Michigan State didn’t waste any time making waves after the season finale. Less than 24 hours after parting ways with Jonathan Smith, the Spartans made a bold move, hiring former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald.
It was a jolt to the coaching carousel - not so much because Smith was let go, but because Fitzgerald’s name hadn’t been floating around in the usual rumor mill. Yet athletic director J.
Batt clearly had a plan in place, and he didn’t hesitate to execute it.
At first glance, the hire sparked mixed reactions. Some fans were skeptical, questioning the timing and wondering if Fitzgerald was still the right fit in today’s rapidly evolving college football landscape.
But as the dust has settled, there’s been a noticeable shift in perception. More and more, Spartan fans are seeing shades of Mark Dantonio in Fitzgerald - a coach who brings discipline, toughness, and a no-nonsense approach that East Lansing has long embraced.
And it’s not just nostalgia fueling the optimism. Fitzgerald has been busy assembling a strong staff, signaling that he’s not easing into this job - he’s attacking it.
Backed by one of the largest assistant salary pools in the Big Ten, he’s got the financial firepower to bring in top-tier coordinators and position coaches. Add in Michigan State’s willingness to spend in the transfer portal, and Fitzgerald’s working with tools he never had at Northwestern.
Let’s not forget what he accomplished in Evanston. Fitzgerald turned a program with limited resources, strict academic standards, and modest recruiting budgets into a team that won 10-plus games multiple times.
He did that with rosters that, on paper, looked closer to the MAC than the Big Ten elite. That’s not just coaching - that’s maximizing every inch of what you’ve got.
Now, he steps into a situation with far more support. Better facilities.
Bigger recruiting budgets. More NIL backing.
At Michigan State, Fitzgerald can cast a much wider net - and he’s already shown he knows what to do when he reels in talent.
Still, not everyone’s sold. ESPN’s Bill Connelly didn’t just question the hire - he ranked it dead last among the 30 coaching moves made this cycle.
That’s right: 30 out of 30. According to Connelly, no hire was worse.
That’s a bold take, especially when you consider Fitzgerald’s résumé. Yes, the final years at Northwestern were rough, and yes, he’s been out of the game for a bit. But to write him off as a relic of a bygone era ignores the reality of what he accomplished - and what he now has at his disposal.
This isn’t about sentimentality. It’s about fit, infrastructure, and track record.
And when you line those things up, there’s a real argument that Michigan State has made a high-floor, high-ceiling hire. Fitzgerald’s teams have always been tough, well-coached, and fundamentally sound - and now he’s got the resources to elevate that formula to a new level.
Time will tell if he can turn the Spartans into a consistent Big Ten contender again. But dismissing the hire outright?
That feels premature. Fitzgerald’s not just back - he’s got something to prove.
And if his past is any indication, he’s more than capable of proving it.