Robert Bondy, Spartans WireSun, November 30, 2025 at 7:43 PM UTC·1 min readMichigan State football has reportedly fired Jonathan Smith as its head coach and has zoned in one particular candidate to replace him.
Matt Zenitz of 247Sports is reporting that former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald is a "person of interest" for the now vacant Michigan State head coaching position. Zenitz reported this on Sunday afternoon shortly after the report of Smith's firing, with Michigan State insiders Justin Thind and Corey Robinson involved in the report as well.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFitzgerald last coached at the collegiate level in 2022 after being fired amid a hazing scandal. He was later vindicated, though, after winning a lawsuit for wrongful termination by the school.
Prior to his termination in 2023, Fitzgerald coached 17 seasons at Northwestern, where he compiled a record of 110-101. He won the Big Ten West Division twice, and reached a bowl game 10 times as the Wildcats' head coach.
Stay with Spartans Wire for this quickly moving story and all of the latest updates on the Spartans' coaching search.
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