New MSU coach's hiring raises old oversight concerns among critics

Michigan State University officials said they aren't worried about the circumstances under which new football coach Pat Fitzgerald left Northwestern University, but outside experts said the hire raises questions given the university's history of failing to handle past cases of misconduct.

MSU officials said they fully believe Fitzgerald can return the Spartans to their winning tradition after he led Northwestern to 10 bowl games and two Big Ten West divisional championships in 17 years. The hiring sparked interest immediately, coinciding with an announcement that the athletic department planned to raise $1 billion in the coming years .