The birthday boy is in East Lansing.
The Pat Fitzgerald press conference Tuesday introducing him as Michigan State football coach has ended.
We have the video of Fitzgerald’s press conference at MSU at the top of the page.
Fitzgerald turned 51 years old Tuesday.
MSU officially announced the hiring Monday afternoon, with Fitzgerald signing a reported five-year contract, according to ESPN.Â
“What excited me most about this opportunity was the vision for what Michigan State can be for years to come,” Fitzgerald said in a statement Monday. “We will restore tradition, and I’m eager to earn the trust of our players, alumni, and fans while competing at the highest level.”
Fitzgerald led Northwestern football for 17 years, posting a 110-101 record, making two Big Ten championship game appearances (2018 and 2020) and winning 10 games three times. He was fired before the 2023 season in controversial fashion due to hazing within the program.
[ MUST LISTEN: Reacting to the Pat Fitzgerald hire. Subscribe to the “Spartan Speak” podcast for new episodes on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. ]
Fitzgerald is the 27th coach in MSU football history, and fourth full-time or interim coach since Mark Dantonio abruptly retired in February 2020.
He takes over for Jonathan Smith, fired Sunday after going 4-8 this season and 9-15 over a two-year tenure at MSU.
This is the biggest move of athletic director J Batt’s first year.
“Pat Fitzgerald is widely recognized as an exceptional football coach, whose teams play with extreme toughness and grit, demonstrate continual improvement and maximize potential,” Batt’s statement Monday read in part. “Pat is an excellent fit for Michigan State Football, as he understands the Big Ten, has great relationships throughout the Midwest and embodies the values on which our program was built. His incredible passion will resonate throughout the program, connecting with all members of our Spartan community, including student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni and donors.”
Fitzgerald was a College Football Hall of Famer as a linebacker at Northwestern (1993-96).
MSU is on three years of probation from the NCAA, and vacated all 14 wins from 2022-24 due to infractions that occurred during Mel Tucker’s tenure.
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Marlowe Alter is an assistant sports editor at the Detroit Free Press. Email him at: malter@freepress.com.
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