Michigan State football to retain Joe Rossi as defensive coordinator

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Pat Fitzgerald has made his first hire as the new head coach of Michigan State football, securing his defensive coordinator of the future.

Fitzgerald did not have to look far for the hire, as he was already in East Lansing, making the decision to retain Joe Rossi as the school’s defensive coordinator. Rossi is a longtime Big Ten coordinator that has a plethora of experience to bring to the table for Fitzgerald, who is a defensive mind in his own right.

A defensive coordinator at Rutgers from 2014-2015 and Minnesota from 2019-2023, and including his tenure in East Lansing, brings nine seasons of Big Ten DC experience to the table for Fitzgerald in year one. Rossi will also be able to help retain as many players as possible.

Obviously, it has not been as good of a tenure as everyone would have wanted with Rossi, but his unit had tangible improvements in 2025, and the energy he brought to the sidelines galvanized the fan base.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State football to retain Joe Rossi as defensive coordinator

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