The moment Mike Riley was fired as the Head Coach at Nebraska, speculation began as to whether he’d be back in some capacity at Oregon State University. Rumors continued to spread after the Beavers’ hiring of former quarterback Jonathan Smith as their new head coach. Smith was a walk-on in Riley’s first year as head coach back in 1997. He then went on to serve as a graduate assistant for Riley in 2003.
Though there are connections between the two, Smith’s recent hire of Trent Bray to the OSU staff ignited further speculation around Riley’s possible return to Corvallis.