EAST LANSING– Just two days following the firing of former Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith, the Spartans’ football program has already moved into a new dawn. On Tuesday afternoon, Pat Fitzgerald was welcomed as the new head of MSU football by Director of Athletics J Batt and President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D.
The 51-year-old’s first appearance in the green and white, on his birthday no less, marked a seismic change in MSU football’s future. Not only because of the transition into the Fitzgerald era of MSU football, but also the athletic department’s announcement of the FOR SPARTA initiative. One that includes $1 billion upgrades to Spartan Stadium, specifically to its east side, and other athletic facilities on campus. The department also announced it has reached nearly $250 million in the three-year planning phase towards its goal. This demonstrates the investment in success the new regime should be expecting going forward, something Smith never truly saw in his time at MSU.
“I was looking for someone who would partner as we continue to elevate not just Michigan State football, but our entire athletic department. Someone who would share our fundraising vision,” Batt said. “As we went through this list of criteria, Pat Fitzgerald met every criteria. He’s a passionate winner. He understands the Big Ten and college football here in the Midwest. We have a shared vision for building championships and returning this program to its elite level of success.”
Fitzgerald is making his return to Big Ten football following his tenure as head coach at alma mater Northwestern from 2006 to 2022. Well-seasoned in the conference culture and eager to prove himself at MSU, he looks to re-establish the Spartan identity lost over four consecutive disappointing campaigns.
“Attitude to me is everything, it’s a daily daily, second by second choice and then when it comes to passion that’s what I want our fans to know,” Fitzgerald said. “When you’re gonna watch the Spartans play in Spartan Stadium and throughout Big Ten football or wherever we get the privilege to go, you’re gonna see a product on the field that’s gonna play fast, tough, physical, and with controlled aggression and emotion and passion for each other and for the game and it’s gonna take a lot of work, it’s not gonna be an overnight switch.”
The Wildcats achieved a 110-101 overall record under Fitzgerlad’s 17-year run, making him the winningest coach in NU football history. This period includes 10 bowl appearances with five wins in such games, two Big Ten west division titles in 2018 and 2020, and recognition as the 2018 Big Ten coach of the year. It is also worth noting that he posted a 4-20 record at the end of his time in Evanston, Ill.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished at Northwestern. On the field, in the classroom, in the community, and I’m grateful for the players and the staff, their families, and all that were a part of the journey. And like anyone who has coached and competed long enough, I’ve had moments to reflect now and learn and grow,” Fitzgerald said. “The experiences made me a better leader, a better man, a better husband, a better father, and a better coach. And it has reinforced my commitment to creating an environment that’s going to be built on trust, discipline, communication, and accountability.”
During his playing days as a starting linebacker for the Wildcats, Fitzgerald led his NU defense to Big Ten championships in 1995 and 1996. His personal accolades include being named Big Ten defensive player of the year twice, two Bronko Nagurski trophies and Chuck Bednarik awards, and the 1996 Jack Lambert trophy for the nation’s top linebacker. Fitzgerald is rooted in Big Ten and Midwest football, something he aims to turn into an advantage in East Lansing.
“To be a Big Ten player, to be a player that’s been in Spartan Stadium with a neck-roll on, right? To beat Michigan multiple times with a neck-roll on, this goes a long way back for me personally, and that’s who I am. I’m a Big Ten guy,” Fitzgerald said. “And to be able to be here with the history, the tradition, the passionate fan base, and the great young men that have come here before us and the great young men that I’m going to have to coach as a coach, I just can’t wait to get started. So, it was almost a no-brainer for me when the opportunity was presented.”
However, Fitzgerald’s run at NU ended in a complicated matter amid a hazing scandal on July 10th, 2023. He was fired with cause on this day and sued the university for $130 million in October of the same year for wrongful termination. The suit was set to go to court before the two parties reached an undisclosed settlement on August 21st, 2025. With the end of the lengthy litigation process, Fitzgerald expressed relief and vindication while focusing on lessons learned for the future.
