EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State has hired former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald to lead its football program.

The announcement on Monday comes a day after the Spartans fired Jonathan Smith two seasons into his seven-year contract.

" Pat Fitzgerald is widely recognized as an exceptional football coach, whose teams play with extreme toughness and grit, demonstrate continual improvement and maximize potential," Michigan State athletic director J Batt said in a statement announcing the hiring. "Pat is an excellent fit for Michigan State Football, as he understands the Big Ten, has great relationships throughout the Midwest and embodies the values on which our program was built."

Fitzgerald has been out of coaching for two seasons following a hazing scandal at Northwestern that l

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