Michigan State Coaching Staff Is Set to Lead the Turnaround
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The Michigan State Spartans underwent a massive transformation when it came to their coaching staff this offseason.
From top to bottom, with only a handful of returning faces, the staff has been almost completely retooled to fit exactly what new head coach Pat Fitzgerald is looking to build in East Lansing.
The importance of a well-oiled coaching staff often goes vastly underappreciated year after year. Most fans watch the product on the field and are quick to criticize what they see on Saturdays. But often forgotten is the work that happens long before kickoff.
Players are ultimately responsible for executing on game day, but they are also carrying out what they have been taught throughout the week.
Yes, it is up to the players to execute. But the art of teaching, developing and preparing those players can be just as difficult—if not more difficult—than the execution itself.
Add in the constant turnover that has become commonplace throughout college football, and the importance of quickly assembling the right staff becomes even more significant.
Fitzgerald was hired at the beginning of the year to take over for Jonathan Smith, and he quickly got to work assembling the group of coaches he is ready to go to battle with.
Now, with the 2026 season kicking off this coming Friday, let's take a look at the coaching staff tasked with helping lead Michigan State's turnaround.
Pat Fitzgerald — Head Coach
Fitzgerald spent 17 seasons as Northwestern's head coach before his departure in 2022. Now, after time away from college football, he is making his return—and it just so happens to be back in the Big Ten.
During his tenure with the Wildcats, Fitzgerald won 110 games, the most in program history. He led Northwestern to 10 bowl appearances, earned five bowl victories and guided the Wildcats to two Big Ten Championship Game appearances.
Fitzgerald also won the Big Ten West twice, proving that he knows what it takes to build a competitive program in one of college football's toughest conferences.
Now, he takes over a Michigan State program desperately searching for consistency and looking to establish a new identity.
LeVar Woods — Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator
Coming over from Iowa, a program widely known for its special teams excellence, Woods brings valuable experience to East Lansing.
While he will oversee the Spartans' special teams units, Woods will also work closely alongside Fitzgerald as the team's assistant head coach.
His experience and leadership could be particularly important as Michigan State looks to improve in all three phases of the game.
Joe Rossi — Secchia Family Defensive Coordinator
One of the biggest returning pieces from the previous staff is defensive coordinator Joe Rossi.
The Spartans defense experienced its share of struggles early last season, but by the end of the year, the unit had begun to find its footing and play some of its best football.
Rossi's return was also believed to be a major factor in several Michigan State defenders choosing to remain in East Lansing.
Continuity matters, especially when a program is undergoing significant change, and Rossi provides exactly that on the defensive side of the football.
Nick Sheridan — Offensive Coordinator
Michigan State's offense struggled mightily last season.
Now, Sheridan takes over with the responsibility of turning around a unit filled with players who could be ready to break out.
Sheridan brings valuable experience from his time at Alabama, where he helped the Crimson Tide average 33.8 points per game in 2024. That offense ranked third in the SEC and No. 22 nationally in scoring.
The Spartans don't necessarily need to become an offensive juggernaut overnight, but significant improvement will be expected under Sheridan's leadership.
The Rest of the Staff
- Max Bullough — Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
- James Adams — Safeties Coach
- Andrew Bindglass — Rush Ends Coach
- Winston DeLattiboudere III — Defensive Line Coach
- Courtney Hawkins — Wide Receivers Coach
- John McNulty — Quarterbacks Coach
- Hank Poteat — Cornerbacks Coach
- Devon Spalding — Running Backs Coach
- Nick Tabacca — Offensive Line Coach
- Brian Wozniak — Tight Ends Coach
The rest of the coaching staff brings its own unique personality, experience and background to East Lansing.
Bullough returns home to Michigan State after spending time at Notre Dame, coming back to a place where he already established himself as a Spartan during his playing career.
Adams provides continuity as he returns to coach the safeties, while Winston DeLattiboudere III—better known as Coach Deebo—comes to East Lansing from the Arizona Cardinals, bringing valuable NFL coaching experience with him.
On the offensive side of the ball, Tabacca will be tasked with developing what could become one of the most important units on the team: the offensive line.
Every coach on the staff will have a role in shaping what Michigan State football becomes under Fitzgerald.
This coaching staff doesn't necessarily have to be perfect, but the preparation of the players must be significantly better.
Spartan fans already know what can happen when a team lacks consistency, direction and development. Michigan State finished last season with a putrid 1-8 conference record, and while that responsibility certainly falls on the players who took the field, it also reflects the coaching and preparation behind the scenes.
Now, those responsibilities rest on the shoulders of Fitzgerald and the staff he assembled.
The talent is there. The players are in place.
The question heading into Friday is whether this new group of coaches can get the most out of them.
Michigan State's turnaround starts now, and the coaching staff will play just as important of a role in determining its success as anyone wearing a helmet.
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