Jonathan Smith keeps circling back to one word when he talks about rebuilding Michigan State: alignment.
For Smith, the idea isn’t abstract. It’s the kind of foundational thing that, in his view, can decide whether a program moves together or drifts apart. That message has come through clearly from MSU’s leadership, too, with president Kevin Guskiewicz stressing the value of a university moving in the same direction and athletic director Dan Bartholomae now working alongside Smith as the Spartans try to restore past success.
“It’s about, number one, being aligned,” Fitzgerald said Monday. “When the board and the president, the athletic director and the head football coach are aligned, great things and special things can happen.”
Fitzgerald pointed to Northwestern as proof of that formula. During his 17 seasons there, he said, the Wildcats were built on trust between the coach and university leadership, and that stability helped produce 110 wins and 10 bowl appearances.
“That program we built was on bedrock,” Fitzgerald said. “But that’s what we’re building here, and obviously, I’m not doing a good enough job yet to get us there. But every day, every rep, we’re getting closer and closer to that.”
The roster-building part of the job has changed dramatically since Fitzgerald’s final season in Evanston. NIL, revenue sharing and the transfer portal have turned roster management into a year-round operation, and programs around the country are already planning for next season while this one is still underway.
Fitzgerald said the Spartans are dealing with that reality, but the immediate priority remains the football in front of them.
“We talk personnel every day, Gas (general manager Bryan Gasser) and I. But as far as, like, that nth degree, with thecoaches right now, our focus is trying to get better infootball,” Fitzgerald said.
MSU at least showed a better version of itself in its last outing. Fitzgerald said the Spartans displayed signs of progress against a Big Ten opponent, even in a 38-37 loss, when they erased a 17-point deficit with a stronger second half. That kind of effort, he said, is the standard they’ll try to bring back Saturday when Northwestern visits Spartan Stadium.
The matchup also carries a personal twist. It will be the first time Fitzgerald coaches from the opposite sideline against his alma mater. He’ll also face David Braun, the defensive coordinator he hired in 2023, the same year Fitzgerald was fired as Northwestern’s head coach.
Fitzgerald said the two have stayed connected since Braun took over the program, and he made clear he’s proud of what Braun has done in a short time.
“David's done a terrific job,” Fitzgerald said. “Really happy for him.
(He’s) someone that I got to know through the interview process, and then to bring him on board. He's done an absolutely terrific job leading the program, putting his stamp on it and doing it his way, which every great head coach does.”
Even with old ties running through the week, Fitzgerald said his focus is squarely on Michigan State now. The memories of Northwestern, he said, are meaningful - but they’re not the point of this week’s work.
“I’m really proud of my time there as a player and as a coach,” Fitzgerald said. “But I’m a Spartan, and I’m fired up to be here, and I’m honored to be here. And our focus is getting the team ready to play this Saturday.”
In Other News...
Michigan State Showed Something Fans Desperately Needed To See
For a Michigan State program that has spent too much time searching for signs of life, Saturday offered a little of everything the fan base has been waiting to see. The Spartans dug out of a 16-point second-half hole against Illinois, with Alessio Milivojevic delivering one of the cleanest outings of his young tenure, completing 22 of 26 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns. The offense had a better rhythm once the game tightened, and Nick Sheridans play-calling helped Michigan State find answers when it needed them most.
Still, the ending left the sort of sting that tends to linger, because the comeback only got the Spartans as far as overtime. After trading blows with Illinois into the extra session, Michigan State came up just short in a 38-37 loss when a two-point try failed, leaving plenty to sort through even as the team can point to real progress. Pat Fitzgeralds visible passion on the sideline matched the urgency of the moment, and for once the Spartans could at least take something concrete from the performance even if the final result refused to cooperate. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan States Most Puzzling Illinois Usage Change Came In A Huge Spot
Michigan States 38-37 overtime loss to Illinois was already going to be remembered for its late swings, but the personnel choices inside the game were just as eye-catching. With injuries thinning out the secondary and linebacker group, the Spartans had to shuffle roles on the fly, and that meant leaning on true freshman cornerbacks in important spots while sorting through a defense that was short-handed in the middle of the field.
Offensively, one of the stranger wrinkles came with tight end Carson Gulker, who actually lined up at quarterback and completed a pass, a small but telling sign of how much Michigan State was willing to dig into its bag. At the same time, running back Marvis Parrish, listed as the second back, saw limited involvement, leaving another subtle usage question hanging over a game the Spartans had every chance to steal. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State May Be Building Real Recruiting Momentum With Top-100 Target
Michigan States recruiting push is starting to look more intentional under Pat Fitzgerald, and a recent visit from 2027 target Gideon Gash is another sign the Spartans are trying to turn that approach into real momentum. Gash is currently committed to Texas Tech, but his trip to East Lansing also fits a broader effort to strengthen ties at Detroit Catholic Central High School, where Michigan State has been working to establish itself as a regular presence.
There is also the family angle, with Gideons older brother Samson already in the program as a freshman wide receiver, giving the Spartans a built-in connection that matters when relationships are the foundation of recruiting. More than anything, it speaks to the cultural shift Fitzgerald is trying to sell, one that could help Michigan State stay in the mix for prospects who already have a pledge elsewhere while keeping the program in the conversation at key local schools. [Read more 🡒]