Pat Fitzgerald to Michigan State? Could happen after school fires football coach Jonathan Smith

Jonathan Smith is out as football coach at Michigan State.

Is Pat Fitzgerald in?

The ex-Northwestern coach will be the next leader of the Spartans, according to reports from the Detroit Free Press and the Lansing (Mich.) State Journal. Smith was fired Sunday after the Spartans finished their season with a record of 4-8, 1-8 in the Big Ten.

As of late afternoon, Fitzgerald and MSU were in talks, his agent confirmed to the Sun-Times.

“I’m well rested, no bags under the eyes and ready to put the whistle around my neck and put the neck roll back on and [go] win some championships,” Fitzgerald recently told ESPN's “College GameDay” pod.

Fitzgerald, 50, reached an undisclosed settlement with Northwestern in August, having sued his alma mater for $130 million after being fired in July 2023 amid a hazing scandal. He referred to himself as being “100% vindicated” and called his time off a “blessing” because he got to help coach two of his sons in high school football at Loyola Academy.

“I know how to build a program,” he said. “I know how to run a program. We know how to compete for championships and graduate guys and develop guys to be prepared for life.

“Am I disappointed in some things that happened [at Northwestern]? Absolutely. I’m going to use that as fuel as we move forward and do a better job as a leader.”

Fitzgerald won more games at Northwestern than anyone who came before him — 110 in 17 seasons — but his last two teams were a combined 4-20. He'll have to atone for that in his next job. Michigan State has had four straight losing seasons under Smith and predecessor Mel Tucker.