Michigan State Athletics: 5 best things that happened in 2023

5. The hiring of Jonathan Smith as head football coach

Perhaps the biggest MSU sports-related story of 2023 was the football coaching search. The rumors ranged from long-shotty (“Oh yeah, Urban Meyer is definitely our next coach”) to the downright absurd (“We should give Andy Reid a call”).

But when the dust settled, it was finally announced that Oregon State's Jonathan Smith would be the next head coach.

It was perhaps the best, most realistic choice for a school like Michigan State. While he lacked Midwest exposure, he had experience building a team from the ashes (1-11 to 10-2 in five years), having to recruit on potential instead of just talent, and building a team through the offensive and defensive lines. He brought some of his best staff members with him while adding key coaches (defensive coordinator Joe Rossi and receivers coach Courtney Hawkins) to help with recruiting the area.

In just one short month, he has brought MSU’s recruiting class from the 90s to the 30s while keeping key recruits and current players on the roster. He also brought his highest-rated quarterback over to East Lansing, giving the offense an advantage with Aidan Chiles already familiar with Smith’s system.

The future looks bright for Michigan State football and have already kept up with the mantra “low ego, high output” and we cannot wait to see the high output next season.