Michigan State football has reportedly inked a deal with its next head coach.
According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Michigan State and former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald has agreed to a five-year deal to make him the next head coach of the Spartans. Per Thamel, Fitzgerald met with Michigan State to finalize the deal, and he’ll be officially introduced as the next head coach of Michigan State on Tuesday.
The terms other than the length of the deal have not yet been reported or officially announced by the school.
Things have moved quickly for Michigan State as the Spartans fired Jonathan Smith just over 24 hours ago, and now have reportedly locked down their next head coach. Smith coached two years for the Spartans, finishing his career with a 9-15 record at Michigan State.
Fitzgerald 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.
Per a source, it’ll be a five-year deal for Fitzgerald at Michigan State. https://t.co/dHD4nIgc9M
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 1, 2025
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Pat Fitzgerald reportedly signs contract to be next MSU head coach
