What Poteat, Bajakian Hirings Mean for Michigan State
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Pat Fitzgerald's inaugural staff at Michigan State is getting pretty full.
Spartan Nation reported Saturday that MSU would be hiring both Hank Poteat to be the team's new cornerbacks coach, and would also be hiring Mike Bajakian as the new quarterbacks coach. The timing on any hire now and in the coming days makes sense, since the transfer portal officially opens on Jan. 2; having any vacancies at that point is a serious negative.
On this edition of the Michigan State Spartans Insider Podcast, let's discuss what the Poteat and Bajakian hirings mean for the Spartans' future and what the feeling is about Fitzgerald's staff as a whole at the moment. A video of the episode can be viewed below.
Additionally, some more written analysis has been provided further down on this page.
Watch the MSU Spartans Insider Podcast:
Analysis of MSU's Two Hires
QBs Coach Mike Bajakian
Choosing Bajakian is the decision that raised the most eyebrows. Bajakian is a very experienced offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, but to say it has not gone very well for him in recent years would be putting it nicely.
He was in charge of the offense at UMass this season. The Minutemen were the worst team in the FBS, finishing 0-12 and dead last in total offense. They only scored 14 offensive touchdowns all season.
Bajakian had also been the OC for Fitzgerald at Northwestern. Across his four seasons in Evanston, the Wildcats never finished better than 93rd in total offense.
But it's unfair to necessarily evaluate the Bajakian hire through the lens of hiring an offensive coordinator. That's not his job; it's Nick Sheridan's. Bajakian had also been the quarterbacks coach at most of his jobs where he was the OC as well, but now he can fully devote his time to the development of the quarterbacks. Sheridan will presumably provide some help there, too.
The quarterback play at Northwestern and UMass was not exactly great under Bajakian's watch, but, well, the Wildcats and the Minutemen are not exactly places with unlimited resources. UMass probably belongs in the FCS (look up their records since joining the FBS, it's horrific), and Northwestern is naturally hampered by its high academic standards.
When Bajakian has been at larger, more successful programs, he's been able to find success. During his lone season at Boston College in 2019, Bajakian coached quarterback Anthony Brown, who has seen NFL game action and has been a practice-squad guy in the league.
He coached Jameis Winston for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and helped him reach the Pro Bowl as a rookie. At Tennessee, Bajakian recruited and coached Joshua Dobbs, who ended up becoming a fourth-round NFL draft pick.
Overall, MSU's offensive staff includes Bajakian, Sheridan, Nick Tabacca as offensive line coach, Courtney Hawkins as wide receivers coach, and Brian Wozniak as tight ends coach. There is still an opening to coach the team's running backs.
CBs Coach Hank Poteat
The Poteat hire seems to be one more universally liked among the fanbase, and for good reason. Poteat helped build college football's No. 1 secondary during the 2024 season while at Iowa State. He is also a former player himself, winning a Super Bowl and playing 10 NFL seasons.
Michigan State's defensive staff certainly is a source of optimism. The main roles appear to be all full. Joe Rossi is the coordinator, Poteat with corners, James Adams with the safeties, Max Bullough with the linebackers, and Winston DeLattiboudere III with the defensive line.
Getting teams to turn the ball over has been a place where MSU has fallen short in recent years. The Spartans are hoping that Poteat can help with that. Michigan State only intercepted five passes this past season. During Poteat's first year at Iowa State, the Cyclones picked off opposing quarterbacks 16 times, which ranked 10th nationally and second in the Big 12. Iowa State had 15 picks the year it led the country in pass defense as well.
There will be a lot of work for Poteat to do right away. The only significant returning cornerback MSU has is Aydan West, who seemed to indicate he would be returning to the Spartans on social media earlier this week. Getting some more quality corners out of the transfer portal will be a must for the Spartans in January.
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Previous Episode - How UM Hiring Kyle Whittingham Impacts Michigan State
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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