College football has no patience for losers. Every program is eager to win and prove their dominance in the game, and the result? Coaches are facing the adversity of these desires. Early fallouts are resulting in firing, and HCs like Mike Gundy, Brent Pry, DeShaun Foster, and Sam Pittman have already been shown the door by their teams after a rough start. Even buyouts aren’t able to save the coaches from getting fired. And now one more gets added to the list. After having the worst special teams unit so far in the season, Oregon State head coach Trent Bray and the program fired special teams coordinator Jamie Christian.

Christian came to Oregon State in 2024 with over two decades of experience and after spending four seasons at New Mexico. But crucial mistakes during the game, ended his tenure at Oregon State. The Beavers are near the bottom in every special teams statistic. The team is averaging a measly 33.9 net average yards on punt.

Speaking about the decision Trent Bray made a bold admission and said, “Now is the right time to make a change in our football program, and I have relieved Coach Jamie Christian of his duties at Oregon State. All of us appreciate Coach Christian’s commitment to helping us build the program and wish him the best moving forward.” The Beavers are just 3 out of 8 on field goal attempts this season. And it’s not just about one game. Their special teams are showing a poor performance in every game.

Since the start of the season, the Beavers’ special teams have been making things tough for them, as they let Fresno State score a touchdown on a punt return. Then against Houston, two of their field goals were blocked. And the worst part is one of them could have won them that game. And what worked as the last nail in the coffin for Christian is missing an early 28-yard field goal against App State. So, now it’s pretty clear why Trent Bray took this bold decision. Bray himself is on thin ice with a 5-13 record.

Meanwhile Oregon State’s Athletic Director Scott Barnes demanded an instant improvement in the team’s condition. “I understand and share your disappointment with how our football season has started. My expectations for our program are high, and right now, we are not meeting them,” Barnes said. “Head Coach Trent Bray and I are reviewing every aspect of the program and committed to making immediate changes. With half of the regular season still ahead, there remains an opportunity to continue improving in every area.” Now, here comes the bigger question: if not Christian, who will lead the special teams this season for the Beavers?

Possible special teams replacements for Trent Bray’s team

Oregon State needs an upgrade, and one name that pops up first is Trent Bray’s special assistant, Robb Akey, who could be a perfect fit for this job. During his time as DC for Central Michigan, their defense was one of the best in the conference. They finished in the top four in the MAC for sacks four times. His defenses also allowed the second-fewest rush-yards per game since 2019.

If not Akey, there’s wide receivers coach Patt McCann, who coached special teams early in his career for a couple of seasons. That experience can work in Trent Bray’s favor. His background is also pretty strong, with coaching two 1,000-yard-plus receivers at Fresno State, and that’s Mac Dalena with 1,065 yards last season and Jalen Moreno-Cropper with 1,086 in 2022.

Last but not least, defensive quality control coach Mark Criner, who has also coached special teams at different spots in his coaching career. Now, Trent Bray has a lot of different options on his own team, so it will be interesting to see which one he finally picks to handle the special teams situation.