Oregon State Officially Announces New Playcaller Mitch Dahlen
In this story:
It's officially official.
Less than two weeks after initial reports trickled out, Oregon State officially announced their new offensive coordinator: Mitch Dahlen.
"I couldn't be more excited to be coming back to a place I consider home," Dahlen explained in the school's press release. "I have spent many Saturdays in the stands at old Parker Stadium and to see how far this place has come is amazing. The history of this football program has been in my blood since I was a kid, and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to lead this offense. Coach Shephard is a true leader of men and I am excited to get to work for one of the best coaches in the country. I am looking forward to hearing the chainsaw in front of a sold out Reser in the fall."
MORE: Mitch Dahlen Brings Strong QB Development Track Record to Oregon State
Dahlen, a Redmond native, has orange & black in his veins: his father Chris was an offensive lineman on Oregon State's football teams from 1983-86. At the same time, his mother Monica majored in marketing at Oregon State. The Dahlen's youngest son Matt walked-on to the Beavers' men's basketball team from 2015-17.
Dahlen's coaching career began in 2011, calling plays for Sandy High School (Sandy, OR) west of Mt. Hood. Partly due to a late October 41-7 offensive eruption versus conference rivals Hood River Valley, the Pioneers reached the Oregon high school football playoffs for the first time in ten years. In 2013, Dahlen returned to his alma mater Southern Utah as assistant quarterbacks coach.
A disciple of Kalen DeBoer, Dahlen first connected with the offensive guru at Fresno State in 2020, serving as DeBoer's offensive quality control coach. When DeBoer earned Washington's head coaching gig in 2022, Dahlen joined him. After Alabama brought DeBoer to Tuscaloosa following Nick Saban's retirement in January 2024, Dahlen followed his mentor's path once again. At each of his last two coaching stops, Dahlen worked alongside new Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard.
Officially, Dahlen will serve as Shephard's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
Have you checked out State of the Beavs?
Each week, veteran sports broadcaster and writer Matt Bagley examines the news and storylines at play for Oregon State University Athletics. Occasionally joined by contributors for On SI's coverage of the Beavers, as well as the occasional guest spot from Beavers past, present, and future. Get caught up with the playlist below. New episodes are typically released on Tuesday mornings.
Want to interact with the show? Talk to Matt: mbagleyradio@gmail.com
Subscribe on Apple
Subscribe on Spotify
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.