Joe Rossi Gives Update on Spartan Defense During Spring Practice
4/7/2026 3:24:00 PM | Football
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EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, who is entering his third season on the Spartan coaching staff, met with the media following Tuesday's spring practice to give an update on the MSU defense.
"The guys are working really hard," said Rossi after the Spartans wrapped up their 10th practice of spring ball. "As a coach, you get to watch practice – are you practicing the right way? Are you practicing with intention? Are you practicing with energy and physicality? And that's all been there. So, if you can repeat that over the course of time, you feel like you're going to get guys better and better, so that's what stands out to me the most."
Rossi is one of four coaches returning to the staff in 2026 under first-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald, along with safeties coach James Adams, wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins and tight ends coach Brian Wozniak.
"I'm excited to be back," said Rossi, who was nominated for the Broyles Award in 2024 during his first season in East Lansing and has been up for the award, given to the nation's top assistant coach, three times in his career. "My family and I love being here. When Coach (Fitzgerald) came in, we talked, probably on three different occasions, and every time we talked, I thought it went really well. From the beginning, I was very adamant that I wanted to stay. You can win here, we will win here, we will play great defense here – it's going to be something that's exciting to be a part of…I told Coach, if you want me back, this is where I want to be. I see it, I feel it, I love being a part of this place."
Rossi and Fitzgerald were familiar with each other after matching up on opposing sidelines back in the Big Ten West days.
"I think he brings an intensity and an energy," said Rossi on working with Fitzgerald. "He does a really good job of being balanced. He's bringing energy to the offense, he's bringing energy to the defense – he's a head coach. His background was on defense, he's always going to (be about) physicality and toughness, and we love all that, but I think he does a really good job of splitting his time on both the offense and the defense. So I think what happens is that he brings that mentality to both sides of the ball, which is kind of a cool thing."
After coaching linebackers along with coordinating the defense the past two seasons, Rossi is now just in the role of defensive coordinator. Fitzgerald brought in former Spartan Max Bullough to coach the linebackers and also to serve as co-defensive coordinator.
"He's brought energy, he's brought enthusiasm, he brings a lineage – he understands what it means to be a Spartan, not only him, but his family, so it's been awesome," remarked Rossi on Bullough.
The defensive staff also features new cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat and defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III, while Andrew Bindelglass was promoted from assistant linebackers coach to rush ends coach. DeLattiboudere both played and coached for Rossi at Minnesota, and is back in college after coaching in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals in 2025.
Although Rossi said being just a coordinator and not a position coach as well is new to him, he's enjoying the process so far this spring.
"Here's what it does – it allows me to be attached to all of the positions and develop closer relationships with all of the positions," he explained. "I'll switch the meeting room each day. I'll be in different meetings, I'll bounce around during practice – it allows me to develop stronger relationships with the players – but also I think it allows me to quality control to make sure all of the verbiage and all of the language, we're all on the same page. Staffs, teams, any organization, when things aren't being said the same way, or the right way, or the way that we're all on the same page, that's where little breakdowns happen.
"When I jump in a meeting, I can add context to the 'why.' Why is this this way? Why is this called? Why do we do it? I can say 'hey, in 2012, this happened in this game, and this is why we do it this way.' The other coaches don't have the context that I do. I think having the ability to walk around, having the ability to go into different meetings, I've really enjoyed. I think it's something that's going to be very beneficial for the defense." Jordan Hall is back to lead the Spartan defense in 2026 for his senior season.
The Spartans return multi-year starting linebacker Jordan Hall, who is entering his final collegiate season in 2026 after recording a career-high 88 tackles as a junior. Hall and Rossi have developed a strong bond over the last two years and are on the same page this spring.
"Coach Rossi staying here was a big portion of that," said Hall on why he wanted to come back to East Lansing for his senior year. "I figure for my last year, I want to be in a system that I know. I have a lot of trust with Coach Rossi."
"There's multiple layers to Jordan," said Rossi. "One, he's a great player. Two, he and I have a very close relationship. I really appreciate him and how hard he plays. And the thing I really love about him is, in this era in 2026, Jordan just wants to play well, he wants to win, and he wants to get coached. He's not looking for comfort. Some people will go find people who tell them what they want to hear. Other people find people who give them honest feedback. Honest feedback is what allows you to grow. And Jordan has always been that way from the very beginning.
"I love coaching him, I care about him, he's one of our leaders. He's going to be a really good player for us, and a really good leader."
While Hall has been a mainstay in the Spartan defense, the program is also welcoming 14 new transfers on defense that have started a combined 176 games.
Three of those transfers that Rossi highlighted include senior safety Michael Richard (Louisiana Tech), redshirt junior safety Devin Vaught (Maine) and fifth-year graduate senior EDGE Kenny Soares Jr. (Northwestern/North Carolina State).
Richard played in 34 games for the Bulldogs from 2023-25, including 22 starts, and has played more than 1,500 snaps on defense with 104 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, three interceptions and 11 pass break-ups. He was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year in 2023 and also earned second-team Freshman All-America honors after leading all C-USA freshmen with seven pass break-ups; he also was the fourth-highest graded defensive back in league with an 83.5 grade from Pro Football Focus. Richard posted career highs in interceptions (3), tackles (39) and TFLs (5.0) during his junior season in 2025.
Vaught redshirted his first season at Maine in 2023, but developed into a starter the past two seasons, starting 23 games for the Black Bears in 2024-25. He has six career interceptions to go along with 107 tackles and nine pass break-ups. Last season as a redshirt sophomore, Vaught was named a second-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honoree after ranking second in the conference with three interceptions for 101 return yards, leading the team with five PBUs, and ranking second on the team with a career-high 60 tackles. Fifth-year graduate senior Kenny Soares Jr. looks to bolster the Spartan defense after transferring from North Carolina State.
Soares played for Fitzgerald at Northwestern during the 2022 season and spent three seasons overall (2022-24) with the Wildcats. After transferring to North Carolina State in 2025, Soares recorded a career-high 80 tackles, second most on the Wolfpack, and played in all 13 games, including starting assignments the last eight games in a row at middle linebacker. Soares, who has played in 41 career games, will play multiple positions for the Spartans under Rossi, including as an edge rusher.
The Spartans are also returning 25 players on defense from last year's team in addition to eight freshmen who early enrolled for spring practice.
"There are some returning players who have made some improvements, we got a bunch of new players, we got a bunch of new coaches, we got a new culture – this group is working," said Rossi.
MSU will return to the practice field later this week on Thursday and Saturday.
Michigan State's 15 spring practices will conclude with the Spring Showcase, presented by Michigan Achievement Scholarship, in Spartan Stadium on Saturday, April 18 at noon.
