Michigan State Football: Pat Fitzgerald Ready For Redemption
By Ryan O’Bleness
Woodward Sports
Michigan State got off to a rocky start under the Pat Fitzgerald era, but we discovered a lot about him during the Spartans 30-20 come from behind victory over Toledo at Spartan Stadium.
The new version of Fitzgerald has a little Dan Campbell in him. He is aggressive on fourth down and goes for the jugular rather than play it safe.
“Scared money doesn’t make money,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m not here to win a punting contest. I wanted to be aggressive, not reckless, but aggressive.”
The question is: Is Fitzgerald the right person to lead Michigan State’s football program right now and into the future?
When MSU named Pat Fitzgerald as its head football coach on Dec. 1, 2025 — the 27th head coach in program history — the move was met with a lot of skepticism.
The questions about Fitzgerald’s ability to lead a program in 2026 were fair. Fitzgerald had not coached a college football game since the 2022 season with Northwestern. The landscape has changed a lot since then.
Additionally, Fitzgerald’s tenure as head coach of Northwestern, his alma mater, ended in scandal when the Wildcats terminated him in July of 2023 following allegations of hazing within his program.
It is equally important to note, however, that Fitzgerald maintains that he had no knowledge that hazing was going on within his program. He sued Northwestern for $130 million for wrongful termination in 2023, and eventually settled with the university in 2025. Following the settlement, Northwestern’s leadership publicly stated that while it did find hazing took place, there was no evidence that Fitzgerald was ever informed of it, or that he condoned it or directed it.
Following the settlement, Fitzgerald was able to pursue college coaching once again. Multiple schools reportedly had interest in Fitzgerald, but he eventually chose Michigan State.
Fitzgerald knows how to coach and get the most out of a program. He compiled an overall record of 110-101 at Northwestern. He is second amongst active Big Ten coaches in career wins at the helm of a Big Ten school, behind only Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz. He is the all-time leader in coaching wins for the Wildcats. At a school that is hard to win at, Fitzgerald led NU to two Big Ten West Division titles (2018 and 2020) and five bowl wins.
Now, Fitzgerald has the opportunity to do something similar at Michigan State. MSU is a program with a storied history, but one that hasn’t found success or an identity since 2021. Fitzgerald has to reset the culture in East Lansing, and by all accounts, he is laying the foundation for that.
His fit at MSU could not be more ideal for the Spartans. As a player, Fitzgerald was an All-American linebacker. As a coach, his teams are going to be tough, disciplined and organized.
“I think we’re just a perfect match for each other,” Fitzgerald said ahead of the Toledo game regarding Michigan State. “Right school for me, and hopefully everybody after my run will say it was the right fit for Michigan State for me to come here.”
Fitzgerald understands the history of MSU and brings former coaches and players to practice or into the building. Perhaps most importantly, Fitzgerald has brought a new sense of energy and belief to the current Spartan players and coaches. And he has won over a lot of the fan base as well.
So, is Fitzgerald the right guy to lead the Michigan State football program in the future? The results on the field will answer that question eventually. But is he the right guy for MSU right now? The answer to that question appears to be a resounding yes.
—
Ryan O’Bleness bio:
Ryan is a contributor for Woodward Sports. He currently works as managing editor for Spartans Illustrated, where he covers Michigan State football, basketball and recruiting. Ryan is also a contributor for RotoBaller, covering the NFL and fantasy football. He has previously written for Rivals, On3, SB Nation, FanSided and several other publications. Ryan was born and raised in metro Detroit. He is happily married and a proud girl dad.
