MSU Coach Jonathan Smith's Resilience on Display During First Offseason

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith has faced an uphill battle since taking over. So far, he and his coaching staff have done an admirable job.

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith walks to the sideline during the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

When Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith took over in East Lansing, he fully understood how unique and challenging the situation he was walking into was.

There were multiple degrees of difficulty in the situation Coach Smith was entering. Michigan State’s previous head coach left the football program in shambles on and off the field. The fall of Michigan State’s previous coaching regime left the program and its new head coach scrambling. 

As Michigan State’s football program gradually declined, its arch-rival was on an upward trajectory, eventually winning the national championship last season. This added to Smith's problematic job. Not only was he rebuilding a football program essentially from the ground up, but he would have to do so while recruiting and playing against the defending champions. 

Luckily for Michigan State, Smith has a track record of turning a football program around on the field. However, while Smith has a history of turning around a struggling football program, as he did at his alma mater, Oregon State, the Michigan State rebuild will be a much more challenging task. 

In addition to the other hurdles for Michigan State, there was also a new obstacle Smith did not have to overcome nearly as much during his first few seasons at Oregon State: the transfer portal. As Smith and his coaching staff began to get settled in East Lansing, they quickly encountered their first major obstacle together when nearly 20 scholarship players entered the transfer portal simultaneously. 

This would have been a problem for any coaching staff, let alone a new coaching staff. However, after the transfer portal initially decimated the roster, Smith and his coaching staff responded by securing one of the best transfer portal classes in the country. While Michigan State’s roster could still use some work, the job Smith and his coaching staff did to solidify their roster quickly cannot be understated. 

Then, after securing a solid transfer portal class to help make the team better this upcoming season, Smith went on the offensive and focused on future recruiting classes. Smith and his coaching staff had arguably their most productive month since arriving in East Lansing, securing a flurry of commitments with even more expected to come soon. The first few seasons under Smith will likely be difficult, as is the norm during a rebuild.

However, Smith’s resilience has been on full display so far.

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.