Oregon State players celebrate their 2-2 draw against Washington on Thursday that clinched the Pac-12 men’s soccer title.

CORVALLIS — Terry Boss isn’t just the Oregon State men’s soccer coach. He lived the place as a child.

Growing up in the shadow of the campus in Philomath, Boss attended Beaver soccer games. An all-state goaltender at Philomath High, Boss nearly attended OSU, but decided Tulsa’s soccer program was a better fit.

Friends attended Oregon State and played for the Beavers. Oregon State is a school he’s held in high regard, so much so that when the men’s soccer job came open in 2018, Boss pounced.

Four years later, the 40-year-old Boss looks out of his small office window at Gill Coliseum toward Lorenz Field, a place where magic is happening this season.

Playing in front of the first capacity crowd at Lorenz last Thursday, No. 1 Oregon State tied No. 3 Washington 2-2 to win its first-ever Pac-12 men’s soccer championship. The Beavers, whose roster is heavy with international players, celebrated in style with students and just about anyone who came onto the field. At one point, the entire team joined near the goal and joyfully tossed Boss into the air several times.

Oregon State (12-2-3) was named the No. 1 overall seed in the 48-team tournament on Monday. The Beavers will host playoff games, if they continue to win, until the semifinal round.

“It’s a place I’ve always cared about,” Boss said. “To be able to sit in this seat and help build on the shoulders of people that came before you … it’s a pleasure to be in your hometown and be able to do this.”

Oregon State soccer has never experienced anything like this until Boss took over four years ago. Since the program began in 1988, the Beavers won one league title prior to Boss’ arrival, the 1990 Northwest Collegiate Soccer Conference, facing the likes of Whitman, Evergreen State and Puget Sound.

This is Oregon State’s third NCAA tournament appearance during Boss’ four-year tenure. The Beavers have never been past the playoff’s second round. In 2021, Oregon State is not only expected to make a run, but also on a short list of favorites to win the national championship.

“Terry Boss, he has that relentless mindset. This guy’s a hard worker, and that rubs off on the team,” junior midfielder Sofiane Djeffal said. “Players want to get better every day, improve every day because that’s what he’s doing himself.”

Oregon State is Boss’ first stop as a head coach. Boss came from Virginia, where he was an assistant for one of the country’s top programs. Boss had a plan to boost OSU fortunes. Boss’ first agenda was assembling a coaching staff. He didn’t want yes men. Assistants B.J. Craig and Ryan Zinkhan, coaches who have come from college championship programs, have been with Boss from the outset at OSU.

“I wanted people that are different from you, but galvanized by the same purpose, to watch young men and take their gifts and use them for good,” Boss said.

Second was developing a clear identity. Boss felt it was key to selling his program and agenda to recruits. He wanted a program known as playing “brave.” A style of play that allowed the Beavers to control the game, with or without the ball. It includes using the goalkeeper for more than just protecting the goal.

“We know we’re going to give a couple balls away, but hopefully our structure is such that it doesn’t hurt us and we can win it back right away and play forward,” Boss said.

Oregon State recruits players worldwide, a common approach for top NCAA teams. The Beavers have 18 international players on their roster, most from Europe or Africa. OSU’s top 13 players in points this season are internationals.

Recruiting globally is time consuming, expensive … and worthwhile, in more ways than the win-loss record.

Boss played professionally on rosters that were international and grew to like the culture.

“I became a much more well-rounded human being,” Boss said. “I was clear from the start that was something I wanted to have in our locker.”

It’s difficult, however, to have a melting pot of players from various continents on one team.

“But it’s beautiful when we get it right,” Boss said. “There’s moments when it is a little bit more difficult. The good far outweighs the bad. The growth far outweighs the discomfort at times.”

Once they land on campus, expectations become clear. Boss and his staff drive players to want to be their best.

“He always asks for more. It’s never good enough. When you have a coach like that, you can only get better. It’s a pleasure, and an honor to play for him,” Djeffal said.

Boss has proof that it works. A year ago, Oregon State forward Gloire Amanda won the Hermann Trophy, an honor that goes to the national player of the year. Coaches often say they can take a recruit places. Boss has evidence.

“When you have a player who has come and gone and progressed …. I think that helps,” Boss said.

Amanda left OSU after last season’s campaign, and now plays professionally in Europe. For outsiders, they might have seen that as the crowning achievement for Oregon State soccer. The Beavers and their nice little story.

Turns out, OSU was just getting started. The Beavers lost the national player of the year, yet responded by producing the best season in school history.