Relationships can lead to new opportunities.

That was true for Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles, whose relationship with his head coach while at Oregon State, Jonathan Smith, eventually led him to East Lansing.

“He treats everybody the same,” Chiles said about Smith. “Everybody’s a player and everybody is also a person. We're not just players to him. And that’s what I like the most, I can talk to him about anything.”

Near the end of Chiles’ freshman season with the Beavers, there were talks of Smith leaving his alma mater to go coach at Michigan State. Chiles heard what was happening and asked Smith about it.

Smith was open about it, to an extent, which Chiles understood.

“When I heard it, I asked him about it,” Chiles said about the process of finding out that Smith might be heading to East Lansing. “He talked about it. He couldn’t say too much, I understand.

“The process of me actually getting here, it was a very easy decision for me. I committed to Oregon State as a program at first and then throughout (my) entire freshman year, I had conversations with Coach Smith the whole time, and we just got a closer, a closer bond. And he’s my coach, that’s why I followed him here.”