Michigan State Taps John McNulty as New Quarterbacks Coach After Bajakian's NFL Departure
Michigan State didn’t waste any time filling the void at quarterbacks coach, and they landed a seasoned hand in John McNulty - a veteran coach with deep ties across college football and the NFL.
McNulty steps in for Mike Bajakian, who left the Spartans after just a month on staff to join the Cleveland Browns. The move wasn’t entirely unexpected, given Bajakian’s prior working relationship with new Browns head coach Todd Monken. Still, it left a key hole in Michigan State’s offensive staff - one head coach Pat Fitzgerald moved quickly to patch.
“We wanted someone with coordinating experience, similar to Jake, to add to the room,” Fitzgerald said Wednesday in East Lansing. “Offensively, someone with quarterback background experience. That speaks for itself with John McNulty.”
McNulty, 57, brings a wealth of experience to East Lansing, both at the collegiate and professional levels. Most recently, he served as a senior offensive assistant at Rutgers in 2025 - his third stint with the Scarlet Knights. Before that, he was part of Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama in 2023 and 2024, working as an analyst, including a season alongside current MSU offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan.
That connection to Sheridan is notable. Continuity and shared vision are crucial when building out an offensive staff, especially one tasked with developing quarterbacks in a new system. McNulty’s familiarity with Sheridan’s approach should help ease the transition and provide stability in the quarterback room.
A former Penn State safety, McNulty’s coaching résumé is as deep as it is diverse. He’s served as offensive coordinator at both the college and NFL levels, including stops at Boston College (2022) and Rutgers (2004-06).
His NFL experience includes quarterback coaching stints with the Arizona Cardinals (2012), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013), and Tennessee Titans (2014-15). He’s also coached wide receivers and tight ends during his 15 seasons in the league.
On the college side, McNulty has logged time at Michigan (where he started as a grad assistant from 1991-94), Notre Dame, Penn State, and Connecticut. That kind of breadth - across positions, programs, and levels - gives him a unique lens for developing quarterbacks and understanding how to tailor an offense around a signal-caller’s strengths.
Fitzgerald made it clear that while Bajakian’s departure happened quickly, it wasn’t a total surprise. When Monken was hired by Cleveland, Fitzgerald saw the writing on the wall - and supported Bajakian’s decision to make the jump.
“I’m really happy for Jake,” Fitzgerald said. “And I’m thankful he was on planes, trains, and automobiles all over the country seeing quarterbacks - flights canceled, flights delayed. I mean, he grinded.”
Now, it’s McNulty’s turn to take the reins. With spring practice on the horizon and quarterback development a top priority for the Spartans, Michigan State is betting on experience, familiarity, and a proven track record to guide the next phase of their offense. McNulty is set to begin his new role next Tuesday.