Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith acknowledges fans as he leaves the field at the end of an NCAA college football game against Maryland on Saturday in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

Michigan State fired coach Jonathan Smith on Sunday, two years after he was hired.

“The 2025 football season has not lived up to our shared standards for Michigan State Football,” athletic director J Batt said in a statement. “While that does not fall solely on Jonathan Smith, it’s become necessary to make a coaching change in order to chart a new direction for the program.”

The university plans to hire former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The Spartans lost eight of their last nine games to finish 4-8. Smith’s overall record at MSU was 9-15 and

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