Jonathan Smith penned a brief letter to Oregon State fans on Saturday after he was officially announced as the next Michigan State head coach.

“As I start this next chapter of my coaching career, I want to first thank all the players, coaches, and colleagues I have worked with the last six years,” Smith wrote in a message shared on social media. “I will cherish the memories and friendships. I also want to express my deepest gratitude to the people of OSU/Corvallis for your support.

“When I first arrived as a freshman college student, I had no idea the opportunities and relationships this community would provide for me and my family. The collective impact you have made makes it impossible for me to thank everyone individually, but I am forever grateful.”

Smith went 34-35 in six seasons as the Oregon State head coach. He’s 18-7 over the last two years.

After taking over a downtrodden program, he has taken the Beavers to three consecutive bowl games and re-established the program as a respectable one. Oregon State won 10 games and the Las Vegas Bowl last season, netting Smith the Pac-12 Coach of the Year award.

Oregon State opened the 2023 season at 8-2 before back-to-back losses to Washington and Oregon to close out the year.

Smith is expected to be introduced at Michigan State at a news conference next week.