Spartans Hired Right Coach and Fitzgerald Must Prove It
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All it takes is the right coach. For Michigan State, culture needed a reset, and they believe they have hired the right man for the job.
Almost 20 years ago, the Spartans moved on from John Smith and took a chance on Cincinnati's Mark Dantonio to lead their program. 114 wins and 13 years later, Dantonio placed Michigan State football at a pinnacle that has yet to be reached since his departure in 2020.
Now, six years later, Michigan State is hoping former Northwestern head coach and a scandal-marred Pat Fitzgerald can do something similar to what Dantonio did two decades ago, albeit in different circumstances on either end.
Fitzgerald helped the Northwestern Wildcats become a reputable program out of the Big Ten with a handful of division titles, while building a culture that has been sustainable since leaving three years ago following a hazing scandal. The 51-year-old is currently viewed by the Spartans as the coach to hit the reset button and get them back to bowl game contention.
The Spartans Got Their Guy
Seven months ago, Fitzgerald made a vow to Spartan Nation, alumni, former players, coaches, and administration that tradition would be restored to the program that was lost over the past few years due to probation, failures, and more.
- "This is a program with a deep and storied tradition, a passionate fan base, and a commitment to excellence that extends far beyond the football field," Fitzgerald said at his introductory press conference." What excited me most about this opportunity was the vision for what Michigan State can be for years to come. We will restore tradition, and I'm eager to earn the trust of our players, alumni, and fans while competing at the highest level."
Michigan State has the resources Fitzgerald needs to build the football program in his image. The brand speaks for itself in terms of Big Ten dominance, whether in football or basketball, and the program is capable of luring in big-time recruits such as the 5-stars of the world once more. The winning has to return for that to happen, and maybe an upset or two to get the ball rolling.
Say what you want about Fitzgerald's past; he is a good coach who is going to a much bigger program than Northwestern was. He'll have the talent to get his team to .500 or better for the first time in five years. Everything is in place for there for Michigan State to make noise in the Big Ten once again.
Fitzgerald Must Prove He Is the Right Person
Dantonio set such a high bar for any coach to reach at Michigan State. The closest was Mel Tucker, and we know how that went. Fitzgerald is more than capable of getting close to that ceiling, but he must prove it going forward, given the high expectations for both football and basketball in East Lansing.
There's a reality that Fitzgerald may be able to drag the Spartans out of the mud, clean them up, and make them shiny for the next guy—or he could be the saving grace and take Michigan State to heights never before seen. Anything is possible; the talk will end in a couple of months. Time to show what you got.
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Jared Feinberg, a native of western North Carolina, has written about NFL football for nearly a decade. He has contributed to several national outlets and is now part of our On SI team as an NFL team reporter. Jared graduated from UNC Asheville with a bachelor's degree in mass communications and later pursued his master's degree at UNC Charlotte. You can follow Jared Feinberg on Twitter at @JRodNFLDraft