Coming to Michigan State as a four-star tight end, ranked the No. 6 recruit in Michigan, Brennan Parachek had high hopes for his Spartan career in 2023. He was recruited by Mel Tucker to try and turn the program around after a tough 2022 season.
Fast forward to 2026 and he’s now playing for Pat Fitzgerald and there was another coaching staff in-between him and Tucker who he also played for.
Parachek probably wants to forget the Jonathan Smith era not because he didn’t have a good relationship with the coaching staff, but rather because he never got the opportunity he was hoping for because he was buried behind Jack Velling and Michael Masunas on the depth chart.
Now, both are gone, and Parachek is getting a fresh start in his fourth year with his third head coach.
It’s safe to say that Parachek has seen a little of everything in his Michigan State career, including three different head coaches, and so far, the third coach is the charm.
This quote about Fitzgerald from Parachek at Tuesday’s practice proves that MSU made the right hire.
Brennan Parachek: "You guys can see the energy and passion Coach Fitz has. There is not another coach in the country you want to play for."
— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) March 31, 2026
”There is not another coach in the country you want to play for.”
Mind you, this is less than five months after meeting this head coach and Fitzgerald isn’t even the one who recruited Parachek. However, after meeting with him one-on-one when he was hired, he clearly felt drawn to stay and play for the new head coach. Through winter conditioning and spring ball so far, Parachek clearly likes what he sees.
Brennan Parachek is embracing change
Parachek said that nothing can prepare you for a coaching change, let alone two, but he came to work and is ready to prove himself. He also has a little psycho in him, saying he gets to the practice facility at 4:45 a.m. and gets ready for a 6:30 a.m. practice. That’s the right kind of psycho.
Parachek is a football guy.
Two years ago, he was meeting a new coaching staff after the one that recruited him was let go. He experienced a coaching controversy in his freshman season when Tucker was fired. He saw an interim coach take over. He’s experienced nothing but losing seasons since getting to East Lansing and he’s rarely seen the field, catching just 14 passes for 118 yards in three years.
Change is going to do Parachek and the program some good.