Spartan Nation

Social Media Reacts To MSU Firing Jonathan Smith

MSU fired Jonathan Smith after the season finale, and social media had some very strong opinions about it.
Nathan Berry|
Nov 29, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith asks a referee for the number of a penalized player in the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images
Nov 29, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith asks a referee for the number of a penalized player in the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

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Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State was able to pull off its first and only Big Ten win against Maryland at Ford Field, and such success usually would have been met with praise by both MSU and its fans.

However, instead of drawing praises from the win, head coach Jonathan Smith was fired after his two-year tenure with the team, in which he went 9-15 overall if the wins that had been taken away by the NCAA counted.

MSU,
Nov 22, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith talks with an official during the second quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Usually such a firing would draw many opposing opinions, but instead Spartan Nation was generally united in their feelings about Smith being gone, and only a few people disagreed.

What Spartan Nation Feels About Jonathan Smith's Firing

MSU,
Nov 29, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith adjusts his hat after defeating Maryland at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

Surprisingly, because of who the Spartans have decided to replace Smith with, fans are generally unhappy with the firing and would have preferred to keep Smith around over the soon-to-be new coach, Pat Fitzgerald.

In fact, there were even a few people who were arguing in defense of Jonathan Smith, though generally it was in the minority.

Regardless of what the few Smith supporters were left, the majority was still against Smith and happy that he was gone. Because of the general distaste around him, most did not even care who he would be replaced with.

This was mostly because of the team's horrible season that ended up with a record of 4-8, only winning once in their conference and struggling across the board.

With the news of his departure, MSU fans began to look at what had made Smith's time with the team such a travesty to watch, and the consensus was that he just did not fit in, or at least was the biggest factor of many.

He did not seem to embrace the intense culture that MSU has with rivalries and other traditions, no matter how big or small, and that was what led to his downfall, per Spartan Nation.

Going forward, there is a new hope for the team that is being seen skeptically by fans, as they had been excited when Smith had first come to MSU and were left disappointed. Furthermore, it is believed by most that Fitzgerald will be an incapable replacement.

In turn, most of the hope that still remains has been diminished in the fanbase, and the team will need a lot to prove that their firing of Smith was a good decision and that their replacement can turn the team around.

Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on MSU's firing of Jonathan Smith when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.

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Nathan Berry
NATHAN BERRY

Nathan Berry is a senior at NCCS and was raised a Michigan State Spartan fan. With a great interest in sports and writing, journalism is a great avenue to pursue both.