Sources: Oregon State fires Bray after 0-7 start

Oregon State has fired coach Trent Bray in the wake of an 0-7 start, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

It is the worst start for the Beavers since 1991, when they started 0-10.

Bray is an Oregon State alum who got promoted to the head coaching job after Jonathan Smith left for Michigan State after the 2023 season.

Bray finishes with a 5-14 record after taking over in 2024. He's expected to be owed a little more than $4 million in buyout money, as he was in the second year of a five-year contract.

The move comes after a difficult start for the Beavers, which included heartbreaking losses at home to Houston and on the road at Appalachian State. Wake Forest handily won in Corvallis on Saturday, 39-14, with a backup quarterback starting for the Demon Deacons.

Special teams coordinator Jamie Christian was fired following the loss to Appalachian State, with athletic director Scott Barnes saying he would evaluate the program.

"My expectations for our program are high, and right now, we are not meeting them," Barnes said in a statement last week.

The move comes amid a time of financial uncertainty in college athletics, as Oregon State is set to be part of the refurbished Pac-12 in 2026. Oregon State is adjusting to significantly lower television payouts.

Oregon State made three straight bowl games under Smith prior to his departure, and Bray was a linchpin of that rebuild. Oregon State was ranked as high as No. 10 in the country in 2023.

Bray is a former All-Pac-12 player at Oregon State, an honor he earned back in 2005.