It appears Pat Fitzgerald will get his chance to return to coaching along the banks of the Red Cedar River.

Michigan State football intends to hire the former Northwestern coach after firing Jonathan Smith after two seasons, two people with knowledge of the situation who couldn't speak publicly confirmed to the Detroit Free Press and Lansing State Journal. A contract had not yet been signed as of midday Sunday, Nov. 30.

Fitzgerald, who turns 51 on Tuesday, went 110-101 over 17 seasons with his alma mater from 2006-22, the entirety of his head coaching career and the Wildcats' longest-tenured coach in school history. The Midlothian, Illinois, native was an All-Big linebacker for Northwestern from 1993-96 and was a consensus All-American, won the Big Ten defensive player of the year a

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