The JaMarcus Shephard era is here at Oregon State.
OSU announced Shephard as its next head coach Friday morning, marking a new era for the program after a brutal 2025 season that included the firing of previous head coach Trent Bray after an 0-7 start.
What should fans know about the former Alabama and Washington assistant as he makes his way to Corvallis? Here are 10 things to know:
He is a master motivator
Shephard is known for his impassioned speaking style and ability to get the most out of his players. Whether in the day-to-day grind of practice, pregame or in-game, the former DePauw wide receiver can relate to and fire his guys up.
The Beavers could certainly use some of that energy to reset the program from one of its all-time low points, and improve on the player development side. Expect Shephard’s introductory press conference on Tuesday to be fiery.
He could energize the OSU offense
Shephard served as the passing game coordinator and co-offensive coordinator at Purdue, and both an assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator at Washington and Alabama. While Shephard didn’t call plays for the Crimson Tide, he played a crucial role for them and for the Huskies in coaching up elite wide receivers. And with his connections, he could bring in a high-level offensive coordinator.
Washington had the No. 2 passing offense in the country and scored 36 points per game in 2023 on their way to an appearance in the CFP national championship game.
He has experience in the Pacific Northwest
Shephard has never been a head coach, but he was a high-level assistant with Kalen DeBoer at Washington for two seasons prior to their move to Alabama. He was also the wide receivers coach at Washington State in 2016 under then-head coach Mike Leach.
That familiarity with the recruiting landscape out west — combined with the pipelines he built at Alabama, Purdue, Western Kentucky and coaching high schools in his home state of Indiana — could make for a significantly improved recruiting blueprint for the Beavers.
He is older than you might think
Shephard‘s energy and youthful spirit allow him to connect with players half his age. While he will be one of the younger head coaches in FBS, at 42 he is older than both Trent Bray and Jonathan Smith were when they were hired by OSU.
Shephard spent the last 15 seasons preparing for this role and sharpening his skills as a coach, building deep connections across college football at high-level programs. Shephard’s experience was likely a major factor in his hiring at OSU.
He has a unique career path
Shephard coached high school football from 2005-06, but there was a gap before he got his start as a collegiate assistant coach. Shephard’s career actually got started working in the NCAA’s education services division for a few years in order to make ends meet. And he also worked at the National Center for Drug-Free Sports. He did not initially pursue coaching.
But Western Kentucky coach Willie Taggart came calling in 2011, and Shephard parlayed that volunteer coaching opportunity into a highly successful, rising career as a well-paid assistant for some of the country’s top programs. He hasn’t looked back.
‘The J does stand for juice’
At his two most recent stops, Shephard recruited and coached elite players. He knows what it takes to perform at a high level, and convince young guys to join his cause.
That led to recruiting five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams to Alabama in 2024, and Shephard previously coached All-American wideout Rome Odunze at Washington.
“The J does stand for juice in Jamarcus,” Williams told AL.com in September. “He is full of energy, and he don’t need no coffee to start it … He impacts the receiver more than pretty much any other coach I’ve been a part of.”
He is making history
Shephard is the first Black head coach hired by Oregon State football in its history. Cory Hall and Kefense Hynson both served in interim roles for the Beavers in 2017 and 2023, respectively, but Shephard is the first full-time head coach of his background.
Oregon was just 2% Black at the 2020 census, and its college football teams are significantly more diverse.
He impressed OSU’s hiring committee
This wasn’t just a decision by OSU athletic director Scott Barnes. A committee formed by Barnes — which included former head coach Mike Riley and former star wide receiver Brandin Cooks, among others — was impressed by Shephard’s energy and plan for resetting the program during the hiring process.
That committee also included major donors to OSU athletics, some of whom may be more inclined to increase their contributions now that Shephard is the hire. That could make all the difference as Shephard hits the ground running on re-making OSU’s roster.
He could revive OSU’s special teams
While he certainly won’t be back there receiving kicks for the Beavers, Shephard’s experience could lend itself to more success in a phase OSU struggled mightily in this season: special teams.
Shephard still holds the DePauw record for career kickoff return yards with 1,430. Could that lend itself to more success for OSU’s returners? OSU would be happy with, at the very least, competent long-snapping.
He has visited Corvallis before
While Shephard likely took a trip to OSU in the lead-up to his hiring, it was not his first time in Corvallis. On the way to a national championship game appearance, Washington played on the road at OSU on Nov. 18, 2023.
The Huskies scraped by 22-20 against Jonathan Smith’s No. 12-ranked Beavers. It was a defensive battle but a big day for Odunze, who under Shephard’s tutelage as wide receivers coach caught seven passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
Oregon State (2-9) at Washington State (5-6)
- When: Saturday, Nov. 29
- Time: 3:30 p.m. PT
- Where: Martin Stadium — Pullman, Wash.
- TV channel: The CW
- Stream: You can watch this game on DIRECTV (free trial), or with Fubo (free trial). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.
