What is Trent Bray's Future at Oregon State?
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When Jonathan Smith took the reins of Oregon State’s football program in late November 2017, he introduced himself to Beaver Nation by showing off a shiny 2001 Fiesta Bowl championship ring.
When his successor Trent Bray took over in November 2023, Bray lacked Smith’s jewelry, but they shared something else: a deep and storied bond over Oregon State University.
Will that bond survive this season?
Doubt was first sewn on the eve of fall camp, when a viral TikTok video appeared to show doorbell camera footage of a then-unnamed Oregon State football player, now believed to be sophomore cornerback Exodus Ayers, pulling a young woman by her hair. Despite outrage from the associated student body at Oregon State, Ayers practiced all fall camp. Bray shot down reporters’ questions on the matter. Then very suddenly on the eve of the season opener, Oregon State’s top defensive back was a healthy scratch. In the weeks since, Ayers hasn’t played a snap, but he was mentioned in a police report, and involved in court over a since-dismissed stalking protective order. All that time, Bray has offered little more than no comment when asked about Ayers’ status with the program, while Ayers’ attorney has suggested that the student-athlete is serving a secret suspension.
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What’s more, fans have grown restless with the on-field product. First came a season opening loss to California headlined by a puzzling fourth quarter punt, followed by an embarrassing home loss to future Pac-12 members Fresno State (with a colorful halftime interview), all before a beatdown in west Texas last Saturday.
Fans have questions, and now the local media seeks answers. In Bray’s latest press conference on Monday, The Oregonian sports columnist Bill Oram asked the head coach point blank, “Do you believe you’re still the right person to lead this program?”
Right now, his boss is nodding yes. Yesterday, Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes reached out personally to local radio personality John Canzano, and requested the opening slot on John’s statewide sports talk show. In defense of Beaver Nation, and his coach, Barnes offered that fans “[have] been patient. They've been loyal. They have a right to be frustrated. I hear them, man, I hear them... I have great belief that Trent (Bray) is the right guy”.
After leading Oregon State to a middling 5-7 season in 2024, the Beavers have slid to an 0-3 start, with no end in sight. Their arch rivals Oregon, up next on the schedule, are ranked fifth in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Ducks are a juggernaut: two weeks ago, against Oklahoma State from the Big 12, Dan Lanning’s defending Big Ten champions won by a whopping 66 points.
Still, Barnes believes in Bray. There are also external factors swaying him to hold firm. The new Pac-12 television deals are expected to bring in significantly less than the Conference of Champions’ previous payouts, and Oregon State is still trying to pay off a recent $163 million renovation of Reser Stadium. Another complication is the state of the program: when Oregon & Washington jettisoned the Pac-12, the Beavers faced an uncertain future. Most Oregon State starters hopped in the portal or declared early for the NFL draft, while administrators frantically tried to schedule games for 2024 & 2025, and head coach Jonathan Smith jumped towards the relative stability of a Big Ten Job at Michigan State.
Many coaches would make the same choice as Smith. Trent Bray chose a different path: he stayed behind. Less than two years later, time will tell if the Beavers stay with him.
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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.