CORVALLIS — The Oregon State football coaching search is heating up and a final decision could leak from the walls of the school’s athletic offices in the coming days.
Final interviews were expected this week, according to multiple reports, and a possible name was rendered moot Tuesday.
North Dakota State coach Tim Polasek, considered one of the finalists for the OSU job, signed a new contract Tuesday with the Bison. Presumably, his candidacy in Corvallis provided additional leverage in these negotiations.
Barring a last-minute bid for newly fired California coach Justin Wilcox, that puts OSU at an inflection point.
Sources on the periphery of the coaching search tell The Oregonian/OregonLive that OSU has just two finalists left: Montana State coach Brent Vigen and Alabama co-offensive coordinator JaMarcus Shephard.
We met Vigen at Portland International Airport on Sunday. He did not want to say the purpose of his visit. Multiple reports indicate that Shephard also landed in Portland this week for a possible interview.
Both candidates bring distinct resumes to this position.
Vigen, 50, is an established winner at an FCS power, going 57-12 in five seasons at Montana State. He fits the mold of a program builder, which OSU athletic director Scott Barnes said was a major part of his search criteria.
Shephard, 42, was a high-level assistant at Washington and Alabama under Kalen DeBoer. He is a passionate speaker and motivator with significant recruiting success, having coached elite receivers during his recent stops, and is considered one of college football’s emerging coaches.
Both candidates have their potential drawbacks, but Barnes will likely choose one of them in the coming days, according to sources. However, an introductory press conference is not expected before the beginning of next week.
The Beavers finish their 2025 season Saturday against Washington State in Pullman, Washington.
Oregon State (2-9) vs. Washington State (5-6)
- When: Saturday November 29
- Time: 3:30 p.m. (Pacific Time)
- Or: Martin Stadium – Pullman, Washington.
- TV channel: The CW
- Flow: You can watch this game on DIRECTV (free trial) or with Fubo (free trial). Streams of this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.
