How Pat Fitzgerald is Selling Players on MSU Vision
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Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald is beginning to build his culture in East Lansing.
Fitzgerald retained defensive coordinator Joe Rossi after the Spartan defense improved on that side of the ball when he came down to the sidelines from the booth. Fitzgerald is well familiar with Rossi from his days as Minnesota’s DC when Fitzgerald was Northwestern’s head coach.
The Spartans have still not found an offensive coordinator to run Fitzgerald’s offense, so that side of the ball does not yet have an identity. What are current offensive players and recruits supposed to think about their roles in next year’s offense?
It hasn’t mattered, because the Spartans appear to be buying into Fitzgerald’s vision. How is he convincing players of what he is building in East Lansing?
Let’s break down what’s worked for Fitzgerald early on.
Fitzgerald's vision for MSU
Fitzgerald has always done a good job building relationships with his players and those around the program, and he has already made inroads with several players, including quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, whom he appears to like.
Securing his quarterback of the next few seasons is a major benefit for Fitzgerald, who has only been on the job for a week.
Fitzgerald was a winner at Northwestern, a place that is historically difficult to win at. He went to two Big Ten Championships during his time leading the Wildcats and won 110 games.
That resonates with players, and they believe he can bring MSU football back to the top of the Big Ten.
Fitzgerald also did a good job retaining much of Jonathan Smith’s 2026 high school recruiting class, losing only three players who flipped to other schools or will play elsewhere: Jordan Vann, Chris Addison, and Christopher Knauls.
Four-star wide receiver Samson Gash, who has received an Alabama offer and has visited Tuscaloosa and is garnering interest from West Virginia, will sign in February, giving Fitzgerald a few months to recruit him.
Gash could have just flipped to the Crimson Tide or the Mountaineers, but he is giving the new Spartan coach a chance to sell him on his vision for the program.
MSU will provide Fitzgerald with the financial resources needed to succeed, thanks to a gift from Acrisure’s Greg and Dawn Williams. Fitzgerald has never had this many NIL resources, and he has had to recruit against Northwestern's academic standards.
Fitzgerald has not coached a game at MSU yet, but players are already buying into what he’s building.
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