Pat Fitzgerald will apparently keep at least two assistants on staff.

Michigan State’s new coach is expected to retain defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi and safeties coach James Adams, according to a report Saturday morning from ESPN’s Pete Thamel. It’s unclear what roles they will have in 2026.

Fitzgerald, the former longtime coach at Northwestern, was hired on Monday to replace Jonathan Smith, who was fired on Sunday after posting a 9-15 record in two seasons.

Rossi was the defensive coordinator at Minnesota before Smith hired him away after taking over the Spartans in November 2023. He moved from the booth to the sideline in October to bring more energy to the defense. Although the group played better down the stretch, Michigan State still finished the season 72 nd

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