When Jonathan Smith took over at his alma mater back in 2018, Oregon State had just won a total of seven games over the previous three seasons. The program had hit an all-time low, winning just one game in 2017 under Gary Andersen and interim coach Cory Hall.
Smith knew he was facing a massive rebuild.
In year one, he won just two games, going 2-10 on the year with a 1-8 mark in Pac-12 play. In year two, he improved Oregon State to 5-7, and he quadrupled his Pac-12 wins. The 2020 season was a wash, and I don't think any coach should be held responsible for poor seasons during COVID-19, and Smith went 2-5 that year.