Pat Fitzgerald Introductory Press Conference Coverage

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Pat Fitzgerald, who was announced on Monday 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 Greg and Dawn Williams Lobby at the Tom Izzo Football Building.

Gallery: (12-2-2025) Coach Fitzgerald Press Conference

MSU Vice President and Director of Athletics J Batt Opening Statement…

"Welcome to the Fitzgerald family. We're so glad you're here. Welcome. It is indeed a great day to be a Spartan. We are excited you're here and ready for a tremendous start to the next chapter of Michigan State football. Before we get into today's news, I'd like to thank Jonathan Smith, for the first-class manner in which he represented Michigan State and the professional, classy manner he's handled this transition. We certainly wish him well and his family well in their future endeavors.

But as I said, today marks the start of a new era of Michigan State football. Spartan football has a proud history of National Championships, Big Ten Championships, Rose Bowl, CFP appearances, and much of that success is recent. More importantly, Spartan football is defined by its people. The student-athletes and coaches that have built this program and the loyal, passionate fan base that fills Spartan Stadium each and every week. It is with them I have a plan in mind that I set about making sure we had the right coach to lead our program. Transitions are always difficult and throughout the process I continually focused on what I believe is in the best long-term interest of our program. I wanted a coach who was a proven winner. A coach of integrity and intensity, someone with a formula for success on the field and a plan of attack in a continually evolving landscape. Someone who could effectively and efficiently use the resources they were provided. Fit was also important as we set out on this search. Someone who understands the Big Ten and has relationships through the Midwest. A coach who embodies the values on which our program was built. Perhaps most importantly, someone who shares our standard of excellence, aggressively pursues that excellence each and every day. I was looking for someone who would partner as we continue to elevate not just Michigan State football, but our entire athletic department. Someone who would share our fundraising vision. Some of you may have seen we launched $1 billion capital initiative today, and saw a few renderings of the east side of Spartan Stadium, I'm pretty excited about that. And it certainly gave me chills to see that rendering for the first time, and hopefully he did the same for you.

As we went through this list of criteria, Pat Fitzgerald met every criteria. He's a passionate winner. He understands the Big Ten and college football here in the Midwest. We have a shared vision for building championships and returning this program to its elite level of success. At the same time, we have an obligation as a department to the football program. We are fully committed to providing the resources and infrastructure required to compete at the highest level. Nearly six months ago, almost to the day, I stood in this exact same spot and shared that my vision for reestablishing Michigan State athletics as a top 10 athletic department. I also spoke about the importance of Michigan State football and what is required for us to reach that goal. To reach that level of success requires alignment at every level. I'd like to publicly thank President Guskiewicz and our Board of Trustees for their support of our department through this transition and throughout the year. Also being a great partner as we work towards our common goals, they have certainly positioned us well for success in years to come. And as we in that spirit of alignment, I'd like to welcome the stage our President, Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz."

MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. opening statement…

"Thanks, J, and it's an honor to have everyone here today, I want to take this opportunity to welcome the Fitzgerald family to our family here at East Lansing, Michigan State University. Stacey, Jack, Brendan, and I know that Ryan, I think, is off of football practice across the lake. You're going to love the family that you are joining today. I want to also take this opportunity to welcome two of our Board of Trustees members, Renee Knake Jefferson and Dennis Denno, who are with us today. I see Dennis and Trustee Knake Jefferson is here somewhere, I think, but thank you for your support in supporting this transition. I also want to take the opportunity, as J Batt has already done, and that is to thank Jonathan Smith for his contributions to Michigan State University and his family for being part of this community. And he is indeed a class act, and I know we will continue to try to support him and his family.

