Pat Fitzgerald reportedly set to be named head coach at B1G program, per report

Pat Fitzgerald appears to be headed back to the sidelines.

According to the Detroit Free Press’s Chris Solari and Graham Couch, Michigan State is set to hire the former Northwestern head coach to lead the Spartans program. Fitzgerald would replace Jonathan Smith, who was fired on Sunday after two seasons.

It would be the first head coaching job for Fitzgerald since being fired in July 2023 amid investigations of hazing within the Northwestern football program. He later filed a $130 million wrongful termination suit before reaching a settlement with the university in August. At the time of his dismissal, he was 110-101.

At Michigan State, Fitzgerald would oversee a program that is only a few years removed from an 11-win season, a Peach Bowl victory, and a Top 10 postseason ranking. It hired Mel Tucker after the 2019 season to replace the retired Mark Dantonio, with Tucker leading the Spartans to an 11-2 mark and a win over Pitt in the Peach Bowl in 2021.

Tucker, though, was fired in September 2023 after sexual harassment allegations were levied against him. Ahead of the 2024 season, Michigan State hired Smith after six seasons at his alma mater, Oregon State.

The university, though, will embark on a third head coaching search in six years after Smith’s firing. Smith’s record in two seasons was 9-15, with his five wins in 2024 vacated by the NCAA as punishment for staff recruiting violations committed under Tucker.