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 one possible name was rendered moot Tuesday.
North Dakota State coach Tim Polasek, believed to be among the finalists for the OSU job, signed a new contract Tuesday with the Bison. Presumably, his candidacy in Corvallis provided extra leverage in those negotiations.
Barring a last-minute candidacy for newly fired California coach Justin Wilcox, that puts OSU at an inflection point.
Sources on the periphery of the coaching search told The Oregonian/OregonLive that OSU is down to two finalists: Montana State coach Brent Vigen, and Alabama co-offensive coordinator JaMarcus Shephard.
We caught up with Vigen at Portland International Airport on Sunday. He would not say the purpose of his visit. Multiple reports indicate Shephard also landed in Portland this week for a possible interview.
The two candidates bring distinct résumés to the job.
Vigen, 50, is an established winner at an FCS power, boasting a 57-12 record in five seasons at Montana State. He fits the mold of a program-builder, which OSU athletic director Scott Barnes declared as a major piece of his search criteria.
Shephard, 42, has been a high-level assistant at both Washington and Alabama under Kalen DeBoer. He is a passionate speaker and motivator with significant recruiting success, having coached elite wide receivers at his recent stops, and is viewed as one of the rising coaches across college football.
Both candidates have their potential drawbacks, but Barnes is likely to choose one of them in the coming days, sources say. An introductory press conference isn’t expected until early next week, however.
The Beavers wrap up their 2025 season Saturday against Washington State in Pullman, Wash.
Oregon State (2-9) at Washington State (5-6)
- When: Saturday, Nov. 29
- Time: 3:30 p.m. PT
- Where: Martin Stadium — Pullman, Wash.
- TV channel: The CW
- Stream: You can watch this game on DIRECTV (free trial), or with Fubo (free trial). Streaming broadcasts for 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.
