A new plot twist has emerged in USC’s defensive coordinator search. Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith went to Michigan State over the weekend. One would reasonably conclude that his offensive and defensive coordinators were both going to accompany him to East Lansing, but that has not happened. Smith has kept his offensive coordinator, but not his defensive coordinator.
Who is his defensive coordinator? His name is Trent Bray. Notably, Bray’s Oregon State defense limited Caleb Williams and the USC offense to just 17 points last year in Corvallis. It was USC’s lowest-scoring game in 2022. USC and Lincoln Riley could do a lot worse than Trent Bray. If he is hired, it would be a very impressive hire with a natural advantage of giving Riley a West Coast recruiter who could also do some self-scouting of Riley’s offense, given that Bray had so much success in containing the Trojans’ attack last year.
We will see if Riley makes a run at Bray. Meanwhile, Bray is under consideration as Oregon State head coach. Bray is likely not going to Michigan State precisely so he can make a run at the OSU job. If the Beavers don’t hire Bray, then he becomes a prime target for USC.
Make Trojans Wire your home for extensive coaching carousel coverage. We will keep you updated on the latest twists and turns, and of course, on the announcement and the reaction when they happen.
Oregon State defensive coordinator Trent Bray is not following Jonathan Smith to Michigan State 🤔 https://t.co/j6BFDOPhyd
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) November 26, 2023
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