Oregon State offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf throws a pass during warmups earlier this season in Corvallis.
Scobel Wiggins
Corvallis Gazette-Times

When Oregon State fell 44-20 to BYU on Tuesday night in the Las Vegas Bowl, it closed another chapter for former McMinnville High and Linfield standout Danny Langsdorf. It wasn’t quite the finale Langsdorf and his Beavers had in mind, but it does little to diminish the success the offense has had during his time in Corvallis.

OSU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Langsdorf was truly the man behind the Beavers’ offense this season after taking over in-game play calling from head coach Mike Riley in the middle of last season. It was a big switch, but OSU hasn’t missed a beat and Langsdorf has excelled in his new role.

“It came about after we played Penn State (last year),” he said. “So it was fairly early, but it was kind of rushed. This year I had a little bit more time to prepare and get ready for it, and I’ve been more comfortable. I think you get more comfortable as you go through the season and get game experience, more than anything. But any time you’ve got a good runner and a good quarterback, you’ve got a chance. Those two things, they sure help us be better coaches when you have good players.”

It’s been a rather circuitous route, Langsdorf’s trip to Corvallis. After high school, the quarterback played for Boise State from 1991-93, lettering once and earning Big Sky Conference All-Academic honors his sophomore season. He transferred to Linfield and earned the Wildcats’ starting job in 1994 and ’95, playing for his father, Ed Langsdorf. His junior season at Linfield, Langsdorf threw for 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns, setting what was then a single-game school-record 493 passing yards against Southern Oregon. Named to the All-Northwest Conference team, Langsdorf lost much of his senior season to injury, finishing with 2,724 passing yards in his two seasons with the Cats.

Before landing at OSU, Langsdorf, 37, spent time with Edmonton in the Canadian Football League (1999-2001) and the NFL’s New Orleans Saints (2002-04). He started as the Saints’ offensive assistant/quality control coach and Langsdorf’s last two seasons in New Orleans were spent as the assistant wide receivers coach/special teams coach.

“I always wanted to coach, ever since I can remember,” he said. “I grew up around Linfield football with my dad, and that was just something I wanted to do. I guess I probably didn’t know exactly where it would take me and where I would end up, but luckily I was able to get back to the Northwest and pretty close to home. And that’s been really, really neat for myself and my wife, who’s from Portland.

“We were down in New Orleans having a good time, but it was sure great to get back up here.”

Last season, with Langsdorf’s help, the Beavers finished second in the Pac-10 for pass offense, averaging 249 yards per game. The team was third in total offense (407.1) and was also strong in pass efficiency and scoring. The Pac-10 Offensive MVP was Jacquizz Rodgers, the first freshman to ever earn the award. Six offensive players earned all-conference honors, with three making the first team. Oregon State also defeated Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl.

This season, the story was much the same.

Clearly, Langsdorf knows what he’s doing.

It’s just as clear that he truly loves his job.

“It’s very rewarding,” he said. “You get to really develop close relationships with these kids. You recruit them and you get to know their parents and their families, and then they come and spend five years with you as you coach them. You really get to know these guys and the relationships you build are pretty special.

“It’s hard to believe, but (quarterback) Sean (Canfield) and I came in within about a week of each other. He graduated and came in early out of high school and was up here when I got hired right about the same time. So we’ve been together since Day 1. We’ve really gotten to know each other well and have had good times and bad. And, you know, you really grow close in those situations.”

And that, he added, is the difference between professional football and the college game. The football, when it comes right down to it, is the same. But there’s little room for relationships or teaching in the NFL.

“You don’t recruit the guys. You sign them and pay them and it’s a job,” he said. “It’s a real business deal. In terms of the jobs, they’re all hard jobs with a lot of hours and a lot of time away from your family. That’s the tough part. But this is a great classroom to teach kids about life. And that’s the way we approach it here.”

Langsdorf, who also worked as a graduate assistant at OSU in 1997 and ’98, said much of the thought process behind what is Oregon State football can be credited to Linfield and longtime coach Ad Rutschman. That’s because he isn’t the only one in Corvallis with ties to Mac. Riley was hired as the Linfield defensive coordinator and secondary coach in 1977 under Rutschman. In his six years with the Wildcats, the team was 52-7-1 with five conference championships. His time also included the undefeated 1982 season in which the team won the NAIA Division II championship.

Riley also coached for USC before coming to OSU for his first stint in 1997. He then coached the NFL’s San Diego Chargers for two years and returned to Corvallis in 2003.

When Riley left Linfield in 1983, his replacement was another former Corvallis High star, Jay Locey. Locey took over as head coach at Linfield in 1996 and in his 10 years at the helm the Wildcats were 84-18, winning the NCAA Division III title in 2004. Hired away from Linfield in 2006 by Riley, Locey is now the Beavers’ assistant head coach/wide receivers coach.

“It’s very unique to have so many guys from the same bloodlines come back together,” Langsdorf said. “But early in all of our coaching careers, we had a chance to learn from a wonderful teacher in Coach Rutschman. And I think that’s kind of spilled over into what we’re doing.

“Coach Riley has instilled a lot of the same principals that Linfield does. It’s about growth and development and being a better person and good student and good football player — all the those things that Linfield’s always prided itself on. It’s something that we’ve really tried to instill at Oregon State.”