Tom Izzo addresses if he'll support Michigan State hiring Pat Fitzgerald

Three years removed from being fired from Northwestern, Pat Fitzgerald is officially back in the Big Ten. Michigan State officially announced its hire of Fitzgerald on Monday, ushering in a new era in East Lansing.

This comes after the program parted ways with former head coach Jonathan Smith on Nov. 30. Smith led the Spartans to a 9-15 (4-14) record across two seasons. Seven of those wins however were vacated, which officially put Smith’s record at 4-15 (1-14).

Fitzgerald, who played for Northwestern from 1993-96 and coached the program from 2006-2022, was let go after an investigation concluded that he was aware of hazing incidents that took place around the program.

His firing actually came after he had agreed to serve a two-week offseason suspension, at which point the coach hired outside legal counsel. Following his firing, Fitzgerald sued the school for $130 million. Northwestern reportedly settled the lawsuit in August.

Tom Izzo says he would have supported ‘whoever they put in front of me’

Prior to Fitzgerald’s hiring being finalized, Michigan State basketball head coach Tom Izzo was asked whether or not he’d support the hire due to his controversial past.

“I could support whoever they put in front of me,” Izzo said. “I really mean that because I think they’ll do their due diligence and come up with the best fit for our program. I do know Pat a little bit. I know what he’s done (at Northwestern). You know, there are so many rumors that come out of these things right off the bat and I will say this: I think a lot of things happened quicker. That’s another problem.

“I was talking to another coach, a great football retired coach today, and he talked about an antiquated calendar. The calendar creates problems for us, what we’ve got to do, and what sequence of events we do them in. Was (firing Jonathan Smith) a surprise? I think sort of. Was it a total surprise? I don’t think it was. Who they hire… it’s a crazy world out there right now when you look at it. I just saw whether another school, Kentucky, fired their guy this morning. This stuff is happening at an incredible rate.

“One thing I am is a team guy. I don’t care who they get or who they hire… I’m going to be supportive of that person. I am hoping that we get someone who fits us and our program, because the players and the fans here deserve that.”

Since its lone College Football Playoff appearance in 2015, Michigan State football is just 58-61 over the past 10 seasons. They now turn to Fitzgerald, who they hope will once again guide them back to national relevancy.