Michigan State hires Fitzgerald

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I think it’s a good hire but I don’t think this is a HR.

Doing more with a little (and not all that consistently) isn’t always the same as doing well with more.
 
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Yeah I’m torn on this one. He had some very good years at NW, of course he was the golden son there. He also had some terrible years where his offenses were total garbage towards the end. In theory he should be able to recruit better at Mich St., I lean towards it being a solid hire and potentially a great one.
 




btowngopher said:
Yeah I’m torn on this one. He had some very good years at NW, of course he was the golden son there. He also had some terrible years where his offenses were total garbage towards the end. In theory he should be able to recruit better at Mich St., I lean towards it being a solid hire and potentially a great one.
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Fitz could win the big 10 west........and he absolutely despises Iowa.

I was dreaming of him being here someday.

Oh well
 

minnyrules11 said:
Why? Was horrible last two years at. Northwestern. Granted Michigan St can’t get much worse.
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If he had achieved at Minnesota what he did at Northwestern he would be a legend here! I think he is going to do great at Michigan St. as it is a more traditional football school than Northwestern.
 

I think he will raise the floor at a minimum
And make Michigan state worth paying attention to for the first time in a while
 

Guy fired during scandal and was 3-9 and 1-11 his last two years is a homerun hire? Man I don't know about that. Had been pretty bad since 2019. Sure had some good years at Northwestern but was showing more and more he wasn't equipped for the changed game. I'm happy about this hire, it's another Michigan State bust.
 

studentgopher94 said:
Guy fired during scandal and was 3-9 and 1-11 his last two years is a homerun hire? Man I don't know about that. Had been pretty bad since 2019. Sure had some good years at Northwestern but was showing more and more he wasn't equipped for the changed game. I'm happy about this hire, it's another Michigan State bust.
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I actually hope your right and I'm wrong but I always liked him as a coach. Not sure the scandal was something he condoned or was really aware of ... but it was done on his watch and somebody had to pay. If there was proof that he covered up stuff I'm sure Mich. St. wouldn't have hired him.
 

MNSpaniel said:
I think this is a home run hire!

www.espn.com

Michigan State hires Fitzgerald, touts 'new era'

Former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald was hired Monday as the new football coach at Michigan State. Sources told ESPN that it's a five-year deal.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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MSU has at times made a lot of noise in Big Ten races. They have been known to make some nice runs when the Corn/Blue team has been not quite at the top of their game. Certainly Michigan will notice.

Fitz will most likely turn Sparty into a team that can run the ball,
stop the run and still have some big play capabilities. He will recruit well to Esst Lansing and MSU has some boosters.

The B1G just got a little tougher I think

Toughen up Gopher!
 


Fitzgerald was 9-8 versus Iowa, 5-12 versus Wisconsin 2006-2022. Not bad for pitiful lil Northwestern.

He’s 51. Relatively young. Will he succeed? No idea. Overall conference record to date is 65-76. If I had to bet my own money (which I won’t) I think he probably does ok with a renewed purpose. I am a little surprised a school with more than its share of scandals in recent years is taking him and the alleged homoerotic hazing culture on, rather than some IDGAF SEC school but that also speaks to how credible the whole debacle was to many. I’d guess MSU fans are probably 80/20 happy with the hire. There are always going to be a few.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Fitzgerald was 9-8 versus Iowa, 5-12 versus Wisconsin 2006-2022. Not bad for pitiful lil Northwestern.

He’s 51. Relatively young. Will he succeed? No idea. Overall conference record to date is 65-76. If I had to bet my own money (which I won’t) I think he probably does ok with a renewed purpose. I am a little surprised a school with more than its share of scandals in recent years is taking him and the alleged homoerotic hazing culture on, rather than some IDGAF SEC school but that also speaks to how credible the whole debacle was to many. I’d guess MSU fans are probably 80/20 happy with the hire. There are always going to be a few.
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No. They don’t have nil and are gone from their golden age. Won’t be relevant just like last two seasons as a head coach. Granted can’t be worse but won’t be successful either.
 

minnyrules11 said:
No. They don’t have nil and are gone from their golden age. Won’t be relevant just like last two seasons as a head coach. Granted can’t be worse but won’t be successful either.
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Very possible but we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes or who may enter the scene if the right situation develops. An interesting peek behind the curtain from a few years back.

 

I think its a good hire. I would bet he elevates the program, although currently a low bar. I would bet in 3 years they are firmly in the middle of the B10.
 

Feels like a solid hire. Fitzgerald was a great fit at Northwestern, will be interesting to see how he does somewhere else.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Feels like a solid hire. Fitzgerald was a great fit at Northwestern, will be interesting to see how he does somewhere else.
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Part of why he was a great fit at northwestern was they were comfortable being a bottom 2 team in the conference a third of the time.

5/16 times he finished with 2 or fewer big ten wins
25% of non COVID seasons he finished with 1 big ten win

He will have a situation where that is less likely to happen but also less tolerant of that happening at MSU
 


Fitz has proven he can be a head coach. I think he became a little complacent his last few years at NU. I think the change to MSU will be good for him and he’ll get that spark back to do a decent job there.
 

Some guy said:
Part of why he was a great fit at northwestern was they were comfortable being a bottom 2 team in the conference a third of the time.

5/16 times he finished with 2 or fewer big ten wins
25% of non COVID seasons he finished with 1 big ten win

He will have a situation where that is less likely to happen but also less tolerant of that happening at MSU
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Yes he was up and down. 8 winning B10 seasons, 10 overall .500 or better in 17 years. Finished ranked 5 times. Also had 4 years where they won a single B10 game. I still like the hire.
 

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