From Michigan State Spartans On SI · · 2m
Why Close Losses Show MSU's Fitzgerald Deserves Time, Patience
Michigan State's two close losses prove Pat Fitzgerald needs time to build his program.
In brief
Michigan State's two close losses prove Pat Fitzgerald needs time to build his program. Michigan State's close losses show Pat Fitzgerald needs time to piece together his vision for the program. Originally reported by Michigan State Spartans On SI.
Michigan State Accepted This Season
Michigan State accepted this type of season as a possibility.
Fitzgerald's Coaching Staff
The biggest disadvantage of hiring Pat Fitzgerald was that he didn't have a coaching staff or a group of players from a previous stop to bring with him.
Only One Player From Northwestern
Only one player, rush end Kenny Soares Jr., played for Fitzgerald at Northwestern, and none of the Spartans' coordinators or position coaches worked for him there.
Year 1 Success Stories
Virtually every Year 1 success story in this era involves a coach who brings over about a dozen players and some other coaches with them.
Indiana's Curt Cignetti
Indiana's Curt Cignetti brought 13 players with him from James Madison to Indiana in 2024.
UCLA's Bob Chesney
MSU's next opponent, UCLA (currently 6-0), has 11 players that new head coach Bob Chesney brought with him from JMU.
Oklahoma State's Eric Morris
Oklahoma State is having a pretty good season; it has 20 players that Eric Morris brought with him from North Texas.
Auburn's Alex Golesh
Auburn just beat then-No. 1 Georgia on the road, and it has 13 players that Alex Golesh brought with him from South Florida.
Penn State's Matt Campbell
Penn State is 3-4 right now, with 24 transfers that Matt Campbell took with him from Iowa State.
Michigan's Kyle Whittingham
Michigan has had a rocky season, though it is still 4-2, despite Kyle Whittingham bringing some reinforcements and coaches with him from Utah, though maybe not as many players as the other coaches listed above.
Michigan State's Strategy
Michigan State hasn't really tried this strategy. Even when it hired Jonathan Smith, the Spartans only brought over three players from Oregon State (QB Aidan Chiles, TE Jack Velling, and C Tanner Miller).
Zagging vs. Zigging
Just because everybody else seems to be zigging doesn't mean MSU is necessarily incorrect for zagging.
Close Losses Show Why
The last two close losses show why Fitzgerald deserves some time to piece together his vision for the program.
The big picture
Michigan State's close losses show Pat Fitzgerald needs time to piece together his vision for the program.
