Oregon State football coach Jonathan Smith has emerged as the leading candidate for the vacant position at Michigan State, sources tell Sports Illustrated.
Smith’s Beavers finished the regular season with an 8–4 record after 31–7 loss to rival Oregon on Friday night. The Spartans (4–8) also played Friday night, losing 42–0 to Penn State in Detroit. With both regular seasons concluded, the Michigan State search is expected to move quickly from this point and could be concluded this weekend.
Michigan State has been working through a list of candidates since the school fired Mel Tucker in September over a sexual misconduct scandal and have zeroed in on Smith, sources said. Smith resurrected the program at his alma mater, where he’s been the head coach since 2018.
