JaMarcus Shephard didn’t step to the podium Tuesday upon being introduced as the 33rd head coach in Oregon State history. He grabbed it, applied a headlock and infused his prepared remarks with equal doses of passion and ambition.
At one point during the 18-minute sermon, Shephard discussed his upbringing in Indiana, where “things around me weren’t going in a great direction to provide me with everything I needed in order to see what my future could be.
“Throughout that time,” he continued, “I just knew I wanted something different. I wanted something special with my life. That’s what coming to Oregon State is. I wanted something different and something special, an opportunity to build, and that’s what we have here. We have a chance to build.”
That’s one way to frame the challenge.
The 42-year-old Shephard, who spent the 2024-25 seasons at Alabama, takes charge of an OSU program in disarray — a program that fired his predecessor after 19 games, lost its conference, endured two dreadful seasons and will begin a new chapter in seven short months.
On July 1, 2026, the reconstructed Pac-12 goes live with six new football schools joining Oregon State and Washington State.
The competition looks vastly more daunting now than it did in September 2024, when the five Mountain West schools announced their moves into the Pac-12.
At the time, the Beavers were rolling under first-year coach Trent Bray and seemed well-positioned to not only hold their own against the newcomers but thrive.
Then everything unraveled. Oregon State lost 13 of its next 16 games, dismissed Bray, embarked on a coaching search that hit a few potholes and ended with Shephard’s appointment.
The backdrop is comparably fluid.
In those same 15 months, San Diego State ascended under Sean Lewis, Fresno State hired a proven coach in Matt Entz and Colorado State went bold with Jim Mora. And don’t forget about Spencer Danielson, who has only won 77 percent of his games over three years at Boise State, or Utah State’s Bronco Mendenhall, who has 146 career wins.
Oregon State? The Beavers followed the failed tenure of a first-time coach (Bray) by hiring another first-time coach.
Seasons spent as college head coaches:
Mendenhall: 19Mora: 10Lewis: 7Entz: 6Danielson: 3Shephard: 0
To be clear, Shephard is not Bray. A single utterance or smile flashed makes that abundantly clear. His drive is relentless and his personality infectious.
“Kids will want to play for him,” said an industry source who has worked with Shephard during his two decades as an assistant coach, coordinator and lauded recruiter.
Also, those kids will want money.
During his remarks Tuesday, Shephard outlined his vision for the months and years ahead, for the process that will elevate the program in its new home.
“Each one of us has to take our different blocks and set them next to each other … and those building blocks need to talk to one another and communicate with one another and spend time with one another,” he explained.
Two building blocks are more important than the others:
— Roster economics: How much cash will the Beavers devote to revenue sharing?
The power conference schools will plow at least $13 million into their rosters. At the Pac-12 level, the amount is expected to be substantially less — maybe $7 million annually, maybe $5 million.
Where will Oregon State fall on the cash continuum?
Shephard could be the second coming of Mike Riley or Jonathan Smith. But without sufficient resources, he won’t land the players needed to compete with Boise State and San Diego State.
— Staff expertise: How much brainpower will surround Shephard?
Shephard played receiver in college, coaches the position as well as anyone and has worked for some of the brightest minds in the sport. But he has never been the primary playcaller.
Neither has his choice for offensive coordinator, Mitch Dahlen, who worked alongside Shephard at Alabama and has extensive experience with Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer.
Even more important for Shephard: his pick for defensive coordinator.
The most important hire any new head coach makes is the coordinator for the other unit. Will Shephard appoint a wise veteran — the smart move — or opt for youthful energy?
All of which is to say: If Shepard surrounds himself with expertise and has the requisite funding to attract and retain talent, the Beavers have a chance to succeed in the new Pac-12.
In fact, that’s the only path forward.
Passion and ambition don’t win games. Not in the sport’s new era and not in OSU’s new conference.
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