Jonathan Smith Introductory Press Conference Coverage

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Jonathan Smith, who was announced on Saturday as the head football coach at Michigan State University, held his introductory press conference in front of Spartan supporters, athletics staff and media from around the state of Michigan on Tuesday inside the Hall of History at the Breslin Center.

Gallery: (11-28-2023) Jonathan Smith Press Conference

Michigan State Vice President/Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Alan Haller Introduction

Good afternoon. I'd like to welcome you to an exciting time for Michigan State and our community. I'd like to start with a few thank yous; first and foremost, to our current football student-athletes, you fought through a year of adversity, you showed up every day, you gave maximum effort, and you made us all proud.

Thank you to our Board of Trustees for allowing me to do a thorough search, thank you to President Teresa Woodruff for providing support throughout this process, and an extra thank you to our passionate alums, our donors, and the entire Michigan State community, throughout the season you have proven your loyalty was incredible, your support was incredible even in times of adversity. When I was out doing this search, the candidates spoke about the loyalty of the Michigan State fan base, it did have an impact on our candidate search.

Finally, thank you to the athletic department. This search was a consuming process and you all continued to do the great work we do. We had a great fall, and our winter programs are off to a great start. I'll like to thank a few individuals separately: Kristin Mackley, Cody Cox, Matt Larson, Ashton Henderson, Epiphany Clark, and Jennifer Smith, thank you so much for your teamwork and for dealing with me. Jennifer kept me on task, I kind of got off a little bit, we've done some really good teamwork together, I would have not been able to complete this process without Jennifer Smith, so thank you.

At the beginning of this process, I had conversations with three key stakeholders' groups: a key group of donors and alums; a key group of alumni, former student athletes that included Steve Smith, Lorenzo White, Bennie Fowler, Kirk Cousins, and Jimmy Raye; and 14 current athletes. It was from those conversations that we developed the criteria for this search process. Many of the priorities, they wanted a man of character, someone who can build authentic relationships, and cares about their players on and off the field, they wanted someone who will be committed to building something special, recruiting student-athletes and build them into players and people. They wanted someone who would engage the community and not motivating only the student-athletes but the greater community, fan base, and program stakeholders. They wanted a coach with a proven track record experience coaching in big games, coaching at the power five level, and with a vision for what's required to have success at MSU. Finally, in my conversations with the football student-athletes and alums, they stressed the importance of someone who believes that football should be tough, physical, and innovative. Tough physical football has always been a part of Spartan football.

As I mentioned at the start of the search process, we would be thorough. With approximately 12 candidates interviewing at least once, there was tremendous interest in this position. Michigan State is absolutely viewed as a great job in college football. It was over the course of this process and with the focus of this criteria that Jonathan Smith emerged as our candidate.

First, he can obviously coach. Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2022. Three straight bowl games. 18-7 over the last two seasons. His style of play will connect with Spartan fans. Over the last few weeks, I've watched a lot of late Saturday night Pac-12 games and I appreciate the way his teams play. His teams are tough and physical, but also creative in their play calling and their schemes.

He's committed to developing student athletes as players and men. Understanding that there's a process, it requires hard work and there are no short cuts. There's a genuine care for the student athletes as people, that was evident during the search process.

The other thing that stood out, is how much he spoke about community and his family investment in the community. It's no secret that Tom and Lupe Izzo and their family are the standard of community investment. But Jonathan spoke about it too and getting to meet Candice and the family, it's clear it's a priority for them as well. I can immediately see them fitting in our Spartan Family. His family roots are out West, but there's no doubt in my mind that Jonathan and Candice, Robert, Bella and Charles, will quickly make East Lansing their home.

Over the course of the process, not only did we develop a connection, but came to realize we had a common understanding of what we wanted to achieve and the vision for Spartan Football. I followed up with a number of people in the college football industry, and to a person, they echoed the same thing I was seeing. And Coach Dantonio was a great soundboard to this process. He did his own research and came back with similar information. Jonathan also spoke with Coach Izzo and they had dinner Sunday and I sat next to them and I listened to their conversation, with a smile on my face, knowing we got the right guy.

So, to the entire Smith family, welcome to our Spartan Family. Thank you for believing in Michigan State University and Spartan Athletics. To Candice, Robert, Bella and Charles, thank you for sharing your dad and your husband. We couldn't be more excited for what the future holds. And so, without delay, please welcome Jonathan Smith as the 26^th coach of Spartan Football.

