Jonathan Smith has done wonders with Oregon State’s football program in his five years.

The Beaver head coach took over a program that was widely considered the doormat of the Pac-12, one that had just three wins in 27 conference games during the three seasons prior to his arrival. In 2022, Oregon State recorded just the third double-digit-win season in program history.

Smith shared Coach of the Year honors in the Pac-12 with Washington’s Kalen DeBoer for his part in the 10-win campaign.

ESPN’s Chris Low showed some love to Smith on Twitter Thursday, saying the job he did this past season was the most underrated coaching job of anyone in the country.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin agreed.

The recognition for what Smith has done to build up the Beavers has come in waves this winter. Kiffin and Low are only the latest to heap praise on Oregon State.

And the Beavs were no joke. They knocked off Oregon in stunning fashion. They nearly took down Washington on the road. They beat the stuffing out of Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl. Two of the team’s three non-conference wins came over teams that would go on to win 10 games.

As a result, the things that happen to good programs have happened to OSU this offseason. One of Smith’s assistants got a new job with an assistant head coach title. A household name the country over picked Oregon State out of the transfer portal. The Beavs are in way-too-early Top 25s, and next fall they have strong odds of landing in the AP’s preseason top 20 for what would be just the second time in 50 years.