Michigan State football: Two staff members retained under Pat Fitzgerald

About an hour before tipoff of the MSU-Duke basketball game on Dec. 7th, Justin Thind of 247Sports reported that Pat Fitzgerald and Michigan State football were preparing to retain defensive coordinator Joe Rossi and safeties coach James Adams.

Rossi led the 72nd best defense in the nation according to the NCAA and allowed 64 more total points than the Spartans offense scored during the season. Opponents averaged close to 30 points per game, and almost 380 total yards of offense. However, that does not tell the full story, with the Spartans turning around once Rossi went from the booth to the sidelines.

In 2024, former coach Jonathan Smith hired Rossi after a six-year stint at Minnesota under the same title. As a Golden Gopher, Rossi coached three top defenses in all of college football, and helped developed some big names such as Tyler Nubin, Antoine Winfield Jr., and Boye Maye.

In 2024, when Rossi first arrived in East Lansing, Rossi was nominated for the Broyles Award, which is awarded to the nation’s best assistant coach. MSU’s defense that season was the nation’s 32nd best with key players such as Jordan Turner, Khris Bogle and Charles Brantley. However, with those three, alongside impact players such as Ed Woods and D’Quan Douse moving on, the Spartans took a step back, with their portal class not making enough of an impact.

It was also reported that safeties coach James Adams will be returning as well. Adams was hired by Smith in 2025, after Smith’s first year as head coach of Michigan State football. Prior to coaching at MSU, Adams was the safeties coach at his alma mater Wake Forest for three seasons, where Adams helped Malik Mustapha and Sanoussi Kane get drafted to the NFL.

Adams has Big Ten experience prior to coaching at MSU.  In 2021, Adams coached cornerbacks at Purdue.  The Boilermakers won nine games that season, finished tied for second in the Big Ten West Division, and beat Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. Purdue ranked 33rd in the FBS in passing defense and fourth in the conference with 13 interceptions.

With both coaches coming back to East Lansing, it could signify an opportunity for the Spartans to retain some defensive talent. Players like Nikai Martinez and Jordan Hall are two athletes who could have eligibility remaining, and could choose to use it for this upcoming season. Additionally, Hall, a linebacker, and Martinez, a safety, likely know their position coach for 2026.