Restoration of a once-storied football program may be coming back to the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing.
Following an ugly tenure under now-former coach Jonathan Smith, who was relieved of his duties Sunday, the Spartans have reportedly zeroed in on their guy.
According to the Detroit Free Press's Graham Couch, the Spartans intend to hire former Northwestern Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald. If contracts are finalized, it would lead Fitzgerald to a return to the Big Ten for the first time since his firing in the summer of 2023 for hazing within the Wildcats' football program.
Through an undisclosed settlement between the Wildcats and Fitzgerald, hazing did occur within the program but Fitzgerald was under no knowledge it did happen and fully maintained his innocence.
Fitzgerald clarified his position during a recent "College Gameday Podcast" episode.
"I feel 100 percent vindicated. You alluded to the statement earlier. I'll let that speak for itself.... I feel very vindicated. Especially for our players and their families. The facts are the facts," Fitzgerald said
With the baggage behind him, Fitzgerald will have to restore a sanction-filled non-ideal mess that is Michigan State. The Spartans finished the season 4-8, only winning one Big Ten game (including sanctions for ineligible players over the last few seasons) with a 38-28 win against the Maryland Terrapins Saturday evening.
Nonetheless, it appears the college football coaching carousel continues on a day largely dominated by Lane Kiffin bailing on the Ole Miss Rebels for Baton Rouge right before the Rebels' CFP run.
The Big Ten, though, no matter how it's quantified, just got a whole lot more interesting for next season.