Washington State-Oregon State rivalry has some unexpected connections this year

Saturday's rivalry matchup features a former head coach, shared coaching roots and an unexpected Pullman connection

In his opening months in Corvallis, Oregon State football coach JaMarcus Shephard, right, has put an emphasis on making personal connections with his players and making sure they feel valued. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It will be the 111th game played between the two remaining elder statesmen of the Pacific-12 Conference when Washington State University visits Oregon State University in Corvallis on Saturday afternoon.

And yet, as familiar as these programs are with each other historically, both have first-year coaches with largely a new staff of assistants.

Through the inner workings of college football, there are a few interesting links between key personnel from both teams.

Here are three storylines to read up on before kickoff Saturday:

Trent Bray returns to Oregon State as Washington State's defensive coordinator

Sep 20, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers head coach Trent Bray. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Almost a year ago to this day, Oregon State University fired Trent Bray after the Beavers’ 0-7 start - their worst since 1991.

The dismissal hurt. Bray was an all-conference linebacker for the Beavers in 2005. He had come back to coach at his alma mater in 2018 on the defensive side of the ball, eventually taking over in 2024 after Jonathan Smith left to take the head job at Michigan State.

“I didn’t think after a year-and-a-half it would necessarily be the end of everything,” Bray told John Canzano in an exclusive interview with “Bald-Faced Truth” last July. “But it didn’t surprise me fully either, though.”

Since being hired as WSU’s new defensive coordinator under first-year coach Kirby Moore, Bray has kept a low profile - and done a masterful job in getting the Cougars’ unit to play among the best in the conference this season.

On Monday, new Oregon State University coach JaMarcus Shephard made sure to give Bray credit for some of the good things he had accomplished while he was with the Beavers.

“Just so we know, there is a gentleman (Bray) on the other side of the field as their defensive coordinator who is very important to this community and spent a lot of time here,” Shephard said. “We have a ton of respect for him and what he’s brought into this program in the past.”

Kirby Moore and Mitch Dahlen share coaching roots

Oregon State co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mitch Dahlen. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

These days, when new Oregon State University offensive coordinator Mitch Dahlen sees first-year WSU coach Kirby Moore, it’s usually in Bend, Oregon, on summer vacation.

“He is a great offensive mind, and always has been,” Dahlen said.

On Monday, Dahlen retraced his long-standing relationship with Moore, beginning with where both got their starts in coaching - at the College of Idaho, an NAIA program.

Moore was hired in 2014 by longtime Coyotes’ coach Mike Moroski to be the team’s receivers coach, which lasted one season.

Two years later, Dahlen was hired to be the College of Idaho’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, which lasted two seasons.

“This is the Coach Moroski bowl for me (Saturday),” Dahlen said.

Moore and Dahlen coached together for one season at Fresno State University in 2021-22. Moore was the passing game coordinator, while Dahlen was the assistant offensive coordinator under Kalen DeBoer.

“These are the fun (games),” Dahlen said. “You want to win these ones more when you know the guy (on the other sideline).”

Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard reflects on his Washington State past

Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Many people might not realize, but early in his coaching career, Shephard spent one season coaching wide receivers at WSU in 2016.

Shephard was coming off spending four seasons at Western Kentucky when he decided to inquire about the staff opening under the late Mike Leach in Pullman.

“I didn’t know anybody on the staff. I didn’t know anybody in the town. I didn’t know anything about Pullman,” Shephard said. “I had never been that far west of the Mississippi (River) to live.”

It was in Pullman where Shephard got to work with his first wide receiver, who would end up playing in the NFL - River Cracraft.

After that season, Shephard left to take the pass-game coordinator job at Purdue. But he admitted Monday that he’s not sure he’d be a head coach right now without spending a year at WSU getting to know high school coaches - and recruits - in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and other parts of the West Region.

“Once you have that experience under your belt where you’ve recruited on the West Coast … now you start making yourself a little bit more marketable and available to anywhere in the country,” Shephard said.