And even on a wintery day like today, I'm sure that Coach Fitz, as he has said, he likes to be called 'Coach Fitz', I'm going to work on that, and his family will discover the warmth of our Michigan State community much in the same way that Amy (Guskiewicz) and our family did when we visited this campus nearly two years to the day when it was much like this with a little snow on the ground. But it's warmth that's, as I like to say, kindled by our passionate campus and alumni, the Spartan community and all those who are in the room today, and who are dedicated to making a difference on the field and beyond. And that's the way we develop talent here at Michigan State University. I'm excited for what Coach Fitzgerald's addition to our athletics program will do, not only for Spartan football, but for our entire campus. Pat Fitzgerald is a proven leader and understands the full mission of intercollegiate athletics. He will be a coach for all of our athletics teams. He will work alongside our other coaches, head coaches, assistant coaches, and that's what I have gotten to know about him and that he is a lot like another head coach that we're getting ready for a big game tonight, and I think you're going to see that in Coach Fitzgerald. But I'm talking about academic achievement and the holistic development of student athletes in the addition to competitive excellence that we know Coach is going to bring to the program. In 2021, he became just the second Big Ten coach to earn the Stalling's Award, which is given annually to a Division I head coach for their contributions in their community and achievements on the field. Pat's track record of building disciplined, resilient teams and his commitment to coaching with integrity make him an exceptional fit for us at Michigan State University. I'm certain that under his leadership, Spartan football will thrive on and off the field. Having seen the impact of a competitive football program from the vantage point not only as a university leader, but also, as someone who spent a lot of time walking the sidelines with a background in sports medicine, I understand the importance of building a winning culture that extends beyond the boundaries of a single sport and even an athletics program and a culture that is healthy and supportive of our student athletes. For those who believe that college athletics is the front porch to a university, I think you'd agree that it needs a firm foundation with success and respect. And I'm convinced that Coach Fitzgerald has the experience and the drive to prove, to provide those qualities.

In our conversations with Coach Fitzgerald, he has made it very clear he is committed to running a program grounded in the highest standards of integrity and accountability, and I know that's exactly what we're going to get. We had the opportunity to talk to many that have worked alongside Coach Fitz, have worked in the same building, and many who have had a chance to play for him, and I can't say that I've heard more compliments toward an individual coach that's going to lead with integrity as we've gone through this search. So, it is my pleasure today, on his birthday nonetheless, to introduce Michigan State's new head football coach, Pat Fitzgerald; and J Batt, please join us up here. I think we have a presentation for Coach before he takes the podium. So again, as J's already said, it's a great day to be a Spartan. Go Green!

Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald Opening Statement…

"Good afternoon. All right, thank you so much. I appreciate it. I kind of felt the same way when I addressed the team this morning. It was great to see those guys, but what an exciting day it is to be here. And thank you for everyone for attending. I'm humbled to be named the head football coach here at Michigan State University. First and foremost, I want to start with some thank yous. President, Dr. Guskiewicz, thank you for the kind words and for letting everybody in Michigan now know that it's my birthday. It's going to be a long day and a lot more text messages that I'll get. To our great Director of Athletics, J Batt. When we first visited and I started researching you, it was just a no-brainer that I wanted to be aligned specifically with you. And then you introduced me to Doc (Kevin Guskiewicz) and I was like; this is exactly how successful programs are run. Alignment from the President, the Athletic Director, and now my great privilege to be the head football coach. Jon Palumbo and Jen Smith worked down on instrumentalist in this too, and I thank you very much for that. My good friend Tom Izzo, who has gone through my journey as a head coach, has been a great friend, has communicated frequently. I got a chance to see him today at lunch. I couldn't believe he stopped by on game day. But he was fired up ready to go. So, I hope I can help him out a little bit. I won't say anything to the officials. I heard we're courtside. I'm very tame; I don't have a lot of passion. And then to truly someone that's special to Stacey (Fitzgerald) and I, and that's Mark and Becky Dantonio that we've known for a long, long time. Coach (Dantonio) and I became head coaches in the Big Ten at the same time a number of years ago. I've spoken to Coach (Dantonio) a couple of times here over the last few days and look forward to seeing him when he comes back to Michigan. I think he's going to enjoy some sunshine for a little while and some warm weather, and then we'll get him over to practice and in the meetings. A great group from Excel that's on my team, Brian and Bynam and Quinten, you guys are the best. We've been through a lot and thank you guys so very much for all the support, and especially here the last few. Thank you to my family. My beautiful wife, Stacey, 25 years of marriage, 35 years together. She is by far the biggest rock star in college head coaching wives in America. What we've been through as a family the last three years, we would have not been able to get through without you, babe, and I absolutely love you from the bottom of my heart. I can't wait for all of Spartan Nation to get to know you and become friends with you like we had at Northwestern, and I just love you dearly. So, thank you for you being you. I love you. To my two boys that are here, Jack, who's a junior at NU, and Brendan, who's a junior at Royal Academy, I love you guys. You guys are warriors. We've been through a lot, and you've been there every step of the way. And Brian, if you're watching, I think you should be in class. So, get to class.

