Biggest Remaining Openings for MSU, Fitzgerald to Fill
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Names are starting to come on for Pat Fitzgerald's coaching staff at Michigan State.
The Spartans have all three of their coordinators set. Nick Sheridan will be MSU's offensive coordinator, Joe Rossi will remain as defensive coordinator, and LeVar Woods will be the special teams coordinator.
Some other key assistant on-field roles have also been filled. On offense, Courtney Hawkins and Brian Wozniak will be retained as wide receivers and tight ends coach, respectively. There is a chance Sheridan coaches quarterbacks, too, as he has done at previous stops.
On defense, hires have been made with Max Bullough as linebackers coach, Winston DeLattiboudere III as defensive line coach, and the retention of James Adams as safeties coach. There is also a report that Michigan State is targeting Hank Poteat for a job coaching in the defensive backfield, but a source told Spartan Nation that this is not a done deal yet.
There are still some key spots for Fitzgerald to fill in before his staff is complete. Here are those spots, and a name or two who would make some sense for those.
Offense
Offensive Line Coach
Perhaps the biggest vacancy remaining is the offensive line coach. Michigan State's offensive line has struggled for far too long now, and Fitzgerald is going to hope that whoever he hires turns things around.
This past season, MSU allowed 37 sacks in 12 games. That was 3.08 sacks allowed per contest, which ranked 123rd in the FBS. Michigan State had not one, but two quarterbacks ranked in the top 10 of the Big Ten in sacks taken, with Aidan Chiles finishing sixth (21 times) and Alessio Milivojevic tied for 10th (16 times).
The biggest name the Spartans would have a realistic shot at is Adam Cushing, who is currently the offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Texas A&M. He and Fitzgerald were on the Northwestern staff together for 15 years, with Cushing being the Wildcats' offensive line coach for a decade.
Running Backs Coach
Departing running backs coach Keith Bhonapha is set to take on a new job at Cal. Michigan State's top returning running back is Brandon Tullis, who was behind Makhi Frazier and Elijah Tau-Tolliver. Frazier is planning on entering the portal, while Tau-Tolliver is out of eligibility.
There has not seemed to be too much smoke about who might fill the position, but one name I think would make a lot of sense is current Minnesota running backs coach Jayden Everett. He was the Central Michigan RBs coach from 2017-18 and was a running backs assistant at Michigan in 2024.
Defense
There is only one main role still available for MSU, which lies in the secondary. Poteat still might end up receiving the job, but it's fair to still do some due dilligence.
Cornerbacks or Secondary Coach
Not every college football team uses the same labels for who coaches corners and safeties, so the final addition to Michigan State's staff could receive a few different titles.
Blue Adams, who was MSU's secondary coach for the past two seasons, has taken a new job at Florida State. It seems like Poteat is set to take over, but nothing is final just yet, it appears.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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