Pat Fitzgerald was a part of Northwestern’s football program for 26 years, first as an All-America linebacker, then as an assistant to coach Randy Walker and finally as head coach for 17 seasons.
On Tuesday, he stepped in front of reporters in East Lansing, Mich., wearing a suit with a green-and-white-striped tie and concluded his opening statement by pumping his fist, smiling and uttering, “Go Green.”
Two and a half years after Northwestern fired Fitzgerald amid a hazing scandal in Evanston, he officially was back in the Big Ten as Michigan State’s coach. The Spartans signed Fitzgerald to a five-year contract to replace Jonathan Smith, whom they fired after two seasons and a 9-15 record.
After flying in Tuesday morning, Fitzgerald promised during his on-campus introduction to bring to Michigan State a coaching philosophy “centered around being the best player development program in the nation.”
“We develop our young men as people, as students and as world-class athletes,” he said. “This will happen through a values-based approach. The two cornerstones of those are choices we make every day. I expressed them to the team this morning: the choice of our attitude and the choice of our investment.
“Smiles on our face, swagger to our walk, a confidence, an openness, a happiness to be able to be privileged to be a part of the Spartan community and a relentless investment. And that will be consistent hard work, day in and day out, in the grind to what it takes to be Big Ten champions.”
Fitzgerald’s return to coaching comes after he settled a $130 million wrongful termination lawsuit against Northwestern in August.
He was fired in July 2023 when the Northwestern athletic department said football players reported hazing that included “forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature.” Fitzgerald later sued the university for breach of contract, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In a statement after the settlement, Northwestern said its investigation did not find that Fitzgerald directed or condoned hazing.
Fitzgerald said Tuesday he remains proud of what the Wildcats accomplished while he was there on the field — a 110-101 record, 10 bowl appearances and two Big Ten West titles — in the classroom and in the community and said he was grateful for the players, staff and families there.
“Like anyone who has coached and competed long enough, I’ve had moments to reflect now and learn and grow,” Fitzgerald said. “The experience has made me a better leader, a better man, a better husband, a better father and a better coach. And it has reinforced my commitment to creating an environment that’s going to be built on trust, discipline, communication and accountability.”
Fitzgerald said after the settlement and the university’s statement that he felt “100% vindicated.” But he also noted that “you always learn and evolve.” He said Michigan State will have team meetings “about zero tolerance for a lot of different behaviors.” And he expects to “communicate and go right down the middle” of any issues that arise on a day-to-day basis.
“There are definitely aspects and areas we all have to work on,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s all of our responsibilities, but as mine, it’s the ultimate responsibility. That’s definitely what I’ve learned that we’ll work toward.”
After his departure from Northwestern, Fitzgerald was a volunteer coach at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, where his sons attended high school. He also went on what he called a “learning sabbatical” as he visited the teams of friends in coaching.
“What it did give me an opportunity to do is reflect and go around and see other schools, see how they’re doing things, get to NFL organizations and just stand back and watch as this new college landscape unfolds,” he said. “What it’s given me is some great clarity. This will always be about the players, and how we can focus and develop them is what it’s all about.”
Fitzgerald said his representatives talked with eight schools about job openings. When Michigan State was presented to his family — wife Stacy and three sons — around the kitchen table after he and athletic director J Batt first spoke, there was an immediate positive reaction.
“To see my boys smile, that’s when I knew, but I didn’t want to overhype it because you never know where these things go,” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald said his alignment with Batt and university President Kevin Guskiewicz on values and the resources that will be provided to student-athletes and the coaching staff made his excitement level rise. And as a Midwest and Big Ten guy, it felt right.
“It was almost a no-brainer for me when the opportunity was presented,” Fitzgerald said.
He said after he signed his contract Monday afternoon, he got on a Zoom with Michigan State players, attended an hourlong compliance meeting and spent until about 11:30 p.m. calling and FaceTiming recruits. His first order of business upon arrival Tuesday was to meet with the team.
Batt said Fitzgerald can have an immediate impact on the Michigan State program.
“You feel Coach’s energy,” Batt said. “His attention to detail will be supreme. And I know our team will reflect all those parts and pieces. A little bit of toughness and grit might go with it as well.”
Fitzgerald grew emotional a couple of times during the news conference, including when he was asked about his hunger to return to coaching.
“As far as my motivation, you don’t have to ask me about that,” Fitzgerald said. “I’ve been dreaming about this day for a long time. … I’m just so grateful and so thankful. Our family is.
“There will be no more motivated coach to get this program where it needs to be than I will be compared to anywhere else in the country. I promise you that.”
