Trent Bray brings back his LB knowledge to the Beavers.
Former Oregon State linebacker Trent Bray will return the Beavers as a graduate assistant and work with the linebackers starting this spring, Bray said Wednesday as he was driving from Arizona to Corvallis.
His hire will be able to relieve defensive coordinator Mark Banker from working with a position group so he can oversee the entire defense.
Bray had been the linebackers coach with Arizona State the last two years, but was out of a job when the Sun Devils fired coach Dennis Erickson after the season.
“There were a couple other options I had in the Pac-12, but to come back and work with coach (Mike) Riley and Banker, I felt that was too good of an opportunity to pass up,” Bray said.
Bray finished playing with the Beavers in 2005, then spent some time with the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans before joining the Sun Devils for two years as a graduate assistant.
Trent Bray
That led to an assistant coaching position with the California Redwoods of United Football League in 2009 before rejoining the Sun Devils.
OSU and Arizona State, under Erickson, ran similar defenses, which allows Bray to transition back-and-fourth easily.
“It’s a good situation, since we ran a similar package at Arizona State,” Bray said. “It’s what I played in, so it should be an easy transition.”
Graduate assistants have three years they can work with college teams. So this would be Bray’s only season in this capacity.
“I haven’t thought about it,” Bray said of his long-term plans. “The plan right now is work with the linebackers and worry about the future after the season.”
For more on the background of Bray, read my story I did on him leading into ASU’s trip to Corvallis two years ago.
22 comments
chris says:
Feb 15, 2012
At some point you will have to get the scoop on working with Vontaze Burfict.
mike says:
Feb 15, 2012
Two good hires in a week.
Go beavs.
Dan says:
Feb 15, 2012
Cliff, are you covering Beaver Baseball this year?
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Feb 15, 2012
Not on a regular basis.
tim318 says:
Feb 15, 2012
Wish there was more coverage in the G-T on baseball. Good to see an article today. I’ve already read two articles in the D-H on UO Ducks baseball.
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Feb 15, 2012
It’s a long season. Don’t worry.
Dan says:
Feb 15, 2012
Cliff -
Any updates on baseball would be great. I have two questions that I’m hoping you can answer. Is Garret Nash on the team this year? And why isn’t Adam Duke scheduled to get a start this weekend, wasn’t he supposed to be one of the best pitching prospects OS has ever seen?
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Feb 15, 2012
Nash is at Dixie State College in Utah. It’s a D2 school to be closer to home.
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Feb 15, 2012
And Duke had offseason surgery. He’s coming back.
When healthy, he has electric stuff. They are not rushing him back.
aaron_ says:
Feb 16, 2012
That sucks! You do a great job covering baseball!
tim318 says:
Feb 15, 2012
Bray is a good hire, but interesting in that he is only able to be a GA for one season for OSU. What about Darlin and Meeuwsen as the other GA’s? If nothing else, I like the insider knowledge Bray brings.
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Feb 15, 2012
Meeuwsen is the DB guy, Darlin was dealing with the DL last year.
Details of all this is still being worked out. I’ll update with that later.
JuneauJim says:
Feb 15, 2012
Where are all the Riley Haters on this one?? I can’t imagine they took a day off!
RenoNVBeavr says:
Feb 15, 2012
Well you just had to chime in, JUNEA. No complaints here about the Bray hire for GA. Bray was a classic overachiever at the LB position and like Mitch Meuw, I always thought he would make a great coach someday.
Now…just wanted to point out the hire that Riley DID NOT make: Justin Wilcox, new DC for UW. Riley elected to have Banker continue “teaching” the D with his mind-numbing scheme rather than make a change. OBTW, Justin Wilcox was singularly responsible for defusing the potent Duck offense with a marginally talented D at BSU…twice!
kersting13 says:
Feb 16, 2012
Wilcox D did fine vs hole in Boise in ’09, with an undertalented group, but that didn’t seem to help Tennessee defend the ducks in 2010.
UW is paying Wilcox a ridiculous salary of something like $750K.
If you want a guy with a “name” like Wilcox, just put your money where your mouth is, and OSU might be willing to make the change, just for you.
RenoNVbeavr says:
Feb 17, 2012
KERSTING – Considering that UT offense was abysmal against a mediocre Duck Defense, going scoreless the entire 2nd half, giving up 400 yrds is alot better than 600+, twice to the Ducks in the last 4 CW games and nearly 500 yrds in the other 2. At what point do we quit settling for mediocrity. The Beavs D-cooridnator gave up 670 yrds in the last CW. 670 YARDS!!! Anywhere but at OS the DC or even HC would have been fired for such ineptude against an arch rival.
Disgrunted says:
Feb 16, 2012
Cliff,
Word on the street is that attrition on the football team has already begun. Perhaps you should inquire…
dili says:
Feb 17, 2012
According to Scout this morning Garner is leaving the team, so is J. Lagrone, and a cornerback was just suspended. Not a haoppy day for Mike. It just gets more dizzzzzmal all the time. There is a dark cloudover this program. TIME FOR A CHANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dan says:
Feb 17, 2012
You mean a center who won’t play next year and a reserve safety with a bad knee are leaving the team, what a tragedy. Throw in a corner who has never seen the field and you are right, what a dizmal day….
dunstvangeet says:
Feb 17, 2012
My understanding is that we can only have 2 actual GAs out working with the players, according to NCAA regulations. Would either Darlin or Bray move to an administrative role, not working with the players, much like what Ryan Gunderson did a few years ago?
NCAA Rule 11.7.2 Football Bowl Subdivision – There shall be a limit of one head coach, nine assistant coaches and two graduate assistant coaches who may be employed by an institution in bowl subdivision football.
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Feb 17, 2012
That rule is changing to four GAs. Non of the are officially going to be adminstrative, but Darlin and Meeuwsen will do more of that than Bray. Bray is the LB coach.
dili says:
Feb 17, 2012
Dan, I didn’t know Mike Riley has a brother named Dan. You have your opinion and I have mine.