Oregon State hired Alabama assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator JaMarcus Shephard as its next head football coach, the school announced Friday morning.Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the school, but it’s a five-year deal, per ESPN.Shephard, 42, will be a first-time head coach tasked with resurrecting a program that fell off the last two seasons under Trent Bray. After three consecutive winning seasons under Jonathan Smith, Bray went 5-14 with the Beavers — including an 0-7 start this season — before he was fired Oct. 12.”I’m honored to lead the Oregon State University football program and to join a community that cares so deeply about its student-athletes,” Shephard said in a statement. “We will build a culture rooted in toughness, integrity, and relentless effort, and I’m excited to get to work with our players, staff, and supporters to write the next great chapter of Beaver football.”It’s a return to the Pacific Northwest for Shephard, who has spent the last four years on Kalen DeBoer’s staff after joining him as Washington’s assistant head coach/pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach in 2022 and following him to Alabama ahead of the 2024 season.
