The Pat Fitzgerald era at Michigan State is just under two months old, so, of course, we need to pull out our magnified glass and grade his first few months on the job.
Former Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith was fired just under two months ago, and quickly afterwards Fitzgerald was named as the next Spartans head coach. In his short time with the Spartans, Fitzgerald has made numerous moves and decisions that will not only impact Michigan State this upcoming season but long term moving forward.
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From coaching staff construction to transfer portal moves, I have taken a look at the first two months of the Fitzgerald era at Michigan State and provided my letter grades of how he’s done. Let’s take a look at four key categories and my overall grade assessment of him thus far on the job.
Coaching Staff
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebackers coach Max Bullough against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Grade: B+
It was a mix of coaching staff retention, combined with bringing in some new faces for Fitzgerald — and I believe he did a great job of walking that line.
Retention of impactful coaches from the previous staff such as defensive coordinator Joe Rossi and wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins were positives to see. Combine that with poaching high-level guys from Notre Dame (Max Bullough as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach), Iowa (Levar Woods as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator) and Alabama (Nick Sheridan as offensive coordinator), and I really like what Fitzgerald has done in building out his staff.
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There were some gripes from the fanbase on a few of the position coach hires, but overall, this feels like an improved staff from last year and one that should be able to be successful in East Lansing.
Roster Retention
Nov 22, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Alessio Milivojevic (11) throws a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Grade: C
This is the lowest grade of the four categories I reviewed on Fitzgerald, but I also think this grade needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
The Spartans lost a number of high-level players from this past year’s team, and those key players landed on their feet at big-time programs. Wide receiver Nick Marsh went to Indiana, leading rusher Makhi Frazier flirted with numerous big-time schools before committing to Ole Miss, starting defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren decided last minute to hit the portal and found a new home at USC, and top returning tight end Michael Masunas will be on a preseason top five team in Texas next year. So clearly those are the type of players you would have loved to retain, but it’s also not that easy to assess as money and contracts came into play with all of the high-level players that left for other schools. I’m sure some of these guys who left could have been kept for the right dollar amount, and I’m sure the new coaching staff made the tough decision of using their budget elsewhere.
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As far as guys retained, there were some key pieces kept on both sides of the ball. Getting starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, team captain and starting linebacker Jordan Hall, starting offensive lineman Conner Moore and explosive wide receiver Chrishon McCray to come back for another year gives a solid base for next year’s team. There are a number of other young players retained that will mesh well with the portal additions to hopefully buildout a roster that can reach a bowl game next year.
There was a ton of turnover (as expected with the coaching change), and there were a number of high-level players that left for blue blood programs. So, if we are being fair, I have to give retention a lower grade. But it’s not as concerning, in my opinion, as you would think on the grade alone.
Transfer Portal
UConn’s Cam Edwards carries the ball during a game vs. Army in the Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park in Boston on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025.
Grade: B
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For the most part, I like what the Spartans did through the portal and actually could be persuaded to give them a higher grade here. Michigan State added around 30 players via the portal so I’m not going to name all of their additions by name, but some of the more notable adds were: UConn offensive lineman Ben Murawski, Iowa State cornerback Tre Bell, UConn running back Cam Edwards, Notre Dame wide receiver KK Smith, NC State linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. and North Dakota State offensive lineman Trent Fraley.
One of the biggest takeaways for the Spartans out of the portal movement that I have is the reconstruction of the offensive line. Typically, you aren’t able to rebuild an entire offensive line via the portal based on the scarcity of top tier offensive lineman in the portal. But, Michigan State certainly feels otherwise and prioritized utilizing their budget on offensive linemen — hence why someone like Marsh or Masunas was not retained. This risk and current unknown on whether it’ll work or not is why I have the Spartans as a B grade in this category. But, if the offensive line ends up hitting and being a strength for Michigan State, then this grade instantly jumps up to an A.
Recruiting
Detroit Catholic Central’s Samson Gash scrambles out of the pocket stopping the defense of East Kentwood (5) Donavan Jones during the second half of the MHSAA Division 1 football semifinals between the two teals at Jackson High School in Jackson on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. Catholic Central won the game 46-6 and will face Detroit Cass Tech in the Finals on Sunday, Nov. 30 at Ford Field for the Division 1 championship.
Grade: A-
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So the recruiting ranking itself isn’t anything special for Michigan State — they ranking No. 12 in the Big Ten and No. 48 in the country, according to 247Sports. But, I gave Fitzgerald a high grade in this category because he was able to retrain so much of this class and not let it bottom out after the firing of the previous staff. While it was a different situation and circumstances, that’s not something Smith was able to do when he came in two years ago.
The Spartans being able to keep commitments from four-star offensive tackle Collin Campbell and four-star quarterback Kayd Coffman was huge for the future of the program. And, now, we wait to see if four-star wide receiver Samson Gash will also sign with the Spartans. He is still verbally committed to Michigan State but elected to not sign during the early signing period, with Penn State, Georgia and Alabama still in pursuit for a flip. If Fitzgerald and his staff can get Gash to sign next month, that’ll only raise this grade higher for me.
Overall
Michigan State’s new football coach Pat Fitzgerald addresses the crowd during a timeout in the first half of the Spartans basketball game against Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
Grade: B+
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Where Michigan State football is right now compared to two months ago is a night-and-day difference. A lot of that is credit to Fitzgerald and the instant impact he has had on the program — both literally and figuratively via vibes / momentum. So, with that being said, it’s easy to give him a solid grade through the first two months.
Sure, there are areas that could be better, but overall, I’m finding myself more and more by the day bought in to what he can build at Michigan State. We are still months away from the start of the season, but there is plenty to be excited about right now around Michigan State — which is not something we could have said two months ago.
For me, the expectation for Michigan State is to reach a bowl game as a floor next year, with a realistic expectation of winning eight games. A lot can change from now to opening kickoff in September, but the start of the Fitzgerald era has raised my expectations for the 2026 season. As Fitzgerald said himself, this is not a rebuild but a rebirth at Michigan State, and I’m here to drink the kool-aid.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Report Card: Grading Pat Fitzgerald’s first two months at Michigan State
