Recently-hired Michigan State Spartans coach Pat Fitzgerald has quickly bought into the culture in East Lansing, even if his first coaching gig in over three years has just begun.
Fitzgerald met the media for an extended period Tuesday, describing that leading another Big Ten program, let alone a college football program once again, is all he had hoped for.
He summed it up rather simply: "a dream."
“To be a Big Ten player that’s been in Spartan Stadium with a neck roll on, right? To beat Michigan multiple times with a neck roll on, this goes a long way back for me personally, and that’s who I am," Fitzgerald said. "I’m a Big Ten guy. To be able to be here with the history, the tradition, the passionate fanbase and the great young men that have come here. I just can’t wait to get started.”
Fitzgerald's 110 wins are nothing to sweat at. Taking what transpired off the field aside, he knows how to win. And he recognizes the Spartans aren't where they should be.
“Toughness was born here in Michigan State football,” Fitzgerald said. “And every game, there is going to be a focus on victory and winning. But there’s one game that just means a little bit more, doesn’t it? I’ll just leave that one alone.”
That game meaning a little bit more? It's the Michigan Wolverines, of course. The Spartans haven't won a rivalry game against their in-state foe since 2021, trailing in the all-time series 75-38-5.
Even if the Spartans don't become bowl-eligible immediately next fall, a sense of belief that maybe, just maybe, a turnaround is sooner than anticipated.
In about 10 months or so, we'll find out.