Michigan State expected to hire Wisconsin RB coach Devon Spalding to same position

Michigan State is expected to hire Wisconsin’s Devon Spalding as its next running backs coach, per On3’s Pete Nakos. Spalding spent three seasons on the Badgers’ staff.

Spalding played a major role in the development of Braelon Allen and Tawee Walker. Now, he’s heading across the Big Ten Conference to coach the Spartans under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Michigan State is expected to hire Wisconsin's Devon Spalding as its running backs coach, sources tell @On3sports.

He's developed Braelon Allen and Tawee Walker, was previously at Youngstown State. @JohnDBrice1 first reported he was the target.https://t.co/tqI3kbWrOQ pic.twitter.com/ixHWC0x3Ms

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) December 30, 2025

He got his coaching start as a graduate assistant under current Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell at Cincinnati in 2019. After that, he spent three seasons as the running backs coach at Youngstown State, the first time he was promoted to the position.

Spalding reunited with Fickell as Wisconsin’s running backs coach in 2023, where he’s been ever since. Wisconsin has had success at the running backs position during that stretch.

Under his mentorship, Braelon Allen ran for 984 rushing yards in 2023, spring-boarding his NFL aspirations. Allen eventually finished his career with 3,494 in his career — the ninth-most in program history. Last season, Tawee Walker ran for nine touchdown during conference action alone. He would eventually finish the year with 190 attempts for 864 yards and 10 total scores.

Spalding is young, too, having played his college football at Central Michigan between 2014-2018. He plated both wide receiver and running back, splitting time at both positions while remaining productive for the Chippewas.

He’ll now join a Michigan State program that finished with a 4-8 record. Former head coach Jonathan Smith went 4-15 (9-15 without vacating wins from the Mel Tucker era) with the Spartans.

Now, Fitzgerald will continue to piece together his staff ahead of the NCAA transfer portal opening up on Jan. 2. They’ll look to get the Spartans back to their winning ways in 2026, and that effort is already underway.

One of the biggest additions is Alabama QB coach Nick Sheridan, who is set to join the Spartans as their next offensive coordinator. He’s also currently the co-offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide.

Sheridan arrived at Alabama in 2024 as offensive coordinator and took on co-offensive coordinator duties this season as Ryan Grubb arrived in Tuscaloosa. He previously worked with Kalen DeBoer at Washington as tight ends coach after spending time on the staff at Indiana from 2017-21.

The Spartans are also adding Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods to his staff, among others. Fitzgerald is well underway in piecing together the new-look Spartans football program.