Editor’s note: This article has been updated to account for the selection of the Interim Special Teams Coordinator.
After an 0-6 start to the 2025 football season, Oregon State Athletics and Head Coach Trent Bray have finally made changes. Following their 27 to 23 loss to Appalachian State, the team has decided to let go of Special Teams Coordinator Jamie Christian.
“Now is the right time to make a change in our football program, and I have relieved Coach Jamie Christian of his duties at Oregon State,” Head Coach Trent Bray said in an email. “All of us appreciate Coach Christian’s commitment to helping us build the program and wish him the best moving forward.”
Christian led one of the worst special teams units in all of FBS college football. Per PFF grade, the special team’s unit was graded second to last out of 136 FBS teams, only behind Colorado State.
Notable moments that happened under Christian’s unit are both blocked field goals against Houston, poor snapping that led to missed field goals against both Fresno State and Texas Tech, along with kickoff and punt defense.
Against Cal they allowed an average of 24.3 yards per punt return, 22.3 yards per kick return against Appalachian State, a 42-yard punt return allowed against Fresno State and an average of 24.2 yards per kick return also against the Bulldogs. All numbers were higher than the averages that Oregon State had.
As of Sept. 29, the special teams unit scored a 46.3 PFF grade for their special teams. For reference, PFF grades on a scale of 1-100, and Nebraska boasted the top graded special teams with a 91.1 (back on September 15).
The announcement came minutes after Athletic Director Scott Barnes sent out an email regarding the football team’s struggles.
“Head Coach Trent Bray and I are reviewing every aspect of the program and committed to making immediate changes. With half of the regular season still ahead, there remains an opportunity to continue improving in every area.”
Robb Akey will be in charge of Christian’s duties for the rest of the season.
“Coach Akey’s gonna take it over,” Bray said in a press conference on Monday. “He will be working with the special teams among with some other help from assistant coaches and all that, we have decided to handle it that way.”
