The 3 best things Jonathan Smith said at 2024 Big Ten Media Days
3. Jonathan Smith speaks on how he plans to make Michigan State a powerhouse again
The final thing I loved hearing from Smith today was how he plans to build Michigan State into a powerhouse program again.
"We want guys, for whatever reasons, with chips on their shoulders. That they’re motivated, that they want to be competitive, to compete and win. And they understand that it takes a lot of work to do that."
- Jonathan Smith
Talked with Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith at B1G media day about rebuilding the Spartans back into a powerhouse.
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) July 24, 2024
“We want guys, for whatever reasons, with chips on their shoulders That they’re motivated, that they want to be competitive, to compete and win. And they… pic.twitter.com/pjDFznZBcQ
Smith first talks about the type of player he needs to turn the program around. Guys who work extremely hard, have a chip on their shoulder and are ultra competitive are a must in his eyes. That’s something we haven’t seen enough of in recent years, so getting back to that player type will be a nice change of pace.
But the other reason I love this quote is because it speaks to Smith’s commitment to the program. Michigan State won’t become a powerhouse program overnight, quite the opposite actually, so this quote leads me to think that Smith is here for the long haul. It makes me think that after a few good years he won’t be looking for the next job to move on to.
And based on the success he’s had as a coach, keeping him in East Lansing for as long as possible is a must. But it thankfully sounds like Smith is on board for that on his own.