\u201cWhat excited me most about this opportunity was the vision for what Michigan State can be\u00a0for years to come,” Fitzgerald said in a statement Monday. “We will restore tradition, and I\u2019m eager to earn the trust of our players, alumni, and fans while competing at the highest level.”<\/p>\n
ANALYSIS: Pat Fitzgerald has something to prove, and so does MSU football<\/a><\/p>\nFitzgerald 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n[ MUST LISTEN: Reacting to the Pat Fitzgerald hire. Subscribe to the “Spartan Speak” podcast<\/a> for new episodes on\u00a0Apple<\/a>,\u00a0Spotify<\/a> or anywhere you listen to podcasts. ]<\/p>\nFitzgerald is the 27th coach in MSU football history, and fourth full-time or interim coach since Mark Dantonio abruptly retired in February 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\nHe takes over for Jonathan Smith, fired Sunday<\/a> after going 4-8 this season and 9-15 over a two-year tenure at MSU.<\/p>\nThis is the biggest move of athletic director J Batt’s first year.<\/p>\n
TO-DO LIST: What is MSU football’s path to glory under Pat Fitzgerald?<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cPat 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.”<\/p>\n
Fitzgerald was a College Football Hall of Famer as a linebacker at Northwestern (1993-96).<\/p>\n
MSU is on three years of probation from the NCAA<\/a>, and vacated all 14 wins from 2022-24 due to infractions that occurred during Mel Tucker\u2019s tenure.<\/p>\n[ Want\u00a0more updates on this story?\u00a0Download our app<\/a>\u00a0for the latest news, alerts,\u00a0eNewspaper\u00a0and more. ]\u00a0<\/p>\nMarlowe Alter<\/a>\u00a0is an assistant\u00a0sports editor at the\u00a0Detroit Free Press<\/a>. Email him at:\u00a0malter@freepress.com<\/a>.<\/p>\nFollow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram (@detroitfreepress<\/a>), TikTok (@detroitfreepress<\/a>), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress<\/a>), X (@freep<\/a>),\u00a0and\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>, and like us on Facebook (@detroitfreepress<\/a>).<\/p>\n