It’s been an eventful stretch in Michigan college football, and not in the way fans might’ve expected. In the span of 24 hours, Michigan brought in a seasoned head coach with deep experience, while Michigan State continued reshaping its staff under Pat Fitzgerald-only to face a wave of skepticism from national media that doesn’t quite line up with the facts.
Let’s start in Ann Arbor. Michigan’s decision to hire Kyle Whittingham raised eyebrows-not because of his résumé, which is rock solid-but because of his age.
At 66, Whittingham is stepping into a high-pressure job with all the expectations that come with leading a blue-blood program. There’s no doubt he knows how to build a winner; his track record at Utah speaks for itself.
But he had already signaled it was time to move on from Salt Lake City, reportedly feeling like his time there had run its course. That makes Michigan’s hire a bit of a gamble-not on coaching ability, but on longevity and energy for the grind that comes with Big Ten football in the NIL era.
Meanwhile, over in East Lansing, Michigan State made a hire that arguably brings more upside in terms of long-term potential. Pat Fitzgerald is back in the game after a controversial exit from Northwestern, and he’s clearly motivated to prove something. Yet despite that hunger and a résumé that includes multiple 10-win seasons in Evanston-a place not exactly known for football dominance-Fitzgerald has found himself under heavy scrutiny.
A lot of that criticism has centered around his coaching staff, especially the addition of Mike Bajakian as Michigan State’s quarterbacks coach. Bajakian’s name has been dragged through the mud in some corners of the media, with critics pointing to his recent stops at UMass and Northwestern, where offensive production was inconsistent at best.
But here’s the key detail that’s getting lost in the noise: he’s not being brought in as the offensive coordinator. He’s the quarterbacks coach.
That’s a big difference.
And it’s not like Bajakian is some coaching novice either. He’s been around the block-Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Boston College, Northwestern, UMass, and even a stint in the NFL as a quarterbacks coach.
That’s a wide-ranging résumé with experience in multiple systems and pressure-packed environments. In fact, Whittingham-yes, the same Kyle Whittingham now leading Michigan-brought Bajakian on as an offensive analyst at Utah, specifically to work with quarterbacks.
That’s not nothing. If Whittingham saw value in his quarterback development skills, that should carry some weight.
Critics like Bud Elliott have questioned whether Fitzgerald is just leaning on old Northwestern connections. But aside from Bajakian and the program’s general manager, the hires haven’t exactly been a reunion tour.
It’s fair to ask tough questions about coaching hires-this is big-time college football, after all-but it’s also important to separate skepticism from lazy narratives. Not every hire is a retread.
Not every connection to a former program means favoritism.
What Michigan State is doing under Fitzgerald isn’t flashy, but there’s a method to it. He’s assembling a staff with experience, and in Bajakian’s case, a coach who’s been trusted in significant roles across multiple levels of football. Quarterback development is critical in today’s game, and Fitzgerald clearly believes Bajakian can help guide that process in East Lansing.
So before the hot takes start flying, let’s take a breath. Michigan made a strong hire with some risk baked in.
Michigan State made a solid hire that’s being unfairly overshadowed by assumptions. The games haven’t started yet, but the narratives already have.
Time will tell who got it right-but for now, both programs are making moves with purpose.