REPORT: How Safe is Coach Jonathan Smith's Job?

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith is entering his first season in East Lansing. A college football expert analyzes how safe Coach Smith's job is.

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

Michigan State hired Coach Jonathan Smith after multiple seasons of poor player performances and after a disappointing end to the tenure of its former head coach. Coach Smith took over a spiraling Michigan State football program in hopes of rebuilding it, similar to how he helped rebuild his alma mater’s football program at Oregon State. 

Smith and his coaching staff accepted arguably one of the most challenging jobs in the country. Upon Smith's arrival, Michigan State’s football program had many things working against it. Michigan State’s football team was filled with the previous coaching staff’s players, meaning a large portion of those players would be unlikely to stay and play for a new coach, regardless of who the coach was. 

This led to numerous Michigan State players entering the transfer portal simultaneously. Smith and his coaching staff would lose many key players to the transfer portal, including multiple quality starters. They would recover nicely, proving that few other coaches would have been as prepared to coach Michigan State’s football team as Smith.

When Smith took the job at Michigan State, he and the powers that be fully understood the reality of rebuilding a college football program. Rebuilding a college football program as a head coach requires multiple years of a new coach implementing their ideals, strategies, and recruiting practices en route to building the program as the new coach envisions it. While it has been a challenging start to Smith’s tenure at Michigan State, he and his coaching staff have handled things well and seemingly are on the right track.

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports recently ranked every college football coach’s job security heading into the season. Dodd used a grading scale that ranked coaches with a score from zero to five, with zero considered “untouchable” and five meaning the coach needs to “win now or be fired.” With Smith in his first season in East Lansing, Dodd rightfully scored Smith’s job security as a one, which means Smith’s job is safe and secure.

Dodd’s grade of Smith’s job security was fair and accurate because he had not started his first football season.

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