 2025 football season, the Oregon State football program has announced JaMarcus Shephard as their next head coach.
Shephard will replace Trent Bray, who was fired on October 12 after an 0-7 start to the season.
Oregon State officials added words of praise for Shephard on Friday in a statement.
MORE: Week 14 - Oregon State Beavers @ Washington State Cougars: How To Watch, Preview, Storylines
"I'm extremely excited to announce JaMarcus Shephard as the head coach of the Oregon State football program," Athletic Director Scott Barnes said. "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."
Oregon State University President Jayathi Murthy added "I am thrilled to welcome Coach Shephard to Oregon State University and Beaver Nation. 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."
MORE: Pac 12 Football Notebook: Week Fourteen
Shephard himself added "I'm honored to lead the Oregon State University football program and to join a community that cares so deeply about its student-athletes. 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."
An Indiana native, Shephard played college football at Division III DePauw University, where he was a wide receiver. After two seasons as a high school assistant in his home state, Shephard moved down to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he was an assistant at Western Kentucky University from 2011 to 2015. He then spent one season in 2016 as a wide receivers coach at Washington State, then five years at Purdue, including four as the co-offensive coordinator under Jeff Brohm. Shephard then spent two seasons as the assistant head coach and passing game coordinator at Washington under Kalen Deboer before following Deboer to Alabama where he has been the Crimson Tide's co-offensive coordinator for the past two seasons.
Shephard will be formally introduced to local media with a press conference on Tuesday, December 2 at noon PT in Corvallis.
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.
Follow joehio_