Jonathan Smith Introductory Press Conference Transcript:

Opening statement…
Wow. I am excited to be here. Similar to Alan, I want to thank some people as well. I'll start with you, for being here today in this beautiful setup. First time being here. I've been here 48 hours and continue to be so impressed with all I've seen on campus and here.

I want to thank the Board of Trustees and Interim President Woodruff for entrusting me to lead this program. In particular, I do want to thank Alan. A lot of what he just spoke about, I completely agree with. Initial conversations, visions, alignment, the fit. We spoke throughout this process, I thought he did a great job on a professional side. It was important for me as the process went, not to be a distraction for either side and I thought he did an outstanding job of that. I cannot thank him enough.

I definitely want to thank Oregon State University, all that that place has done for me and my family. Leaving there obviously was an important, difficult decision, but I go back to, again, the fit of this place and cannot be more excited about moving forward. That place will always be special to me.

I want to thank the people of this community, in regards to reaching out and making a warm, welcome, place for not only me but for my family. Even just the last 48 hours, the opportunity to sit down with Coach D yesterday in my office and talk about the place. The text messages I have gotten from other head coaches at this university, welcoming me and my family, talking about their own kids, I cannot wait to connect them, and learn about the schools and what not, so I cannot thank you enough for the outpouring of support from this community already. I cannot wait to dive into it in the near future.

Also, most importantly, and I thought this was going to be tough, but I've got to thank this crew right in front of me. [Pauses, looking at his family, seated front row.] These decisions are not easy. I want to chase championships at the highest level, but at the same time create an atmosphere for my family to be special. That's where I go back to this fit. I appreciate you guys, Candice, Robert, Bella and Charles, for coming along and believing in this ride that we're undertaking, so thank you.

I thought I would start just like I started the team meeting yesterday. Getting to know these guys, first time around them 9 a.m. yesterday, and really just telling my story. Walked up in front of them and told my story like this: Jonathan Smith, 44 years old, born in Pasadena, California. Huntington Hospital, about a mile from The Granddaddy of Them All, the Rose Bowl. Grew up in Pasadena and went to Glendora High School. At that point, playing high school football, it grew in me, I wanted to coach football. Loved it, had a great experience, got toward the end of my senior year, knew I wanted to chase this dream of coaching, and thought I could do it at the college level to learn more and more.

Ended up getting an opportunity at Oregon State University to walk on there. Thought it would be that I go walk on there at the highest level I could get to and just learn about ball and all of that. Mike Riley, the head coach at the time looked me in the eye and said, 'yeah, you're going to be paying for it (school), but you'll be treated just like everybody else in that locker room.' The man stuck to his word, had an unbelievable experience there, learned a ton, friendships, all of that.

First year I walk into Oregon State, my first position coach to get me exposed to this great game, guy by the name of Paul Chryst (former Wisconsin and Pitt head coach). Paul Chryst was the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach and opened my eyes to schematics, which I was desperately wanting to learn about. He treated me awesome from my first couple of years. Two years into it, Mike Riley leaves and we're going through a transition. You're going to hear a little bit about that; we're going through a transition. Again, speaking as if to the players, Dennis Erickson comes in, ended up winning a few games the next couple of years. Knew I wanted to get into coaching, Dennis Erickson allows me to start my coaching career after that, being a graduate assistant right there at Oregon State.

Two years of being a graduate assistant, I got my first opportunity to be a full-time coach at the University of Idaho. I want to thank Nick Holt for that opportunity. Learned a ton from him and experienced that. Was at Idaho for six years, went through three different head coaches at that time. Transitions, different head coach, schematics, I learned a bunch through that experience of six years. Got to the point though, I wanted to continue to progress in the profession, went to the University of Montana. Robin Pflugrad gives me my first opportunity to call plays being offensive coordinator. Loved Missoula, Montana, for two years, and then I got a call after that by a guy named Chris Petersen.

