Mike Bajakian’s stay in East Lansing was brief - and that might be putting it lightly.
Less than a month after joining Michigan State’s staff, Bajakian is reportedly on his way back to the NFL, accepting a job as the Cleveland Browns’ quarterbacks coach. That move, first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, leaves new Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald with an early vacancy to fill - and a key one at that.
Fitzgerald brought in Bajakian on January 2 to coach quarterbacks, a familiar face from their time together at Northwestern. The two worked side by side from 2020 to 2023, with Bajakian serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach during that stretch. That familiarity made him a natural fit for Fitzgerald’s first staff in East Lansing - but the reunion didn’t last long.
Bajakian had just signed a two-year deal worth $775,000, including $375,000 for this upcoming season. His hiring was seen as a stabilizing move for Michigan State’s offense, especially with a new regime taking over and questions surrounding the quarterback position heading into 2026. Now, Fitzgerald will have to pivot quickly to find a replacement, just two months into his tenure.
The 51-year-old Bajakian brings a deep resume with him to Cleveland. He’s logged 19 seasons in the college game, with stops at Utah, Massachusetts, Northwestern (twice), Boston College, Tennessee, Cincinnati, and Central Michigan.
He’s also no stranger to the NFL. He previously coached quarterbacks for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2015 to 2018, overlapping with new Browns head coach Todd Monken, who served as Tampa’s offensive coordinator from 2016 to 2018.
Bajakian also spent time with the Chicago Bears, adding another layer of pro experience to his résumé.
For the Browns, this hire adds a coach with a strong developmental background and a long history of working with quarterbacks at both the college and professional levels. For Michigan State, it’s a sudden shakeup in a critical position room - and Fitzgerald’s first real test in navigating staff turnover.
The timing isn’t ideal, but this is the nature of coaching in today’s football landscape. Opportunities at the NFL level can come quickly, and for Bajakian, the chance to reunite with Monken and return to the league was clearly too good to pass up.
Now the question shifts to East Lansing: who steps in next to guide the Spartans’ quarterbacks - and how quickly can Fitzgerald find the right fit to keep the program moving forward?