CORVALLIS — Oregon State football fired second-year head coach Trent Bray on Sunday morning, signaling a sharp turn for a program in crisis amid an 0-7 season.
The Beavers’ second season since the collapse of the Pac-12 Conference has been an unmitigated disaster, with blowouts piling up against stronger teams and winnable games slipping away thanks to poor play.
Robb Akey will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of OSU’s season. Akey, a coaching veteran, served as special assistant to the head coach under Bray and interim special teams coordinator.
OSU athletic director Scott Barnes thanked Bray, a former player, for his “energy and determination” and said “he will always be a Beaver.” An internal search committee is being formed and an outside search firm sought out to help find the next OSU coach.
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“This was a difficult decision, but the results on the field were not acceptable and after evaluating every aspect of the football program, I believe it is in the best interests of OSU football student-athletes, our fans and our university,” Barnes said in a statement Sunday.
The Beavers were roasted by Wake Forest on Saturday, losing 39-14. It was the latest in a string of defeats brought on by self-inflicted errors and a lack of effort.
After the game, Bray said he was frustrated, disappointed and still trying to figure out how to fix the season.
“It’s unacceptable to me where we’re at. That’s just how I look at it,” he said Saturday. “What can I do? I’ve got to look at it. What can I do different to get these guys going?”
Asked about his job security, he said that decision was out of his control: “I’m just going to show up until they tell me I can’t.”
Bray, who previously served as defensive coordinator for the Beavers, lost 13 of his final 14 games as coach dating back to last season. He was hired to the top job in November 2023 following the sudden departure of Jonathan Smith, who bolted to Michigan State as the Pac-12 crumbled.
Bray will be owed just over $4 million by OSU after his departure, according to his contract, although some of that would be offset if Bray lands a new job. The entirety of Bray’s buyout will be paid from donor-generated funds, according to OSU.
Current and former players expressed their support for Bray on social media. Bray could not be reached for comment by The Oregonian/OregonLive on Sunday.
Even as Oregon State spiraled this season, Bray was reluctant to shake up his coaching staff. He waited until last Sunday to fire special teams coordinator Jamie Christian, despite the Beavers having the worst special teams unit among 136 FBS programs.
“Now is the right time to make a change in our football program,” Bray said of Christian’s firing last week.
Barnes released a statement at the time, saying “my expectations are high, and right now, we are not meeting them.”
Barnes added that he was working with Bray to review “every aspect of the program and is committed to making immediate changes” — changes that one week later included ousting Bray.
Bray, 42, starred at linebacker for the Beavers from 2002 to 2005. He got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Arizona State in 2008 under Dennis Erickson, eventually landing back in Corvallis as a graduate assistant and linebackers coach under Mike Riley in 2012.
Bray followed Riley to Nebraska in 2015, returning to OSU in 2018 to coach linebackers under Smith. He was promoted to interim defensive coordinator midway through the 2021 season before taking on the role full-time in 2022 and 2023.
Bray finishes his tenure as OSU head coach with an overall record of 5-14 across less than two seasons. Now, ahead of the first season for the rebuilt Pac-12 in 2026, the Beavers will be in search of a new face to lead the program into an uncertain future.
OSU players will have 30 days, starting Monday, to enter the transfer portal following Bray’s firing. Akey inherits a Beavers team with five games remaining, including winless Sam Houston (0-6) and Tulsa (2-4) next month.
This marks the second time in eight years that OSU’s season has been upended by a head coaching change. In October 2017, with the Beavers at 1-5, Oregon State and head coach Gary Andersen agreed to mutually part ways.
The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Bill Oram contributed to reporting for this story.
Next game: Oregon State (0-7) vs. Lafayette (5-2, FCS)
- When: Saturday, Oct. 18
- Time: 7 p.m. PT
- Where: Reser Stadium
- TV Channel: The CW (Channel 32 in Portland)
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