Oregon State interim coach Robb Akey announces staffing changes after Trent Bray’s firing

CORVALLIS — On his first full day as interim coach for Oregon State football, Robb Akey is shaking some things up.

In a lengthy first press conference Monday, which at times veered into mini motivational speeches and soliloquies about the role of a coach in a player’s life, Akey announced multiple changes in the OSU coaching staff for the remaining five games of the Beavers’ season.

“We’ve got changes throughout the football team at this point in time,” Akey said. “On the defensive side of the ball, we’ve got to have a new linebacker coach and new play caller. But we can still build off what guys are accustomed to and build off it that way.”

Previous defensive quality control coach Mark Criner will serve as OSU’s linebackers coach going forward, while Rod Chance and Ilaisa Tuiaki will split defensive coordinator duties, Akey said.

Trent Bray served as both head coach and defensive coordinator before his firing Sunday.

With Jamie Christian fired and Akey taking on a bigger role as head coach after one week as the interim special teams coordinator, the OSU staff will now split special teams coaching amongst themselves. How exactly that looks on gameday remains to be seen for the nation’s worst special teams unit according to Pro Football Focus.

Arguably the biggest change for the Beavers is coming on offense, though, as oft-maligned offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson will no longer call the plays.

That duty belongs to Danny Langsdorf going forward, Akey said. Gunderson will continue coaching quarterbacks and contributing to a group effort in running the offense, Akey said, but his specific title was not made clear.

“The play is just going to come out of a different mouth,” Akey said. “Will there be a bit of a spark there? Maybe. Will there be great minds putting it together? There is, and there has been. Maybe that creates a little bit more, and it’s not because I don’t think Gundy is a good coach. He’s a hell of a coach, he’s a smart guy, and he’s an even better person.”

Akey expressed strong belief in his staff with OSU preparing for FCS side Lafayette on Saturday. With five days to go, the Beavers’ interim leader wants to light a fire under an 0-7 team with little left to play for beyond pride.

Given his manner of speaking, it’s clear Akey has a unique ability to connect with players. Athletic director Scott Barnes mentioned it in his introduction prior to Akey’s remarks.

“We’ve got good coaches in there that have been coordinators before,” Akey said. “Danny’s done it, he’s done it here. He’s done it at other places and has NFL experiences. We’ve got an ability to make things happen in that fashion there.”

Oregon State (0-7) vs. Lafayette (5-2, FCS)

When: Saturday, Oct. 18

Time: 7 p.m. PT

Where: Reser Stadium

TV Channel: The CW (Channel 32 in Portland)

Stream: DirecTV (free trial) or Fubo (promotional offers). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.

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