We’re officially less than 24 hours before we hear Pat Fitzgerald speak at Big Ten Media Days for the first time as Michigan State’s head coach.
Fitzgerald is set to take the podium at 11:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday afternoon, kicking off a slate that will also feature PJ Fleck (Minnesota), Ryan Day (Ohio State), Dan Lanning (Oregon), Barry Odom (Purdue), and Bob Chesney (UCLA). The first wave of coaches spoke on Tuesday afternoon as we got to hear from the league’s newest coach (Matt Campbell) as well as its longest-tenured coach (Kirk Ferentz).
I think I speak for all Spartan fans when I say that I’m excited to hear what he has to say about the upcoming 2026 football season.
Spartan fans aren’t the only ones excited about him, however. Even a former Wolverine star is excited to see the new head coach in the green and white. Former Michigan star tight end Jake Butt raved about Fitzgerald on the Big Ten Network to preview media days, admitting that he nearly committed to play for the former Northwestern head coach in Evanston.
"He's just a football coach, and he attracts football players."@Jbooty88 loves Pat Fitzgerald, to the point that Northwestern was the TE's second choice out of high school. pic.twitter.com/LORXkCa03h
— Michigan State on BTN (@MichiganStOnBTN) July 28, 2026
Butt said that his second favorite school before committing to Michigan was Northwestern and that’s because Fitzgerald “attracts football players” which I agree wholeheartedly with.
Fitzgerald is a lot like Dantonio in that regard. He’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you live and breathe football, you’re probably going to love him. Fitzgerald is just a football guy and that’s exactly what people said about Dantonio during his glory years in East Lansing.
Football guys attract football guys.
Jake Butt isn’t the only Wolverine who loved this hire for Michigan State
While it’s weird to hear Michigan Wolverines raving about Michigan State coaches, it’s pretty clear that Fitzgerald demands a lot more respect than his predecessor.
Butt isn’t even the first — nor will he be the last — Wolverine to gush over Fitzgerald and admit that he feels like Michigan State knocked this hire out of the park. Former Michigan assistant, and controversial figure at the center of the cheating scandal, Connor Stalions posted on Twitter shortly after Fitzgerald was hired that he loved the move and he believes he’ll turn the Spartans around.
I don’t really know how I feel about a couple of Wolverines praising a Michigan State head coach and saying nothing but nice things about him. I kind of miss the hate and
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