A veteran of the Pac-12 Conference and former head coach at Oregon State University, Trent Bray has been named to Head Coach Kirby Moore’s Cougar staff as the program’s defensive coordinator. Bray is a native of Pullman, as his father Craig served as the secondary coach on both Dennis Erickson’s (1987-88) and Mike Price’s (1994-99) staffs.
Bray brings more than 10 years of experience in the conference, including the previous two seasons as head coach at Oregon State (2024-25), also serving as defensive coordinator for the 2025 campaign. It marked Bray’s second stint with the Beavers, previous working as graduate assistant/linebackers coach from 2012-14, before returning to Corvallis in 2018 to coach linebackers.
Bray, a 2022 Broyles Award nominee for the nation’s top assistant coach, completed his sixth season during his second stint with the Beavers in 2023. He came back to Oregon State in 2018 as the team’s linebackers coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator in November 2021.
The OSU defense immediately became of the top units in the Pac-12 under his guidance. Oregon State gave up six fewer points per game in 2022 compared to 2021, while also allowing 55 fewer yards. The Beavers also posted a Pac-12-best 71 pass breakups. In addition, Oregon State led the conference in red zone defense, while allowing the fewest plays of 10 or more yards.
The Beavers’ 2023 defense was stout, allowing 340 yards and 21.3 points per game under his tutelage, both of which ranked among the Pac-12’s leaders. The Beavers gave up 104 yards per game on the ground, good for 15th nationally, and the team’s scoring defense was less than 3 points per game shy of the top-20. Oregon State finished the 2023 regular season second in the Pac-12 in total sacks (36), third in tackles for loss (72) and interceptions (12) and fourth in fewest opponent plays of 10 or more yards.
Bray and the Beavers participated in the 2023 Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl. He did not coach in the game but was a big part of the team’s third consecutive bowl game.
It marked the 11th bowl all-time for Bray, who played in three as a player. It was his eighth as a collegiate coach.
Bray coached two All-Americans during his second OSU tenure – Avery Roberts in 2021 and Hamilcar Rashed Jr. in 2019. Rashed Jr. set the Oregon State single-season record with 14 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss during his All-American season. Roberts, meanwhile, led the Pac-12 in tackles in back-to-back seasons (128 in 2021, 69 in 2020), ranking seventh nationally in 2021.
Jack Colletto, who was converted to linebacker after coming to OSU as a quarterback, was named the 2022 Hornung Award winner as the most versatile player in college football. Nine linebackers, meanwhile, were named All-Pac-12 performers in his six seasons, while 20 total defensive players earned conference recognition since Bray was named defensive coordinator.
The 2022 Broyles nomination was the second for Bray. He was nominated in 2016 during his second year at Nebraska as the team’s linebackers coach. Bray, while with the Cornhuskers, helped lead Nebraska to a No. 9 national mark allowing just 109 rush yards per game in 2015.
Bray’s first stint on the Oregon State coaching staff came from 2012-14. He opened his tenure as a graduate assistant and was moved to linebackers coach in 2013. He helped Oregon State to trips to the Alamo and Hawai’i Bowls, and was part of a defensive staff that saw OSU ranked second in the conference for scoring defense and third for rush defense in 2012.
He opened his collegiate coaching career from 2009-11 at Arizona State. Bray was a graduate assistant with the Sun Devils in 2009 before leading the team’s linebackers in 2010 and 2011. ASU finished first in the conference in rushing defense in 2010 while placing third in third down and red zone defense. He coached former NFL eight-year veteran Vontaze Burfict during his tenure in Tempe.
Bray lettered for the Beavers from 2002-05, starting 34 consecutive games during his career. He ranks sixth for a career with 337 tackles, and was a 2005 Pac-12 First-Team selection. He totaled 122 tackles in 2004 and was named a second-team all-conference selection. He was also the 2004 Insight Bowl Most Valuable Player after recording 10 tackles.
Bray is a 2007 graduate of Oregon State, earning a degree in sociology.
Trent Bray Coaching History
2026-Present: Washington State – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2024-2025: Oregon State - Head Coach
2021-2023: Oregon State - Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2018-21: Oregon State – Linebackers
2015-17: Nebraska – Linebackers
2012-14: Oregon State – Graduate Assistant and Linebackers
2009-11: Arizona State – Graduate Assistant and Linebackers
