MSU, Fitzgerald Add to Staff with Cornerbacks Coach Hire
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More pieces of Pat Fitzgerald's coaching staff puzzle are beginning to fall into place.
A source has confirmed to Spartan Nation on Saturday that Michigan State is hiring Hank Poteat to be the Spartans' next cornerbacks coach. Poteat has been the cornerbacks coach at Iowa State for each of the last three seasons.
This is another key addition to the Spartans' defensive staff, which is starting to fill out nicely. Joe Rossi is remaining as defensive coordinator, and James Adams is being retained as safeties coach. Other new hires have been Max Bullough as co-DC and linebackers coach and Winston DeLattiboudere III as defensive line coach.
Michigan State did not have a dedicated cornerbacks coach on the staff last year, but Poteat will most directly replace Blue Adams. He was the "secondary coach" and has since taken a new job at Florida State.
Poteat's Resume
Iowa State's secondary has been relatively pedestrian this season. The Cyclones are ranked 64th in passing yards allowed per game, 218.5. That has not always been the case, though. ISU's defense was No. 1 in the country last year in pass defense, only allowing 165.6 such yards per game and just 6.2 yards per pass attempt. That was a big step up from Poteat's first season in Ames, when Iowa State was 73rd in pass yardage allowed.
Before that, Poteat was on the staff at Wisconsin during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Badgers' secondary finished fourth and 29th through the air during those years, respectively. Poteat also has stints as a cornerbacks coach at Kent State (2015-16) and Toledo (2017-20).
This is another hire for Fitzgerald that has continued to fit a certain mold. Every single hire that he has made thus far has had strong ties to the Midwest and/or Big Ten football. Poteat has been coaching in the Midwest since 2013, when he was a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Pitt.
Also notable is that Poteat's son, Tre, is a freshman cornerback at Tennessee. He was a four-star recruit in the 2025 class and had received an offer from Michigan State.
Poteat's playing career is also notable, as he will have plenty of NFL experience to draw from within his coaching. He was a third-round selection in the 2000 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and eventually played 110 total games across 10 seasons in the league, with 20 total starts as a defensive back. Poteat appeared in games for the Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, New York Jets, and Cleveland Browns.
He also returned punts early in his career with the Steelers and won Super Bowl XXXIX with the Patriots.
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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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