The head coaching carousel in college football has been spinning since mid-September, when both USC's Clay Helton and Uconn's Randy Edsall were among the first program heads to be dismissed.
As the college season begins its final month before league championship games and the College Football Playoff, coordinators are becoming the targets of major changes.
Add Oregon State defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar to the list of casualties on a day that also includes Florida defensive play-caller Todd Grantham and Washington offensive play-caller John Donovan being told their services no longer are needed.
OSU head coach Jonathan Smith announced the removal of Tibesar late Sunday night.
“I felt it was the right time to make a change in our football program and have relieved Coach Tim Tibesar of his duties at Oregon State,” Smith said in a statement. “All of us thank Coach Tibesar for his hard work and professionalism the past four years and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.
“In the interim, Coach Trent Bray will serve as our Defensive Coordinator and coach Kendrick Van Ackeren will transition from Defensive Analyst to working on-field with our linebackers.”
Oregon State is arguably one of college football's most surprising teams in 2021, with wins already against USC, Washington and Utah.
But the Beavers have slumped their past two outings in games they likely believe should have been wins. OSU dropped a 39-25 decision at a Cal team wracked by injuries and this weekend fell, 37-34, to Colorado in double-overtime.
The Beavers fell behind 10-0 in the game and later trailed 20-10 before they rallied to force the extra sessions, only to fail to score in the second stanza.
Oregon State has home games remaining each of the next two weeks against Stanford and Arizona State before it closes its season with rival Oregon in Eugene.