Chris Petersen's down at Boise State, gives me an opportunity to be a quarterbacks coach down there. Went down to Boise, two years there, great experience, met a bunch of good coaches and players at the same time. And then, after two years Chris Petersen decides to transition to the University of Washington, thinks enough of me to bring me along. Go to the University of Washington as the offensive coordinator, quarterback coach. Again, transition, new culture, learned a ton from those four years. After a couple of years of transition, building our culture, in our third year we went to the College Football Playoff. In 2016, sounds like we were following this university a year before (MSU went to the College Football Playoff in 2015), a great, great, experience of winning a PAC-12 championship, and that led to the opportunity of going back to the Alma Mater and take on this idea of being a head coach.

Got there (Oregon State) six years ago, the place was not having a ton of success, had some turmoil, different things going on and was excited about diving into it. Learning the players, changing the culture, creating a space where people could do their best work and we dove into it. I had a lot of great memories, connections, recruiting, brought a staff down there that we put together that worked for six years straight. Seven out of the 10 coaches there for those six years were there the entire time. You get 10 position coaches, seven of them were there with me for six years.

Then like Alan mentioned, last couple years had a little bit more success, got to the point where these end of the year conversations, and I kept coming back to this idea of playing at the highest level, playing in a place where you could fit and be the type of dad, father and husband you want to be. Let alone, for myself and for the staff, I want to create. And that leads me all the way to this point, standing in front of you guys now, standing in front of the team yesterday, that's a little bit of my story.

Let me tell you a little bit why I was so excited about Michigan State. I think again, we go back to this fit. Let's talk schematics. Alan mentioned it, yes, we want to make a physical brand of football on both sides of the ball, at the same time it will lead to an innovative offense in regards to, yeah, we're going to take a chance once in a while. Make it physical, create explosive plays. Defensively, make it hard on the defense, not just by the physicality we play with, but with the schematics on that end. I think Michigan State's a place where you can develop. Diving into the team meeting yesterday, we were diving into the idea of being a program. A program of substance on and off the field, a program of where we're going to dive into lives and beyond, not just teach them how to be able to go into the deep third in coverage or run a 15-yard in-route. We want to be a place of substance on and off the field.

We are going to be process oriented. And this takes a minute. We stick to a process January all the way through December, you stick to a process Sunday to Saturday. You stick to a process at the start of practice, at the end of practice. I felt Michigan State fit that and allowed for a lot of that.

I think Michigan State's a national brand, I know football's a big deal around here, but there's a lot of big time deals around here, I'm looking at Coach Izzo right now. Can't wait, I've never gone to a college ice hockey game. I cannot wait to go down and check some of that out. I thought the fit was good as well because let's face it, there's an in-state rivalry and I appreciate in-state rivalries. I think those things are meaningful, it's a great thing about college football, is to have an in-state rivalry like that. Every spot I mentioned in my career, I know what that was like in being able to compete in that year-round, and so that will again mean a ton.

I'm excited to deeply dive in and connect with these players, priority number one, through conversations with Alan, he knows this, is about the current roster right here. The current roster and then we're going to take the opportunity tomorrow to dive into these lives, learn about them, learn their stories, why they chose Michigan State. I cannot wait to start on that.

Not to sugar-coat, recruiting is vitally important. We're going to put the staff together and dive into that as well, but you go out and recruit, you've got to know what you're currently working with and retaining that roster will be vitally important.

I've got confidence in this move. I cannot overstate the idea of transition of family all the way over here, I cannot overstate how important and confident I think we are in this thing… I shouldn't say 'think'… We are confident in this thing and so excited to be here and really get started. This is a big day, you get on stage, you get the press conference and to answer some questions with the press, you got a basketball game to go to tonight [gestures towards Tom Izzo]. I'm looking forward to diving into these players and getting into that meeting room and setting plans and really getting started, because it's really going to take some work. I think a lot of us in this room understand, this is going to take some work and I am definitely excited and up for the challenge and opportunity that's in front of us. I'm going to stop there and just echo again that I can't thank this community enough for this warm welcome, and I am fired up to get going, let's go do this thing. Go Green!

On if he will study MSU culture, history and is that important for what he's trying to build…
It's definitely important, I definitely want to dive in and learn, I continue to learn more-and-more each day. I'll say it this way, just thinking of the former players and understanding the big-time players, the history, and championships that were won here, is important for me to learn, but also make sure we have engaging, welcoming back former players, I look back to learning that part.

What made this job attractive to leave his alma mater…
I thought a lot of what I value, no matter where I'm at, I'm going to value these: the family piece, the community network, a passionate fanbase, the opportunity to win, the resources available to win, the community that is invested to win. I felt all of that was here and it was all brewing in my mind.

