RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesPat Fitzgerald to rebuild Michigan State with old-school, tough, reinvigorated identity originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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Returning to Big Ten Media Days under a new banner, Pat Fitzgerald took the podium in Chicago to discuss his transition to head coach of the Michigan State Spartans.
Expressing gratitude to Commissioner Tony Petitti and praising the leadership of university president Kevin Guskiewicz, Fitzgerald reflected on the warm welcome he and his family received upon arriving in East Lansing. "My emotions are I'm just excited to be in a leadership role again. But what about me is irrelevant; it's all about our guys and developing our program," Fitzgerald stated, emphasizing that his entire focus is on elevating the Spartan football program back to championship contention.
Fitzgerald praised the incredible work of strength coach Joel Welsh and highlighted a milestone in the classroom, where the team achieved a program-record 3.22 team GPA during the spring semester.
Discussing the seismic shifts in college football since his previous head coaching tenure, Fitzgerald pointed directly to roster retention and transfer portal roster construction as the most dramatic changes.
However, he emphasized that holistic player development remains paramount. Looking ahead to fall camp, Fitzgerald noted that eliminating traditional redshirting under the five-year rule grants coaches unprecedented access to develop their entire rosters. When asked if he carried a chip on his shoulder returning to the conference, Fitzgerald responded with characteristic grit: "I wouldn't say I have a chip on my shoulder. I wouldn't say our program has a chip on our shoulder. I'd say we have a bag of chips on our shoulder. I'll leave it at that."
Accompanying Fitzgerald in Chicago were three pivotal player leaders: senior linebacker Jordan Hall, local Chicago-area quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, and veteran safety Nikai Martinez.
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Fitzgerald highlighted Milivojevic's unique approach to team bonding, noting that the quarterback proactively met with every incoming transfer player during the off-season.
Fitzgerald also highlighted the marquee addition of special teams coordinator LeVar Woods from Iowa, praising him as an elite coach destined to become a future head coach.
With Spartan Stadium set to host Toledo in just 36 days, Fitzgerald made his goal crystal clear: "Expectations are to win the Big Ten Championship full stop, and if a head coach walks up here and doesn't say that, then I'd want to check their pulse.”
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