Two years and five days after formally agreeing to be Michigan State’s next football coach, Jonathan Smith is out.

Smith was fired on Sunday after posting a 9-15 record in two seasons leading the Spartans .

While new athletic director J Batt works on finding a replacement, the university is responsible for the financial cost of moving on from Smith so quicky.

The seven-year, $52.85 million contract Smith signed in November 2023 calls for an 85 percent buyout if he’s fired without cause. That number works out to approximately $33 million in monthly payments over the remainder of the term but doesn’t include paying what’s left on deals with other assistants and staff members.

If fired without cause, Smith is required to use his “best efforts to actively seek and obtain comparable emp

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