Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on during his team's 2022 game against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium.

Michigan State is moving on from football coach Jonathan Smith after just nine wins in his two seasons at the school.

Smith arrived after the 2023 season with the Spartans still dealing with the fallout of the firing of Mel Tucker. Smith had shown the ability to rebuild Oregon State during his six seasons with the Beavers, including posting 25 wins in his final three campaigns.

But things didn't go as planned in East Lansing. After a 3-0 start in 2024, Michigan State stumbled down the stretch, losing seven of its last nine. The Spartans again won their first three games in 2025 before an eight-game skid that ended with their first Big Ten win against Maryland in the season finale.

Now Michigan State will turn its attention to a new leader of its football program. Finances may be an issue as the school is still being sued by Tucker over his firing for cause and Smith is owed a buyout of approximately $33 million.

Here are the early candidates for the Spartans to consider:

Pat Fitzgerald

The former Northwestern coach reached a settlement in his wrongful-termination lawsuit against the university and is back on the market as an established winner with extensive Big Ten experience. On paper, this looks like a perfect fit. Fitzgerald would need to show a plan on offense and for how he’s going to adapt to the NIL-driven landscape that has exploded during his three years off the sidelines. But a search that ends with him returning to the Big Ten would be a coup for the Spartans.

Editor's note: Michigan State is expected to hire Pat Fitzgerald

Brent Key, Georgia Tech

It might take more than Michigan State to pry Key away from Georgia Tech. But his scheme and style would play wonderfully in the Big Ten, he’s shown himself to be adept at building a winner and he has a tie to Michigan State’s athletics director, who previously held the same job at Tech. What MSU can offer is a major pay raise, but that still might not be enough.

Brian Hartline, Ohio State

The Spartans may be willing to roll the dice on a high-level coordinator. One who fits that bill is Hartline, who is due for a Power Four job but can afford to be very picky. His reputation is at an all-time high after taking over Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and helping the Buckeyes beat Michigan for the first time since 2019. He’s also an elite recruiter. While Michigan State should value experience, Hartline would be a forward-looking hire who would grow on the job.

Jason Eck, New Mexico

Eck has Big Ten roots from his playing days at Wisconsin and has translated a physical style to great success at Idaho and New Mexico. In his first year in Albuquerque, Eck led the Lobos into a first-place tie in the Mountain West but fell short of the conference championship game because of computer rankings. Eck’s teams have exceeded expectations, sometimes wildly so, in each of his four seasons as a head coach.

Matt Campbell, Iowa State

Campbell always pops up for Big Ten jobs off the league’s top tier. Michigan State would be a cultural fit, at least, and could be the sort of opening he’s been waiting for after a long and distinguished run with the Cyclones. While Campbell’s program-building résumé and coaching chops would make him a very strong hire, he’s turned down similar opportunities in the past; you’d have to wonder why MSU would be any different.

Brian Kelly

Kelly might’ve fizzled out at LSU, but let’s get real: MSU would be ecstatic to hire him, and rightfully so. He’s a big-time winner across multiple levels and conferences, and has extensive experience in the Spartans’ footprint and against Big Ten competition. Clearly, the question isn’t whether the Spartans would want Kelly but if Kelly would want to be at MSU. If so, he’d rocket to the top of the list.

Mike Denbrock, Notre Dame

The Notre Dame offensive coordinator has seen his stock rise since returning to South Bend before last season. Denbrock also has some slight experience with the program after spending two years as a graduate assistant at the start of his career. But his lack of experience as a head coach is an obvious separator when comparing his candidacy to other names on the Spartans’ watchlist.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will Michigan State hire to replace Jonathan Smith? Seven candidates to consider

Reporting by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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