Michigan State football: 5 candidates to replace Mel Tucker as head coach

Jonathan Smith might be tougher to pry from Oregon State than people may realize. While many would say that Oregon State is not quite on Michigan State’s level and can’t pay as much, Smith played football for the Beavers and this would probably be referred to as his dream job.

Almost everything has a price, though. If Michigan State is able to improve his salary comfortably and bring him to a more stable conference, he could find that to be intriguing.

The Pac-12 is going to be a shell of itself and Oregon State is kind of stuck in no man’s land with four members joining the Big Ten this offseason and four more going to the Big 12. Joining a stable conference at a program that has more resources would entice any head coach, especially one with a Pac-12 program still looking for more clarity in 2024 and beyond.

Smith would be a great fit. While he’s not quite known as an elite recruiter, he could do much better at Michigan State than Oregon State. Plus, he’s a winner and has turned around a program that had been stuck in the mud for years.

Not many coaches could make Oregon State relevant. Smith did just that.