But it's an incredible honor for me to be here today. This program is storied with a deep tradition of a passionate fan base, a commitment to excellence that spans way beyond the football field and into developing young men. Looking back over my time for more than two decades, my coaching philosophy has been centered around being the best player development program in the nation. We develop our young men as people, as students, and as world-class athletes. This will happen through a values-based approach and the two cornerstones of those are choices that we make every day, and I expressed it to the team this morning. The choice of our attitude and the choice of our investment, and we will work relentlessly to make those two the cornerstones of what we stand for every single day. Smiles on our face, swagger to our walk, a confidence, an openness, a happiness to be able to be privileged to be a part of the Spartan community and a relentless investment in that will be consistent hard work day in and day out, and the grind to what it takes to be Big Ten champions. These beliefs have gotten me every step of the way, and they remain the heart of what this program will be here at Michigan State. It also aligns obviously with our values here at the university and the existence already of those special values. I'm incredibly proud of what we accomplished at Northwestern. On the field, in the classroom, in the community, and I'm grateful for the players and the staff, their families, and all that were a part of the journey. And like anyone who has coached and competed long enough, I've had moments to reflect now and learn and grow. The experiences made me a better leader, a better man, a better husband, a better father, and a better coach. And it has reinforced my commitment to creating an environment that's going to be built on trust, discipline, communication, and accountability. You know, when this opportunity arose, what excited me most about the vision for Michigan State is exactly what J (Batt) just said, the top 10 athletic program that can be driven by success in football. Not just next season, but for every season moving forward. Spartan Stadium has always been an incredibly challenging place to play, I know firsthand. I don't want to talk about a lot of those games. But what jumps out so much is the pride, the people, the commitment, and the resources to compete at the highest level. And I'm here because I believe deeply in what we can build together. I'm looking forward to building a great staff. I'm looking forward to putting together an unbelievable football product as we move forward here. It's going to be important that we find men that are going to develop our student-athletes on and off the field, and help them become great fathers, incredible husbands, and great citizens in our communities. To our players, I can't wait to get to work. I promise you, and I said this to you guys earlier, you'll get a coaching staff that is fully invested in your development academically, personally, and athletically. We're going to play smart, tough, and disciplined football, and we will hold ourselves to the highest standards in everything that we do, and we will represent this great University with the highest integrity, competitive fire and passion. So, as we look to the next few days, I want to say thank you. First of all, to the staff here at Michigan State. They've done a great job putting things together and put a great class together tomorrow. I can't really talk specifically about those guys, but I appreciate the recruiting staff, and I'll start to work on getting our coaching staff together and move forward from there. I also want to congratulate the great high schools here in the state of Michigan that won state championships here this last weekend. We are going to start and end our recruiting here and you will be seeing, hearing from me and our staff frequently. I look forward to getting into all of those great high schools.

And before I kind of wrap things up with my final thoughts, I want to say thank you to my great friend Jonathan Smith. We had a great conversation yesterday. He is a terrific man, a terrific coach, and a great friend. I know how he feels and I just want them (the team) to know and I told the same thing for the coaching staff and the support staff. I know how they feel and that I'm here to help them through this transition as we move forward, and I expect that we'll move forward together. Michigan State has historically competed for Big Ten championships and my family, and I are grateful for the opportunity to make sure we get back to that place. We're going to build this for long-term success, and we need everyone to buy in. Players and coaches, faculty, alumni, former players, I look forward to meeting all of you and getting to know you and getting you back involved and engaged in the program. And obviously, of course, the state of Michigan. Toughness was born here at Michigan State football. And every game is going to be a focus of victory and winning, but there's one game that just needs a little bit more, doesn't it? I'll just leave that one alone. So, to the Spartan fans, the alumni, your passion is unmatched. I'm excited to earn your trust, to energize our program, and to build a team that you'll be proud to support every Saturday. I'm humbled for the opportunity, I'm fired up for the challenge, and I'm ready to get to work. It's just a great day to be a Spartan. Go Green!"

