It may be an incredibly active coaching carousel, but Michigan State has decided to toss its hat in the ring, too.
On Sunday, the Spartans fired head coach Jonathan Smith after a 9–15 mark across just two seasons. What’s all the more notable about the quick hook is the school will be paying a buyout of more than $30 million but may have been forced to after finishing just 1–8 in Big Ten play this season.
The Smith tenure can best be cast as simply an ill fit. He’s a West Coast native who did excellent work reviving Oregon State and as an offensive coordinator at Washington, but never found a way to make Michigan State very competitive. The Spartans didn’t beat a single ranked opponent the last two years and looked like they were falling further and further behind some of their peers in the league.
There’s also a fairly new school president and a new athletic director in J. Batt so there were not any ties to Smith that may have bought him another year in charge. Instead, it’s another change in East Lansing, Mich., as the Spartans keep chasing some of the highs they experienced under former coach Mark Dantonio.
The good news for Michigan State fans is that this is a pretty attractive opening. It’s a Power 2 job in the Big Ten, there are decent resources available and plenty of paths to being competitive and competing for a playoff berth. It’s not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it should be a place where you can win a lot of games and have plenty of success.
Who could Michigan State turn to? Here are 10 candidates who could be a great fit.
Pat Fitzgerald, former Northwestern head coach
Fitzgerald has hovered in the back of every coaching search and hot seat situation in the Big Ten given his lengthy (and generally successful) run at Northwestern before getting forced out. He knows the conference well, understands how to run the program and is capable of doing more with less. He’ll need to address some of those bad offenses he had with the Wildcats but if he is open to being a little more exciting in that area, it could be a quick move to hire the veteran coach.
Brian Kelly, former LSU head coach
Kelly is no stranger to the state and is a much better fit in the Midwest than he ever was in the SEC. He’s still an excellent recruiter and has won pretty much everywhere he’s gone while offering up the ability for Michigan State to really make some waves in the Big Ten. He still spends time in the state of Michigan and has a lake house nearby so this could be one of the few situations that may interest him after leaving Baton Rouge.
Matt Campbell, Iowa State head coach
Campbell has done wonders as one of the best coaches in Iowa State history but may finally have the opening to make the step up to a Big Ten job like Michigan State this cycle. He’s talked with some NFL teams in recent years but seems like a college lifer who could help get Michigan State back on track after thriving in a hard-to-win job like the Cyclones.
Pat Narduzzi, Pitt head coach
The former Spartans defensive coordinator has made Pitt quite competitive in the ACC but probably wouldn’t mind going back to East Lansing given how much more competitive the school can be on the revenue-sharing and NIL front. He’s a hard-nosed guy who would bring that kind of toughness back to the program and may be able to take his young quarterback with him, too.
P.J. Fleck, Minnesota head coach
The same guy who rowed the boat all the way to the BCS isn’t a stranger to the state of Michigan and has been itching to make a move after just about maximizing what he can do in the Twin Cities. His personality isn’t for everybody but he’s the polar opposite of Smith and knows the region and how to win in the Big Ten.
Jason Eck, New Mexico head coach
Eck is a former Wisconsin offensive lineman who has done one of the best coaching jobs in the country in getting the Lobos to nine wins and nearly making the Mountain West championship game. He’s an offensive-minded guy with tons of creativity that would be perfect for the Spartans. However, it’s possible he could be eyeing his alma mater coming open next season.
Dan Mullen, UNLV head coach
Mullen has reaffirmed that he’s a good coach after leaving the broadcast booth and taking the Rebels to the MWC title game in his first year in Las Vegas. His offenses are creative and he builds around the talent he has on the roster better than few others. Despite working out West and down South, he’s a Midwestern guy and could be just the kind of coach who wins big and doesn’t mind taking shots at the maize and blue every chance he gets either.
Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio) head coach
At some point, a smart athletic director will realize that Martin is an excellent football coach and give him a shot at a bigger job. He’s won a pair of conference titles with the RedHawks and is in yet another league title game again this season. It’s not popular with fans in the Big Ten to just pluck the MAC coach who is winning a bunch of games, but it makes a ton of sense in this case.
Will Stein, Oregon offensive coordinator
Of all the top assistant coaching names that could be in play, Stein tops this list after helping the Ducks go 24–2 the last two seasons with a Big Ten title as well. He’s from Louisville, worked in Texas and has ties to East Lansing so if the school doesn’t mind elevating a first-time head coach, Stein would be the first call to make.
Mike Denbrock, Notre Dame offensive coordinator
Denbrock is a Michigan native who coached the Spartans as a GA in his days after playing at nearby Grand Valley State. He’s done a terrific job with the Irish the past two seasons in guiding them to the CFP and understands the region so well with a ton of ties all over. He’s 61, which might work against him, but would be a perfect fit to take over at Michigan State.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ten Coaching Candidates for Michigan State Football Coaching Search After Jonathan Smith Firing.
