No one can hate opponents more than Michigan State football fans.
During the glory years under Mark Dantonio, no opposing team wanted to come to Spartan Stadium to face that environment because the fans could be brutal. That carried over into 2021, but has since died down a bit because the program has fallen on some tough times.
But Michigan State fans still have that hatred deep in their soul for certain opponents (coaches especially). Here are the three coaches who Michigan State fans hate the most.
1. Jim Harbaugh
It wouldn't matter if Jim Harbaugh was coaching soccer in Europe, the Michigan State hate would follow him there. The former Michigan head coach was easily the most hated individual from Ann Arbor over the past decade by Michigan State fans and that hate has followed him to Los Angeles where he's coaching the NFL's Chargers.
Whether it was his sideline antics, his failure to take accountability for certain issues, the fact that he was involved in a major scandal and then dipped, or the fact that he always seemed to dominate the headlines by doing weird things, Michigan State fans hated this man.
That kind of hate doesn't go away.
2. Brian Kelly
Call me crazy, but Brian Kelly was one of my least favorite opposing coaches for years while I attended Michigan State and shortly after. He always seemed to be a thorn in Michigan State's side while at Notre Dame and that 2013 pass interference game in South Bend really just gets my blood boiling.
Not only is Kelly an annoying winner, but he feels like one of a handful of coaches in college football who are constantly throwing their own players under the bus and never giving other teams credit.
Kelly's time at Notre Dame was annoying for MSU fans and then he went to LSU where he used a fake Louisiana accent in his opening speech. This man will always be booed in East Lansing.
3. James Franklin
This one was actually difficult to pick. There's Nick Saban, but he's retired. Then you have Bret Bielema because of his days at Wisconsin, but he hasn't really done anything to annoy or make Michigan State fans hate him at Illinois. And heck, there's even some of our own past coaches that could make this list like John L. Smith or Mel Tucker.
I had to go with James Franklin just because he's a rival coach and he's annoyingly successful.
Franklin has been known to choke in big games but always seems to play Michigan State tough, no matter how good or bad the Spartans and Nittany Lions are. He's an outspoken coach which isn't a bad thing, but his lack of elite success coupled with his success against Michigan State and his cocky attitude make him relatively hated in East Lansing.