On his goal to not only coach, but to succeed, after being away for three seasons…

Fitzgerald: I just want to make one small correction.  I have been coaching. I've been the scout offensive coach at a high school (Loyola Academy). So you want to talk about humble-pie. I don't know where the GA's are in the back. I can't talk about what we're about to accomplish because that group guys were unbelievable. I love you guys.  They're probably watching right now all over the Big Ten country, going to school. But it did give me an opportunity to reflect on it and go around and see other schools, see how they are doing things. Went to NFL organizations, and just stood back and watched as this kind of new college landscape unfolds.  And what it's given me is some great clarity. This will always be about the players and how we can focus and develop them is what it's all about. As far as my motivation, you don't have to ask me about that.  I've been dreaming about this day for a long time, and I don't want to do this - cry here. I'm just so grateful, I'm so thankful.  Our family is, and there will be no more motivated coach to get this program where it needs to be than I will be compared to anywhere else in the country. I promise you that.

On how prepared he is to deal with the transfer portal…

Fitzgerald: Maybe you saw the podcast I did (on ESPN), and that's where I've done I guess all my talking, before today, you know, just the research and watching how you have to evolve and be flexible. We've talked about our plan, and the alignment that we have to be successful, but you have to be ready and nimble to change just like that.  And that's definitely something that I believe that I've shown up over time. But more importantly now, I've stepped out of the day to day and watched others fail, it's kind of holding on with things, and more importantly you have to be ready to adapt and evolve. I don't see any dinosaurs walking outside here, so I'm gonna make sure that we're as fully nimble and flexible as we can be as the landscape continues to do one thing, I promise you, it's going to,  It's going to change. What it is today, it's not going to be what it is in two, three years. So we've got to do a great job being nimble enough. The resources that we expect to have provided to us, we expect to be able to compete at the highest level.

On when he thought Michigan State would be the place to be…

Fitzgerald: Well, there was a phone call that got me excited, to say the least.  I looked at just college football. I'm a Midwest guy. I'm a Big Ten player, I've grown up in Big Ten football. Michigan State would obviously be an incredibly desirable football program for any head football coach in the country. I look at the landscape - I thought it would be great, but nothing I could have dreamed or imagined that this opportunity would happen for me. We stand upon the great shoulders of amazing coaches that have been here before me, and that legacy of consistent success, championship-level success, is unmatched and unparalleled. I look forward to getting our program back to that.

Question to AD J Batt on when he identified Pat Fitzgerald as the next Spartan Head Coach and how quickly the program will see progress…

Batt: Yeah, so I think a couple things. I'm certainly not going to be specific about the search or the search process out of respect for everybody involved.  I will tell you that it's my job as the Athletic Director that we would be prepared, to always be cognizant of the market, cognizant of opportunities in the market and as the season progressed and it became increasingly something we needed to pay attention to, certainly did that, but again, I won't speak specifically about the timing of that. I think on the field, I think the impact will be immediate. If you feel coach's energy, his attention to detail will be supreme, and I know that our team will reflect all those parts and pieces.  A little bit of toughness and grit might go with it as well.

On what he learned from the Northwestern experience and how it will make him a better coach at MSU…

Fitzgerald: You learn a lot through every experience that you have as a leader. I absolutely love and adore the young men that I had the privilege to coach in those 17 great years. As we moved forward through the process that we had to move through, to come out and fully exonerated and see the statement that the university made, the settlement that we had, came to an agreement with - I just feel 100 percent vindicated. But you always learn and you evolve, and through the process, as I've always said, that when I was at Northwestern, there will be team meetings here, about zero tolerance for a lot of different behaviors. There's definitely aspects in areas that we all have to work on, and that's all of our responsibilities, but it's mine that is the ultimate responsibility. And that's definitely what I've learned, definitely that we will work towards, and we'll communicate and we'll go right down the middle of any aspect that we have that we need to do on a day to day basis.

