MSU Adding Experienced Former Fitzgerald Staffer as New QBs Coach

Another former Northwestern staffer from the Pat Fitzgerald era there is now joining his new staff at Michigan State.

A source has confirmed that MSU is hiring Mike Bajakian to be the team's new quarterbacks coach. Bajakian was the offensive coordinator at UMass this past season and was the OC at Northwestern from 2020-23. He will end up replacing this past season's quarterbacks coach, Jon Boyer.

This is the last major staff addition for Michigan State now. The Spartans will have Nick Sheridan as the offensive coordinator, Nick Tabacca as offensive line coach, Courtney Hawkins coaching wide receivers, Brian Wozniak coaching tight ends, and now Bajakian coaching the quarterbacks.

His hiring is a little bit of a surprise, as it seemed like there would be a real probability Sheridan would serve as both the offensive coordinator and QBs coach, which he did at both Alabama and Indiana. Instead, MSU is adding another person who brings a ton of experience coaching quarterbacks himself.

Bajakian's Resume

MSU helme — Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of Michigan State Spartans helmet on the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Bajakian has also served as both an offensive coordinator and QBs coach at several different stops during his career. He's had that title at Central Michigan (2007-09), Cincinnati (2010-12), Tennessee (2013-14), Boston College (2019), Northwestern (2020-23), on an interim basis at Utah (2024), and this past season at UMass.

He also has some NFL experience. Bajakian coached quarterbacks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2015-18, most notably helping oversee the early years of Jameis Winston at the professional level.

Dec 21, 2019; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) looks to pass during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at Raymond James Stadium. | Douglas DeFelice-Imagn Images

Michigan State, of course, will just be hiring Bajakian as the quarterbacks coach, which should allow him to focus more on the quarterbacks the Spartans have on the roster, rather than the offense as a whole.

Bajakian's first big task will be to guide returning QB Alessio Milivojevic in his development at MSU, along with Leo Hannan, Kayd Coffman, and Ryland Jessee behind him on the depth chart. Identifying quarterback talent has actually been a strength of the Spartans for a bit, but developing it has been a weakness.

Michigan State has recently seen quarterbacks Sam Leavitt and Katin Houser find successful careers elsewhere. Something similar has a chance of happening with the talented, former high-four-star recruit, Aidan Chiles.

The hiring of Bajakian and Sheridan shows that quarterback development is a point of emphasis for Fitzgerald early on. Sheridan has a good history of identifying and helping develop talent himself, and now he's getting some additional help from someone who has been coaching for a long amount of time.

Michigan State's new football coach Pat Fitzgerald pats his heart at the crowd in attendance for the Spartans basketball game against Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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