Michigan State football: Jonathan Smith Out as Head Coach, Candidate Named

On Sunday, Michigan State football made the official announcement that they were moving on from head coach Jonathan Smith. Smith was the head coach for Michigan State football for two seasons, finishing 9-15 with only four conference wins.

Officially, Smith was 4-15 as a head coach due to wins vacated from violations by the Mel Tucker staff. The Spartans struggled with a lack of identity during their time with Smith, with the offense, defense, and special teams at notable points amidst the 2025 season.

Interim Head Coach Named, Head Coaching Target Named

The Spartans, despite their season concluding in a 38-28 win over Maryland, have named an interim head coach. Joe Rossi, the defensive coordinator for Michigan State football, will be the acting head coach. This was announced at a team meeting, held at 2:45 p.m. EST.

Senior defensive back Dontavius Nash, who wrapped up his collegiate career on Saturday, posted support for Rossi, along with requesting that the coordinator be promoted to full-time head coach.

It is worth noting that National Signing Day is officially on Wednesday. The Spartans hold the 33^rd-ranked recruiting class as it speaks. Defensive line commit Hudson Aultman has announced he is opening his recruitment while remaining committed to the green and white.

Additionally, the next head coaching target has been broken. Pat Fitzgerald, the former head coach of Northwestern, is the lead candidate. Fitzgerald went 110-101 during his tenure with the Wildcats. It is worth noting that he was ousted from the Wildcats due to a scandal, but was found not guilty in the court of law and has settled with the school.

Fitzgerald has notably not been tied to any other coaching gigs, and many of the coaching cycle head coach hirings have been made.

Matt Seybert, a former Spartan tight end who caught two touchdowns against Fitzgerald’s Wildcats in 2019, had strong words of support in the decision to pursue the coach, pointing out the national brand that Michigan State has.

For now, the Spartans enter another period of uncertainty, with their third head coaching search since February 2020.