On the resources he needs as a football coach to have success…

Fitzgerald: I've been here for three hours, so I can't talk about the add (of resources). I need to get in better shape, but that's a whole deal. That's a personal issue. (smiling) But from a resource standpoint, we talk and discuss at length on our commitment to the resources of being at a championship level. Specifically, as we move forward, I think we'll be able to see those. But I have complete trust and confidence that those resources are going to be provided. My focus was on the players, and then obviously on the program, the necessary things for those two areas, and that's the commitment that we made to each other, and I look forward to getting to work once we get done with this.  I got a lot of work to do, so it's an exciting time.

On his message to students…

Fitzgerald: Number one, we need to win.  That's the number one thing. How we do that, it's going to take everybody. I remember my first memories as Head Coach coming into Spartan Stadium and we made some poor decision to warm up in front of the student section. I don't know why we decided to do that. That was a first and last time that we were going to ever do that.  That's the environment we need. The home field, hostile, passionate environment, and we have to provide a team on the field that has the students saying, you know what, we're having a fun time on Saturday, let's go out and have a great party at Spartan Stadium. That 12th person is going to be the student body and obviously all the fans, but especially the student body.  You're the core of the fanbase. You're the heartbeat, and we're going to need you, and I've got to get a lot of things done, but I will be out on campus. If you invite me, once I can say yes, I will get out, I'll be engaged, I'll be involved, and I want to build genuine relationships with as many of our student body as we can. I really enjoy that aspect of it and I look forward to doing it.

Question to President Guskiewicz and AD Batt on the decision to make a leadership change and preventing future NCAA sanctions…

AD Batt: I'll just say that decisions to make a coaching change are certainly done in full alignment with the President and the Board of Trustees.  I would say that we have the opportunity to visit the Board of Trustees, and in full alignment, move forward with that change.

As far as moving forward around the NCAA sanctions, I'll just say that we were fully transparent with coach around those as they exist. Certainly, our compliance program is as robust as could be, and we're fully committed to maintaining that culture of compliance moving forward.

President Guskiewicz: My role in this, is about seven months ago, we hired an outstanding Athletic Director. And knowing that he - J Batt - would be able to evaluate and assess and get us to the right place, there was a process involved with that. J and I had weekly conversations around how the season was going. In that last week we had in Florida, we were having a conversation and I think it was still evolving at that point, but I knew we had the right Athletics Director that was going to find the right football coach if we decided a change needed to be made, and I think we've said, what Jonathan Smith meant to the place. He worked tirelessly for two years. We got the right Athletics Director and the right football coach. Upward and onward.

On how important the beginning stages of the job was with recruiting…  

Fitzgerald: Yeah, my voice is a little raspy for a reason. The amount of FaceTimes I was on last night, I think it stopped maybe at 11:30. I think when it was like, okay, this is too late to be calling kids in their homes. And so I still have some more to get to today. The goal was to get to half, and I think I got a little bit over that yesterday. I had to get through the 45 (minute) to hour-long compliance meeting to make sure to talk about what we just said and that I'm on top of all the rules and up to date. So that's going to be the priority, now from all the way through, to get this class signed, and it could be ongoing beyond tomorrow. We'll see how that plays out.  The first thing I wanted to do, I wanted to Zoom with the team. Once everything was finalized, I was able to do that very quickly just so they could put my face, my voice and kind of just a few thoughts that I have for them into their mind, into their heart, and then that was the first thing I wanted to be able to do when I landed today, was to address the squad. With those end of the season meetings,  I hope to get through as many as I can on Friday. I'll seek heavily on the staff for that, as you know, still here working their tails off, and I appreciate that. Maybe I'm going after students on campus via Zoom or whatever is necessary be able to get in touch with them and their families too, trying to keep the best that we can to be a part of this Spartan family because, as I told them today, everybody that stays here is going to be a part of a great story.  When we sit here at this time next year, you are going to be the catalyst and the reason why. When everybody asks why, the answer is going to be you. So let's all talk about staying here, sticking together, and let's find a way to put this class that you guys helped recruit over the goal line and then to talk about adding pieces to the locker room once the portal opens here in a couple of weeks. Lot of work to do. I look forward to it.

