Oregon State Announces Search Committee to Help Hire Football Coach
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Earlier this week, Oregon State announced a special search committee that will assist athletic director Scott Barnes with hiring the Beavers’ next full-time football coach.
The committee, headed by Barnes, also includes Brandin Cooks, Nikki Neuburger, Marty Reser, Joth Ricci, Mike Riley and John Stirek.
Cooks, a 12 year NFL veteran, was a standout wide receiver at Oregon State; in his senior year (2013), he won the Biletnikoff Award, was a consensus All-American selection, and was a first team All Pac-12 selection. In addition to football, he also ran on the Beavers’ track team; at the 2012 UW Invitational, Cooks clocked an impressive 6.81 seconds in the 60 meter dash. Cooks’ blazing speed - he later clocked a 4.33 second 40 yard dash at the NFL combine - earned him a first round selection in the 2014 draft. During his professional career he has suited up for the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, and Dallas Cowboys.
Neuburger graduated from Oregon State in 2004 with a degree in business administration. While in Corvallis, she captained the Beavers’ volleyball team, earning All Pac-10 and All-Academic selections. After college, she began a fourteen year career at Nike, eventually ascending to become the shoe brand’s Global Vice President of Nike Running. Following her time at Nike, Neuburger was the Global Head of Marketing for UberEats. She is now the Executive Vice President and Chief Brand & Product Activation Officer at Lululemon.
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Reser, of the Reser Family namesake, represents a storied Oregon State legacy: his parents Al and Pat graduated from Oregon State in 1960, and he graduated in 1983. While in Corvallis, Marty competed on the Beavers’ wrestling team. He also serves as a member of the school’s Athletic Director Board of Advisors committee. Marty was previously the Vice President of Retail Sales for Reser’s Fine Foods, before retiring.
Ricci, like Marty Reser, also serves on the Athletic Director Board of Advisors committee. In the working world, he is a titan: a former CEO of Jones Soda, President & CEO of Stumptown Coffee, CEO of Dutch Bros, and now an Executive Chairperson for Burgerville. He graduated from Oregon State in 1991 and remains involved with the school’s College of Business as an executive in residence.
Mike Riley is arguably the most successful football coach in Oregon State’s modern history. His first stint in Corvallis (1997-98) featured a 44-41 overtime win over arch-rivals Oregon. After several seasons coaching the NFL’s San Diego Chargers, Riley returned to Oregon State for 12 seasons (2003-2014). His 93 wins at Oregon State are the most in school history, and he was named to the Oregon State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.
John Stirek graduated from Oregon State in 1982. After a long tenure with the Trammell Crow Company/CBRE, one of the leading real estate development firms in America, Stirek retired in 2024. He now serves on the Board of Directors for Summit Bank. Stirek currently chairs the Athletic Director Board of Advisors at Oregon State, and is a co-chair of the OSU Foundation Campaign. Previously, he chaired the OSU Foundation Board.
In addition to the committee, Barnes will rely on a corporate search firm, DHR Global, to assist with head-hunting coaching candidates.
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Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.