Michigan State football: Initial details of Jonathan Smith’s contract revealed

Michigan State football introduced Jonathan Smith as the 26th head coach in program history on Tuesday. And he’s getting paid.

Folks, Jonathan Smith is officially a Spartan. On Tuesday afternoon, he was introduced as the 26th head coach of Michigan State football.

Fans tuned in to watch him speak at his presser on BTN and he said all the right things. He spoke about his vision for the program, the direction Michigan State is headed under him, and how excited he is to learn the history of MSU.

Smith also touched on the fact that he is a big community guy and wants to immerse himself and his family. He spoke to Mark Dantonio and plans to lean on him heavily while he’s head coach. Oh, and he’s excited to head to the Michigan State hoops game tonight and a hockey game soon.

After the dust from the presser settled, Alan Haller spoke to the media and revealed Smith’s contract details.

MSU AD Alan Haller says Jonathan Smith will get a seven-year contract staring at $7.25M. Full terms coming later today.

— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 28, 2023

Anyone who watched the presser would probably agree that Smith is worth the $7.25 million he will be earning in year one of a seven-year deal. He spoke clearly with a vision for the program and answered all the questions (even tough ones about leaving his alma mater). And if you’re wondering how that compares to what he was making at Oregon State, it’s almost $2.5 million more per year.

And the key word up there is “starting” so Smith’s salary should increase each year, but more details will be coming out later.

This feels like a bargain when you consider he was one of the hottest names on the market. Plus, Michigan State’s last coach signed a 10-year, $95 million deal. If the Spartans are lucky, they’ll have to extend Smith or give him a pay increase because of all the success he’s having in East Lansing.

We can all hope.