Full Breakdown
Pat Fitzgerald Returns to Michigan State, Targeting a Big Ten Championship
7/30/2026, 9:31:56 PM
Core Event: New Head Coach Hired
Former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald signed a five-year, $30 million contract to become Michigan State’s head football coach. The hiring ends the Spartans’ first coaching change since Mark Dantonio’s 2020 retirement after four straight losing seasons, the most recent 4-8.
Background & Context
Fitzgerald spent 17 seasons at Northwestern, posting a 110-101 record, ten bowl appearances and two Big Ten title-game trips (2018, 2020). He left in July 2023 after a hazing investigation cleared him of direct involvement and later settled a wrongful-termination lawsuit. During his hiatus he coached at Loyola Academy and visited several Big Ten programs.
Michigan State, still awaiting a conference title since the Dantonio era, hopes Fitzgerald’s experience can reverse the four-year losing stretch—the longest since 1980-83.
Timeline
- July 2023 – Dismissed from Northwestern.
- August 2023 – Settlement of lawsuit.
- 2025 season – Northwestern finished 4-8; QB Alessio Milivojevic started the final four games.
- 2026 – Fitzgerald hired; fall camp begins next week.
- July 29 2026 (scheduled) – Comments on the Michigan-MSU rivalry.
- Nov 7 (scheduled) – First rivalry game for Fitzgerald in Ann Arbor.
Data & Statistics
- Northwestern record under Fitzgerald: 110-101.
- Big Ten Coach of the Year (2018).
- Michigan State’s recent record: four straight losing seasons, most recent 4-8.
- Spartans allowed just under 30 points per game in 2025.
- QB Alessio Milivojevic logged 1,267 yards and 10 TDs in 2025.
Official Statements & Responses
Fitzgerald told reporters at Big Ten media days the program’s goal is clear: win the Big Ten championship and return to “tough, hard-nosed Spartan football.” Athletic director Kevin Guskiewicz confirmed he will stay at Michigan State and “lock arms” with Fitzgerald.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Our football program should be winning,” — Pat Fitzgerald
- “We're going to get back to playing tough, hard-nosed Spartan football that's going to make our fanbase and Spartan nation proud,” — Pat Fitzgerald
- “Now that I got those four games of starting and feeling the highs and lows along with the halftimes — every part of the game — it really allows me to really understand what it takes to win a Big Ten football game,” — Alessio Milivojevic
What’s Next
Fall camp opens next week, with a road trip to Notre Dame in week 3 and the rivalry clash at Michigan on Nov 7. Developing depth around Milivojevic and integrating offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, formerly of Alabama, will be key as the Spartans aim to end their losing streak and contend for a conference title.
