JaMarcus Shephard on Pac-12: "Now we get to create new history"

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Yesterday, the Pac-12 official Youtube channel released a nineteen minute conversation between Oregon State's first year head coach JaMarcus Shephard, and former Pac-12 Network personality Yogi Roth.

This piece spotlights three quotes from that interview.

Shephard on revving the chainsaw, and restoring Oregon State's winning tradition

"There's something about when you get a chance to really do that [rev up Oregon State's signature turnover chainsaw], you want it to be a special moment, so I'm holding off until I get that moment."

Shephard on his inspirations

"I gotta give a lot of credit first and foremost to my wife. She gives me the opportunity to lead in our own household, and that's where it starts.

She's been the rock, but she also gives me the time and opportunity to do that with my players, and creates an environment in our home that makes our players feel welcome. [We try to] make them feel like this is home, and you're in the home of someone who is here to lead you. I gotta give kudos to her first and foremost.

Then when you start talk about Willie Taggart, and the places he's been in his career, and then you start thinking about some of the people that have worked under him, he really hired really great coaches. Some of 'em are head coaches all across the country. Bobby Petrino – with all the different things that he's been through in his career, you know – you get a chance to watch it, right there, first hand, you get a front row seat to everything that he's gone through, it impacts you. Jeff Brohm, I mean, what else do I need to say?

Then Kalen DeBoer, he's just shown me the way of being an exceptional leader. Kalen's allowed me to use my leadership skills that came innately, and then polish it a little bit."

Shephard on the newly restored Pac-12 Conference

"A lot of credit needs to be given to [the] athletic director at Washington State, but certainly [Oregon State departing athletic director] Scott Barnes, at Oregon State. They sort of put that stake in the ground, said we're not going anywhere, and I can't tell you how much that means to a lot of the alumni of the Pac-12. He did a great job of making sure that this league stayed relevant and capable of being a part of the college football playoff, and not just league that was an afterthought. This is a league that is going to be right there at the forefront that nobody wants to schedule.

I think it just means a lot to the people have been a part of this league for a long period of time with the history of this league. I mean, you talk about all those elite games where, USC and Oregon and Washington, and talk about Apple Cups, you start talking about the Civil War, you start talking about all these big time games, UCLA, and just its meant a lot to folks. So the great about it is we're launching a new one, and now we get to create new history. That's what's important to me. That's what's exciting to me. Anybody can go and be a part of some of these other programs around the country where history has already been made. You know what?"

Today's best reads

• State of the Beavs: Listener Q&A + Pac-12 Football Questions
• What teams are in the new Pac-12 in 2026-2027?
• Oregon State Football Position Preview: Tight Ends
• Thirteen Oregon State Players Named to Athlon Sports All-Pac-12 Team
• Oregon State in EA Sports College Football 27: Team Ratings, Player Ratings, Pac-12 Rankings

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oregon-state as JaMarcus Shephard on Pac-12: "Now we get to create new history".

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