Fitzgerald to MSU
Great hire IMHO
Link: https://www.footballscoop.com/2025/11/30/sources-northwestern-hire-pat-fitzgerald
Replies to: Fitzgerald to MSU
See Pat on 9/19/26.
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I like Fitz but it is a different game and folks actually care at MSU
It is a good hire for MSU considering their possible list of candidates. He is a good football coach if a bit of a red ass like Narduzzi.
But he has never coached at a place where winning matters, has never coached in an NIL environment and never coach at a place where graduating isn't a priority.
you are giving MSU a lot of credit invisible in years
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They care a lot more than at NW
Heck, they are building a mere 32,000 seat stadium because their non-revenue sports gather more interest and success.
His teams kept getting worse and worse at NU.
I chuckled when his name was bandied about as a possible replacement for McCarthy with the Packers.
And, just to clarify, having been both a player and HC at NU, there is zero chance he didn't know what was happening, in terms of hazing, so he lied about that.
And so did the culture.
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Northwestern may be the worst power 5 job in the country
MSU isn’t an elite job. If he can come in and get them 8 wins most years and get back to being competitive, then that’s a huge success. Which I think he can do.
How so? Incredible facilities. Undemanding fans. North Shore digs. Prestige school.
What am I not getting? Seems like a great gig.
You’re missing past and present
The job is much better today than it was with Fitzgerald. Which is the point.
Last to adopt NIL collective, facilities stunk, terrible stadium, hard academic standards, hard to play in the portal. Chicago is a great city, but not going to resonate with a lot of kids from the south. Especially, again in the PAST when you’re a broke kid who can’t enjoy the city.
Since he left, they’ve adopted NIL and invested in facilities.
Furthermore NW has one of the worst historical win percentages. It’s always been a bad job.
You can't credit Fitz for elevating the program early on and then absolve him when they return to
being the Big 10's doormat again, which they did.
MSU actually has a great tradition. I hope they hire somebody a helluva lot better than Fitz.
You can’t also ignore the changing landscape of the game
And Northwestern’s caution to changing. Last to form an NIL collective. Not playing in the portal. Did they even have a stadium his final years?
The job was a disaster. Now they are more organized and adapting but it’s still a nightmare job.
MSU has an all time win % of 59.5%. They’ve had some good moments but it’s not an elite program.
Fitz's replacement was an improvement. If MSU had a shot at Franklin, they should've taken it.
Franklin is several notches above FItz.
Thats been mentioned for a while but MSU waited until the season was over.
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