Michigan State football gets 'A' grade for Jonathan Smith hire

It's been a couple of months since Michigan State football hired Jonathan Smith as its next head coach and he's been doing nothing but positive things.

Fans have loved the hire, especially after seeing the moves he's been making with his coaching staff as well as in recruiting. He's turned a lost recruiting class (ranked in the 90s when he took over) into one that finished near the top 30. He not only salvaged the recruiting class, but he's brought in a number of talented transfers.

Oh, and his coaching staff has come together quite nicely. He's done a masterful job of getting the right coaches in place and poaching respected guys from all over the place.

It's safe to say that Smith feels like the right guy for the job. He's not as flashy as Mel Tucker was, but he's working hard behind the scenes and he's a great fit, personality-wise.

Michigan State fans aren't the only ones who feel like Smith was a great hire and the perfect fit in East Lansing. Actually, 247Sports graded every major coaching hire this offseason and Smith was tied for the highest grade with an 'A'.

As you can see, Smith got an 'A' along with Kalen DeBoer at Alabama and Willie Fritz at Houston. All three coaches were highly sought-after this offseason and it's great to see that Michigan State can win the coaching carousel.

If Michigan State can get to a bowl this season, that would justify this 'A' grade and I would think that expectations for years two and three would be playoff (since it's expanded to 12 teams).

Plus, Smith brought Aidan Chiles to East Lansing so he deserves that 'A'.