How he plans to assemble his staff to gain Midwest connections and will he carry over from previous staff…
The intentions are to build a staff of great men, who are great teachers, who are elite people, and invest in the lives of the players. Yes, there is a crew who been with me for a long time, they're the reason I'm standing in front of you, yes, they'll be a part of that. It's not an elephant in the room, I have a lack of and I don't have a lot of deep ties to the Midwest, I cannot wait to get engage and dial into the high school coaches in Michigan. There were some good coaches that are currently here, a few of those guys I will be talking to. We will take some time to put this together, because you got to get these things right and have the right mix and fit, some continuity that has been around and can speak the language from the get-go, and Midwest ties will be an attention and explore some of the coaches here.

On importance of mental health for athletes…
I think it's a very important topic and very important to be able to recognize and remove the stigma sometimes. There's no question we've got to play physically and mentally tough. I'm excited about learning the resources around here and removing any stigma that our current players or future players would have in regards of mental health.

On what steps he will take from Oregon State and what he learned that he might want to change…
One thing I learned very quickly, this idea of building trust. When you take over a program, walk into the team room and don't know many of them. I didn't know many of them, I hadn't been in many homes to not just know them, but their family network as well, knowing their story, I learned as soon as possible that is priority number one to learn this roster; not just what they look like on tape but what their story is. You can coach these guys as hard as you care about these guys. Building trust from the get-go is vitally important, a clear and concise message on how and why we do things, buy in and belief, that's not free, on why we are approaching things, and why it's going to help them off and on the field, why it's going to help us win and win big games and hopefully win championships.

What are his catchphrases his players will hear him say that will get stuck in players head…
I think from the start, low ego high output, selfless, I think football is the ultimate team game, walking in with these roster sizes now with 120 or more guys with 11 guys on the field, it's the ultimate team game. No shot at Coach Izzo over here, but you play hoop you put four guys over here and you let Lebron one-on-one that can take place over here, football is a little different, the ultimate team game of being selfless and being a great teammate.

How he plans to address the quarterback position…
I think we're going to run a style of play where the quarterback can have some real, real success. I think being a quarterback at Michigan State is an unbelievable opportunity, and that opportunity is there for who's in our locker room starting in January. I'll say this, not specifically about the quarterback but in general, this day and age in college football there's opportunity there to weigh your options and have a fresh start somewhere else, all the current players unsettling in the last year, that's not totally surprising for guys wanting to explore an option or two. I get that, we really support for those who want to be in that locker room in January, I've got a firm belief we can hit the ground running and start something special.

On how it feels going to a program with winning history and how Coach Dantonio input can help…
I had an awesome conversation with Coach D yesterday, I spoke to him on the phone Saturday when it was announced, definitely planning on leaning on him, he did it at the highest level, the idea of sustainability and development, me and him were in cahoots on how we want to approach this thing. Now, this is a different landscape from 2010-20 and how all have changed, you must be able to navigate, but I think there are core principles of development and recruiting that can last a lifetime and I plan on doing it.

On how conference realignment, particularly with the Pac-12, have an impact on his decision…
Not a major factor, I tried to describe it to my team, instability, conference realignment, all this stuff. There was something brewing in me of the idea going somewhere if that fit was right and being selective on that. Yeah, other opportunity here or there, wasn't interested, more engaged and conversation with Michigan State the more I got excited about it. I'm a West Coast guy with everything about the Pac-12, with the 'Conference of Champions,' I think it's kind of sad in general to blow up with the history of that place. I go back to where I was born and raised, going to the Rose Bowl with the Big Ten playing the Pac-12, and all of that, but I'm generally excited to be a part of the Big Ten and a part of this place and the excitement just grew on me.

What MSU games and the roster that enticed him getting this job...
Some of the reason we watched them, we played the University of Washington, Michigan State played them earlier in the season and we played them in week 11, so I watched that game a lot and really dove into it. I watched a good amount of the game against Rutgers, miserable rain, I told the team this too, they had a great chance in that game, just couldn't finish it. I talked about the character in this team, because the Indiana game, that game is tight, the season had been long at that point and there been unsettling at that point, the character these guys continued to buy in and go to find a way to finish, that showed me a team with a lot of character to it.

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