Key Points:
- Thirteen FBS teams have changed head coaches this season, including major programs like LSU and Florida.
- Oregon State’s coaching vacancy has former Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst emerging as the leading candidate.
- Interim coach Robb Akey has led Oregon State to two straight wins after Trent Bray’s firing.
As college football teams across the country prepare for their Week 11 matchups, there are 13 FBS programs out of 136 that are currently doing so without the head coach they started the year with.
Notable coaches such as James Franklin (Penn State), Billy Napier (Florida), Brian Kelly (LSU) and Hugh Freeze (Auburn) have all been fired within the past few weeks. While those are viewed as the marquee jobs and have been generating the most buzz and fun candidate conspiracies, one of the more underrated jobs is the Oregon State opening.
The Beavers fired Trent Bray on Oct. 12 after the team’s 0-7 start to the season, ending his brief tenure as the head coach in Corvallis with a total record of 5-14. While Oregon State was essentially banished to the Group of Five level after they were left behind in the Pac-12 with Washington State during the latest wave of conference realignment, there is a chance for the program to emerge as a frequent College Football Playoff contender in the coming years.
The Pac-12 is set to welcome six new football-playing members, bringing it to the required eight for its inaugural season next year. A sentiment that means they can make a case for being one of the five highest-ranked conference champions year in and year out.
While plenty of names have been tossed around for this job, On3’s Pete Nakos revealed that there is one that he keeps hearing.
Frontrunner for Oregon State head coaching job
According to Nakos, former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst seems to be the most popular name for the Beavers head coaching vacancy.
“The top name sources have brought up since On3 initially released its hot board is former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst,” Nakos wrote. The former Badgers quarterback had two stints as an offensive coordinator in Corvallis. He was the head coach at Wisconsin from 2015-22, where he went 67-26 with four double-digit win seasons before being fired in 2022.”
Following his firing at Wisconsin, Chryst spent one season at Texas, where he served as a special assistant to the head coach in 2023.
Nakos also provided an update on former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron, who was at one point linked to the job, but is seemingly no longer being viewed as in the mix at this time.
When the Oregon State job opened last month, On3 reported that former LSU coach Ed Orgeron was interested in the job. His interest is still there, but his name has cooled off in recent weeks.
Under interim head coach Robb Akey, Oregon State has secured its first two wins of the season, beating Lafayette and Pac-12 rival Washington State. The Beavers will host Sam Houston on Saturday (0-8) with a prime chance to win a third game in a row.