Pat Fitzgerald has been identified as the top candidate for the Michigan State Spartans’ vacant head coaching job. The two sides are working on a contract and are expected to come to terms on a deal sometime in the near future, ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel reported on Sunday night.
Michigan State recently parted ways with now-former head coach Jonathan Smith, who led the Spartans to a 4-8 finish in his second season with the program.
Now, it appears Michigan State has its new program leader in Fitzgerald.
Details regarding Fitzgerald’s contract began to emerge on Monday. The former Northwestern head coach is reportedly expected to sign a five-year deal with the school, according to a report from Thamel.
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Fitzgerald served as the head coach of Northwestern for 17 seasons from 2006-2022, leading the Wildcats to a 110-101 overall record over that span. His Wildcats went 4-20 over his final two seasons in Evanston, including a 1-11 campaign in 2022.
Michigan State began its 2025 campaign with three consecutive wins over non-conference opponents before losing eight consecutive games in conference play. The Spartans finished the year with a 38-28 win over the Maryland Terrapins, but still announced the decision to part ways with Smith following his second season at the helm.
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“The 2025 football season has not lived up to our shared standards for Michigan State Football,” MSU athletic director J Batt said in a statement. “While that does not fall solely on Jonathan Smith, it’s become necessary to make a coaching change in order to chart a new direction for the program.”
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