Note: This story was updated after Michigan State hired Pat Fitzgerald in the late afternoon.
Following a 4-8 season where the Spartans won just one game in conference, Michigan State has fired head coach Jonathan Smith after his second year at the helm. Smith finished his career 9-15 at Michigan State, however, Michigan State’s five wins from 2024-25 season were vacated as a result of the violations under former head coach Mel Tucker and his staff. His official NCAA record is just 4-15.
With the Spartans letting go of Smith Sunday, Michigan State is expected to hire former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald to be the program’s new leader, according to Chris Solari and Graham Couch of the Detroit Free Press. The addition of Fitzgerald comes just hours after Michigan State fired Smith, though a contract has yet to be signed.
Despite a strong opening to the year where Michigan State started 3-0, with nonconference wins over Western Michigan, Boston College and Youngstown State, the Spartans’ season quickly turned sour when they entered Big Ten play.
Michigan State lost its first eight games of conference play under Smith in 2025, where the Spartans lost by two scores in the first five of those games. Those first five losses included the gauntlet of away contests against USC, Nebraska and Indiana, as well as home games versus UCLA and Michigan.
Michigan State had the chance to earn victories at Minnesota and Iowa late in the season, and with leads in the fourth quarter in both games, the Spartans seemed primed to. Despite its late leads in each game, Michigan State lost by three to both — on a game-winning field goal against Iowa and a game-clinching touchdown from Minnesota in overtime after the Spartans elected to kick a field goal first.
With just a 1-8 record in conference this season, Smith finished his career winning only 4 of 18 games in Big Ten competition over his two seasons with the Spartans.
Smith formerly coached at Oregon State where he accrued a 34-35 over six seasons from 2018–23. He also spent his four-year college career with the Beavers from 1998-2001.
Fitzgerald, on the other hand, spent 17 seasons as the head coach of his alma mater Northwestern from 2006-22, earning a 110-101 record over his time leading the Wildcats’ program. He won Big Ten West titles in 2018 and 2020 and was named Big Ten Coach of The Year in 2018. Fitzgerald also spent five years as an assistant coach at Northwestern from 2001-05 prior to becoming the program’s head coach.
The Midlothian, Illinois, native was fired from Northwestern in July 2023 following allegations about hazing within the football program. After the firing, Fitzgerald sued the university for wrongful termination, ultimately settling with Northwestern for an unknown amount.
Image via Tom Hauck, Getty Images