On if the traits he looks for in assistant coaches and staffers since the game has evolved since he was last coaching at Northwestern…

Fitzgerald: Absolutely, it evolves. And number one, I'm going to go for great people. I want coaches that are unbelievable human beings. If they're married, great husbands, great fathers so our players can emulate that behavior. When we talk about football, it's going to be obviously their acumen to teach the game specifically to the positions that they coach. That's multifaceted. It's in the classroom and it's on the field. Obviously, now is the changing landscape of kind of OTAs. There's a whole adjusted calendar that we get to use to teach and walk through and do different things. So, I'm looking forward to that opportunity that we never had. And again, I don't think that'll be the same a year from now. And with signing day being tomorrow, maybe if this was three weeks ago or four weeks ago, the priority probably would have been to try to secure staff first. With signing day tomorrow, it's to put this class over the goal line. And then it's like multiple balls in the air and then working the phones, to start to really gauge the firm interest of staff and try to put the right pieces together first, and that's just kind of my experience, it goes very quickly after that. We've got a big basketball game tonight too. I'm fired up, first time being in the building, so if you see me getting up and walking around, you'll have a pretty good idea what I'm doing. They won't be talking to Stacy and the boys on FaceTime, so I'll be very busy.

On what solidified that Michigan State was the right place for him…

Fitzgerald: This whole off season started to progress and a myriad of jobs were opening, I think our group talked to eight different schools throughout the process, and Michigan State happened very quickly. It was presented to us as a family and we said, I think we were at the kitchen table after the first time J and I had a conversation, and to see my boys smile, that's when I knew, but I didn't want to overhype it because you never know where these things go. And then as we talked about who we are, what we stand for as people, as three men, the choices, the decisions, the alignment and the resources that are going to be provided to our student-athletes, to our assistant coaches, and our program to get this program back to a championship level, my excitement level just went up and up and up. And then to be a Big Ten player, to be a player that's been in Spartan Stadium with a neck-roll on, right? To beat Michigan multiple times with a neck-roll on, this goes a long way back for me personally, and that's who I am. I'm a Big Ten guy. And to be able to be here with the history, the tradition, the passionate fan base, and the great young men that have come here before us and the great young men that I'm going to have to coach as a coach, I just can't wait to get started. So, it was almost a no-brainer for me when the opportunity was presented.

On how getting his "PhD" in the current landscape being away from college football will help navigate this era of collegiate football…

Fitzgerald: Yeah, I think you'll always be learning on the job. I think you'll always evolve. And again, with the way the landscape is, it's changing, and it seems like almost monthly, if not daily. So that won't stop. But when I stepped away, I was on a group called the 33^rd Team that was terrific, led by my friend, Mike Tannenbaum. And then there were multiple coaches that are very good friends of mine that allowed me to go in and really intimately look under the hood on how they run their programs. I'll keep that private because I don't want to give away trade secrets, but it was a great experience and learning sabbatical for me, where you get a chance to kind of step away, here's what I've done, here's what I've learned from these other people, let's see if we can morph it in turn. And then I'll put the staff together, and they'll have some unique ideas. But the values, the way I want to go about the day to day and how we're going to develop our young man holistically, that is not negotiable. And then as we put the little tweaks, what we run offensively, defensively, special teams, that's all going to be complementary. We're going to be built at the line of scrimmage. We're going to be tough. We're going to be physical, and we're going to do it the smart way. And you're going to watch that and it's going to evolve and it's going to unfold, I just can't wait to get to work here once we wrap things up and put a great class together, put a great staff together, and then get in the portal and put a great roster together, and before you know it, we'll get to spring ball, and we'll be talking about who's on this and who's doing that, and it'll be a blast and we'll be off and running.

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