Michigan State fires head coach Jonathan Smith after two seasons

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Michigan State has made a move at the top of its football program, firing head coach Jonathan Smith after just two seasons in East Lansing. Smith departs with a 9–15 record, unable to generate the necessary momentum needed to get a third year at MSU. The report was made by On3's Pete Nakos.

The move comes less than 24 hours after the Spartans concluded the 2025 season, defeating Maryland inside of Ford Field. In some ways, it is ironic, as Smith's tenure started after the Spartans concluded the 2023 season inside of Ford Field and it has now ended after MSU concluded the 2025 season in Detroit.

Smith posted a 5–7 mark in his first season and entered year two with bowl expectations. Instead, the Spartans stumbled into a program-worst eight-game losing streak, a slide that ultimately sealed his fate despite flashes of competitiveness down the stretch.

With Smith out, athletic director J Batt now begins the search for the next leader of Spartan football — a hire that will shape not just the immediate future, but the larger identity of a program still fighting to reclaim its place in the Big Ten landscape.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State fires head coach Jonathan Smith after two seasons

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