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New Oregon State Head Coach Gary Andersen Faces Tough Task Against "Best of the Best"

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New Oregon State head coach Gary Andersen understands the task ahead of him in his first year in the Pac-12 Conference.

"It was, if not the best, one of the best conferences in the country [in 2014]," he said. "It’s an elite league from a standpoint of athleticism, dynamic offenses and physical play within the front sevens."

That combination of dynamic offense and physicality left the Beavers struggling to a 5-7 season, which ended with the surprising departure of longtime head coach Mike Riley for Nebraska.