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MSU’s Jonathan Smith recaps National Signing Day

BREAKING: Jonathan Smith adds DB coach to finalize Michigan State coaching staff

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith has hired his final assistant coach for the 2024 season...

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Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans

Jonathan Smith's first coaching staff at Michigan State is complete.

On Tuesday, news broke that Smith and the Spartans were hiring Oregon defensive backs coach Demetrius Martin, a former standout player at MSU in the 1990s, for the same position in East Lansing. With Martin in the fold, Michigan State has filled all 10 of its on-field assistant coach positions heading into the 2024 season.

 A former defensive back at MSU from 1992-95, Martin will join secondary coach Blue Adams to coach the Spartans' DBs next season. Martin spent each of the last two seasons coaching cornerbacks at Oregon, while also serving as the program's pass game coordinator. 

Like much of Michigan State's new coaching staff, most of Martin's coaching career has occurred out west. Prior to Oregon, the 50-year-old coached cornerbacks at Colorado (2020-21) and Arizona (2018-19). He's also spent time coaching defensive backs at UCLA (2012-17) and Washington (2009-11), and was a graduate assistant under Pete Carrol at USC (2006-07). Martin has the reputation of a strong recruiter, having landed 28 four-star caliber prospects during his 15 seasons as a DBs coach in the Pac-12 Conference.

A native of Pasadena, California, Martin earned first team All-Big Ten honors at Michigan State in 1994 when he led the conference with seven interceptions (the fifth-best single-season mark in program history). After graduating from MSU, he spent played three professional seasons in the NFL Europe and Arena Football leagues.

Martin's coaching career began at Monrovia (Calif.) High School where he was the defensive coordinator and secondary coach in 1999. He then spent one season coaching defensive backs at John Muir (Calif.) High School in 2001, before entering the college ranks at Pasadena City College (2001-03). After two seasons at the junior college, Martin moved on to Walnut (Calif.) Mt. San Antonio College where he coached DBs from 2003-05 until being hired by Carrol at USC.

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