Michigan State set to hire former Big Ten head coach, per report
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Michigan State fired Jonathan Smith on Sunday after two seasons. Now, the Spartans appear to have an immediate replacement lined up for him.
According to the Detroit Free Press’s Chris Solari and Graham Couch, Michigan State will hire former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who served as the Wildcats’ head coach from 2006 to 2022.
It would be the first head coaching job for Fitzgerald since being fired in July 2023 amid investigations of hazing within the Northwestern football program. He later filed a $130 million wrongful termination suit before reaching a settlement with the university in August. At the time of his dismissal, he was 110-101.
At Michigan State, Fitzgerald would oversee a program that is only a few years removed from an 11-win season, a Peach Bowl victory, and a Top 10 postseason ranking. It hired Mel Tucker after the 2019 season to replace the retired Mark Dantonio, with Tucker leading the Spartans to an 11-2 mark and a win over Pitt in the Peach Bowl in 2021.
Tucker, though, was fired in September 2023 after sexual harassment allegations were levied against him. Ahead of the 2024 season, Michigan State hired Smith after six seasons at his alma mater, Oregon State.
The university, though, will embark on a third head coaching search in six years after it fired Smith on Sunday. Smith’s record in two seasons was 9-15, with his five wins in 2024 vacated by the NCAA as punishment for staff recruiting violations committed under Tucker.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
