The Trent Bray era at Oregon State is over. Bray was fired on Sunday, one day after a home loss to Wake Forest dropped the Beavers to 0-7 on the season.

Bray went 5-14 in two seasons as head coach, promoted to the job when Jonathan Smith left for Michigan State. The Beavers were 5-7 last year, but this season has spiraled downward, with special teams woes costing victories, including against Houston a few weeks ago. Bray fired his special teams coordinator a week ago.

So, how good is the Oregon State job? What names could get in the mix? Based on conversations with industry sources, here is a report card for the job and the potential candidates to watch.

Recent history/tradition: C

Oregon State has always been working uphill, but the moment right now may be tougher than ever before. This is a program that had 28 consecutive losing seasons from 1971-98, then won a Fiesta Bowl to cap an 11-1 year in 2000. After two decades of mostly solid play, the quarterback of that team, Jonathan Smith, led the Beavers to 10 wins in 2022 as head coach. But then he left for Michigan State after the 2023 season.

Smith’s departure came amid the impending collapse of the Pac-12, as 10 schools left for other Power 4 conferences. Oregon State and Washington State have rebuilt the conference with Mountain West schools and Texas State, beginning play next year, but the Beavers are no longer in a power conference, losing the prestige and money that comes with that. And now facing the potential of a winless or one- or two-win season, the next coach will walk into a program at a new low point.

On-field outlook: C

The Beavers have played close in some games this year. They should’ve beaten Houston if not for such dreadful special teams. But after a home blowout loss to Wake Forest, some players admitted that other players had quit putting in the effort.

While the conference realignment hurt OSU, the remade Pac-12 next year should give the Beavers a more competitive playing field against mostly Mountain West schools. There will be a path to wins and the College Football Playoff.

“It’s a completely different world than when Trent was hired,” said an industry source. “They’re going in with the expectation they’ll be at the top of the new Pac-12.”

Oregon State entered this season 60th nationally in 247Sports’ Team Talent Composite, which is based on high school rankings of players on the current roster. That was actually ahead of Illinois. Receiver Trent Walker has been a bright spot with nearly 600 receiving yards, but he will be out of eligibility. Quarterback Maalik Murphy does have another year available.

It’s hard to predict any team’s roster after a coaching change, but new transfer portal rules could help. No longer can players enter the portal when a coach is fired. Beginning this year, they cannot enter the portal until five days after a new coach is hired or announced, perhaps giving that new head coach a fighting chance to keep more players (if he wants to).

Money matters: C+

While OSU and WSU were awarded tens of millions of dollars from the Pac-12 exodus, the long-term money situation is difficult. The new Pac-12’s media rights deal isn’t fully complete, but the payout will be far less than it used to be and in line with the upper end of the G5. Revenues have dropped dramatically, and stadium remodeling debt continues. OSU is also in the middle of a Pac-12 lawsuit with the Mountain West over poaching fees.

The Beavers have tried to make moves in the NIL/revenue share space, like grabbing Murphy, but the Beavers are more at the Group of 5 level on that front. The school is also facing some local backlash for its deal with NIL company Blueprint Sports, which can take a big cut of the pie if certain benchmarks are met.

But the school believes its facilities are as good as anyone in the new Pac-12, and it has a motivated group of donors ready to step up.

University stability: B-

The aforementioned conference realignment of the past few years has taken a toll on Oregon State and Washington State more than anyone else. Athletic director Scott Barnes and president Jayathi Murthy have been in lockstep trying to navigate this new terrain as well as possible, but the conference change has undoubtedly impacted the trajectory of everything.

Coach pool: C+

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen: Washington State replaced its coach last year with a top coach from the FCS, and Oregon State may try the same. Vigen is 51-12 in five years at Montana State, twice reaching the national championship game and currently ranked No. 5. The North Dakota native spent 1998-2013 at NDSU, then followed Craig Bohl to Wyoming as an assistant from 2014-20. Vigen’s been in the mix for Mountain West jobs in the past, and this would be a bit of a step up from that.

UC Davis head coach Tim Plough: He’s 16-4 in two seasons at Davis, currently 5-1 with the No. 6 team in the FCS after a top-five finish a year ago. After 13 years as an FCS assistant, Plough was the offensive coordinator at Boise State in 2021 and 2022 and then spent a year at Cal.

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck: He’s led the Grizzlies to the top of the FCS several times over multiple stints. His team is currently 6-0 and ranked No. 4, two years after reaching the national championship game. His first stint from 2003-09 saw the Grizzlies reach the FCS title game three times, though he’s never won it. The 61-year-old had a rough 15-49 stint as UNLV head coach in between and has also coached as an assistant at Washington, Colorado and San Diego State.

Former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst: He was Oregon State’s offensive coordinator from 1997-98 and 2003-04, so he knows the area. Chryst went 67-26 at Wisconsin from 2015-22, with three New Year’s Six bowl appearances but was fired after a 2-3 start in his final year. He also wouldn’t have to deal with the same recruiting expectations of the Big Ten, that is, if he wants to get back into coaching. He spent 2023 as a Texas staffer but hasn’t coached in an official capacity since then.

New Mexico head coach Jason Eck: He followed the path from the FCS (Idaho) to the Mountain West, and Eck has brought a ton of excitement and winning to the Lobos. They beat UCLA and then sold out a home game for the first time in 18 years and now sit at 3-3. Oregon State is a better job than New Mexico, but Eck may be able to find bigger opportunities, depending on how the rest of the season plays out. Perhaps that could even include his alma mater, Wisconsin.

San Jose State head coach Ken Niumatalolo: The longtime Navy head coach took the Spartans to a bowl in his first season last year and could bring stability. He won at least eight games with the Midshipmen nine times, though he finished with three consecutive seasons of four wins or fewer. This year’s team is 2-4, but every game has been decided by one score, other than the loss to Texas.

Cal senior offensive assistant Nick Rolovich: He was a solid head coach at Hawaii (where he won 10 games) and Washington State before he was fired in 2021 for his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine. He also attempted to sue WSU after that. He’s popped back up in the college ranks this year at Cal, which is off to a 4-2 start behind impressive Hawaiian quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

Michigan State offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren: Bray got the job over Lindgren last time. If Oregon State tries to stay in the family, Lindgren could be an option for the good work he did coaching the Beavers quarterbacks and offense from 2018-23. His time at MSU has seen mixed results, however.

Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi: He’s been a potential name to watch if his alma mater Cal opens, but the Bears are off to a good 4-2 start. Lupoi has always been a strong West Coast recruiter dating back to his time at Alabama and Washington, and he’s played a key role in Oregon being one of the best teams in the country over the last three years. But he also may wait for better opportunities.

Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore: The brother of New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore, Kirby got lots of Mountain West head coaching interest last year. The Tigers had two offensive players selected in the first two rounds of this spring’s NFL Draft, and they’re 5-1 this year behind new quarterback Beau Pribula, nearly knocking off Alabama.

Overall: C+

It’s unfortunate that Oregon State was left behind in conference realignment. Fans have been sad, angry and frustrated, all rightfully so. In this new era, as a Group of 5 (now 6) job, there is potential upside in a more winnable conference now compared to the old Pac-12. Unlike other job openings amid a winless season, the new conference is a unique opportunity for a quicker turnaround. But the advantage that OSU could long hold over places like Boise State in recruiting was that it was at a higher level. That’s no longer the case. Projecting the future of this program is difficult amid all the change, but OSU will expect to compete for championships in the new Pac-12, and bowl games are a reasonable expectation.