Michigan State’s Quarterback Coach Hire Raises Eyebrows - And Questions About the Program’s Direction
When Michigan State officially brought in Pat Fitzgerald to lead the program, there was already a fair amount of scrutiny surrounding the decision. Now, with his first major staff hire - bringing in Mike Bajakian as quarterbacks coach - that scrutiny isn’t going anywhere. If anything, it’s intensifying.
Let’s call it what it is: this move wasn’t about recent results. It was about familiarity.
Bajakian and Fitzgerald go back to their time together at Northwestern, where Bajakian served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2020 to 2022. That connection clearly carried weight in East Lansing. But for a Michigan State program trying to climb out of a rut - five losing seasons in the last six years, including a 4-8 finish this fall - the hire raises some tough questions about priorities.
Because here’s the reality: Bajakian’s offenses at Northwestern struggled. And not in a “growing pains” kind of way - we’re talking about bottom-of-the-barrel production in the FBS.
Take a look at the scoring output during his three-year run as OC:
- 2020: 24.7 points per game - ranked 93rd out of 128 FBS teams
- 2021: 16.6 points per game - 125th of 130
- 2022: 13.8 points per game - 128th of 131
Even in his most recent season calling plays - 2024 - the offense didn’t exactly rebound, averaging just 22.1 points per game, which ranked 106th out of 133 teams.
That’s not the kind of track record that typically earns you a spot on a Power Five coaching staff. Especially not at a program that’s desperate to return to relevance in a Big Ten that’s only getting deeper and more competitive.
Now, to be fair, it’s not all about numbers. Coaches often lean on people they trust, especially in transition years.
And Fitzgerald clearly trusts Bajakian. But trust doesn’t always translate to results - and in this case, Michigan State fans have every reason to wonder whether this move is more about comfort than competence.
It’s also worth noting that Fitzgerald’s own recent history doesn’t exactly scream “forward-thinking.” Northwestern went 4-20 in his final two seasons before his firing in July 2023, and much of that decline was tied to his inability - or unwillingness - to adapt to the rapidly evolving transfer portal era. In today’s college football landscape, failing to embrace change is a recipe for irrelevance.
So when the first major hire under Fitzgerald is someone whose offenses have consistently ranked near the bottom of the FBS, it’s fair to ask: has anything really changed?
Michigan State isn’t just trying to win games - it’s trying to re-establish itself as a serious contender in a conference that now includes powerhouses like Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and USC. That’s a tall order. And it’s going to take more than familiarity and past relationships to get there.
This hire doesn’t doom Fitzgerald’s tenure before it starts, but it does set a tone - and not the one Spartan fans were hoping for.