“As we moved forward through the process that we had to move through, to come out and fully exonerated and see the statement that the university made, the settlement that we had, came to an agreement with – I just feel 100 percent vindicated. But you always learn and you evolve, and through the process, as I’ve always said that when I was at Northwestern,” Fitzgerald said. “There will be team meetings here, about zero tolerance for a lot of different behaviors. There’s definitely aspects in areas that we all have to work on, and that’s all of our responsibilities, but it’s mine that is the ultimate responsibility.”
In the meantime, Fitzgerald spent his two years out of college football coaching his son’s high school team and studying the constantly changing landscape of the sport he looked to come back to someday. Now that his second chance has arrived in the height of transfer portal and NIL activity, Fitzgerald discussed the importance of staying on top of it at MSU.
“Just the research and watching how you have to evolve and be flexible. We’ve talked about our plan, and the alignment that we have to be successful, but you have to be ready and nimble to change just like that. And that’s definitely something that I believe that I’ve shown up over time,” Fitzgerald said. “But more importantly now, I’ve stepped out of the day-to-day and watched others fail, it’s kind of holding on with things, and more importantly, you have to be ready to adapt and evolve. I don’t see any dinosaurs walking outside here, so I’m gonna make sure that we’re as fully nimble and flexible as we can be.”
Following his opening presser, Fitzgerald was faced with an important task this morning with the arrival of early national signing day. During yesterday’s introduction, Fitzgerald detailed the priorities of wrapping up the 2026 recruiting class and assembling a coaching staff.
“With the timing and signing day I don’t think a 40-second play clock decision is right [with assembling a coaching staff] and frankly I’ve got my team working the phones for me and i’m trying to get recruits, trying to hit people like hey i’m gonna get to you, give me a couple days,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s important to get the right people, and when you get the right people you start to build that chemistry and comradery as a staff.”
Fitzgerald also touched on his meeting with a current roster, reasons why pieces already within the program should stay, and how the pre-existing group can gel with incoming freshmen and transfers.
“I told them today, everybody that stays here is going to be a part of a great story. When we sit here at this time next year, you are going to be the catalyst and the reason why. When everybody asks why, the answer is going to be you,” Fitzgerald said. “So let’s all talk about staying here, sticking together, and let’s find a way to put this class that you guys helped recruit over the goal line and then to talk about adding pieces to the locker room once the portal opens here in a couple of weeks. Lot of work to do. I look forward to it.”
It’s no secret the struggles Spartan football and its faithful have endured in recent history. MSU as a community has witnessed two head coaches fall to the wayside in four years, missed bowl games and under six wins in all of those seasons, and the latest shot at redemption collapsing with a single non-vacated conference victory. The student body is especially hungry to cheer on a team worth national attention and Fitzgerald seems just as enthusiastic in restoring Spartan Stadium as an intimidating environment.
“I remember my first memories as head coach coming into Spartan Stadium and we made some poor decision to warm up in front of the student section. I don’t know why we decided to do that. That was a first and last time that we were going to ever do that. That’s the environment we need. The home field, hostile, passionate environment, and we have to provide a team on the field that has the students saying, you know what, we’re having a fun time on Saturday, let’s go out and have a great party at Spartan Stadium,” Fitzgerald said. “That 12th person is going to be the student body and obviously all the fans, but especially the student body. You’re the core of the fanbase. You’re the heartbeat, and we’re going to need you, and I’ve got to get a lot of things done, but I will be out on campus.”
While the fanbase seems to have responded well to Fitzgerald’s energy in the early goings, with his appearance at MSU’s men’s basketball game against Iowa being substantial evidence, there may be another difference between the approach between him and the old guard. Smith’s plan for Spartan football required patience at the outset, something that sounded do-able at the time but became increasingly frustrating with visible regression in year two. It remains to be seen in year one, but Fitzgerald may understand the lack of patience and excuses for the program going forward.
“I understand what the fanbase wants, they want a tough, physical team that represents this university the right way with great integrity and wins football games and makes everybody proud,” Fitzgerald said. “We know who our rival is, our guys will know who our rival is every single day but our focus will be on us. We gotta get better, we gotta improve, we gotta get stronger.”
