Forget the noise. Forget the Twitter critics. Forget the skeptics still stuck in the past.
Because if you’re still asking whether Jonathan Smith was the right hire for Michigan State Football—then you haven’t been paying attention.
Not to the long practices. Not to the recruits flipping commitments. Not to the new identity silently forming behind the walls of the Skandalaris Football Center. And definitely not to the way his players talk about him.
> “There is no doubt that he is the right person to lead the Spartans,” one team captain said without blinking.
Because what Jonathan Smith is doing in East Lansing isn’t just a rebuild. It’s a reset. Of values. Of culture. Of what it means to wear green and white.
This is the story of how one quiet, gritty, ultra-intentional leader has begun restoring belief in a fanbase that’s been tested and humiliated—and how Michigan State football may never be the same again.
PART ONE: THE MESS HE INHERITED
When Jonathan Smith touched down in Michigan in late 2023, he wasn’t greeted with roses.
He was greeted with distrust.
Still reeling from the Mel Tucker scandal, the university was under a microscope. Players were transferring. Recruits were decommitting. Morale was lower than it had been in over a decade.
The program was fragile, its fanbase divided.
And into that storm walked a man with no frills. No PR machine. Just a plan. A proven one.
Smith didn’t come to East Lansing for attention.
He came to work.
PART TWO: FROM CORVALLIS TO THE CAPITAL
Let’s be clear: what Jonathan Smith did at Oregon State should’ve made national headlines.
He inherited a program in ruins and, through sheer vision and development, made it one of the most physical, respected teams in the Pac-12.
He turned walk-ons into All-Conference players.
He turned a program nobody cared about into one nobody wanted to play.
Now, he’s bringing that same blueprint to Michigan State—only this time, with Big Ten resources, Big Ten recruits, and a fanbase desperate for authenticity.
> “You don’t need flash when you’ve got fire,” said one former OSU player. “Coach Smith has fire in his veins.”
PART THREE: A MAN OF PROCESS
Where others talk culture, Smith lives it.
Day One in East Lansing wasn’t about schemes. It wasn’t about media.
It was about accountability.
He instituted 6 AM team lifts. Mandatory leadership meetings. Daily personal check-ins with his coaching staff.
No exceptions.
He built the locker room from the inside out. Senior leadership councils. Film study groups. Mental health seminars.
“He’s creating men, not just football players,” said the parent of one redshirt freshman.
That commitment to the whole person? That’s how you keep kids from transferring. That’s how you build a wall that can’t be broken.
PART FOUR: RECRUITING THE RIGHT WAY
Michigan State’s 2024 class looked shaky when Smith arrived. But within weeks, the tone shifted.
He wasn’t begging five-stars with NIL packages. He was offering something rarer.
Stability. Clarity. Tough love.
And it worked.
The Spartans flipped 4-star EDGE Jaylen Thompson from the SEC. Landed a game-changing safety in CJ Hester. Retained key in-state commitments. And planted the seed for an even more stacked 2025 haul.
But it’s not just who he’s recruiting—it’s how.
He makes house calls. He meets grandma. He talks about grades, not just gridiron glory.
And recruits are noticing.
“I picked MSU because Coach Smith is real,” said one 2025 commit. “No sugarcoating. Just honesty and vision.”
PART FIVE: BUILDING A COACHING STAFF THAT REFLECTS HIM
Smith didn’t just import his Oregon State playbook.
He brought with him an elite coaching staff—including defensive coordinator Trent Bray, offensive mind Brian Lindgren, and culture enforcer Brian Wozniak.
Together, they represent the most unified MSU coaching staff in over a decade.
And they reflect Smith’s values to a T: no egos, no shortcuts, and no excuses.
Each hire wasn’t just a tactical move—it was a cultural one.
“If you’re not here for the long haul, don’t unpack,” Smith told them.
And they got the message.
PART SIX: RETURN TO PHYSICAL FOOTBALL
Smith knows what Big Ten football is supposed to look like.
It’s not finesse. It’s not flash. It’s trench warfare.
And that’s exactly what he’s restoring in East Lansing.
This spring, practices were violent. Linemen smashing sleds. Receivers getting repped on run blocks. Tackling drills full-speed, full pads.
Smith brought back a phrase Spartans fans hadn’t heard in years: “we win in November.” And he means it.
Every session ends with conditioning. Every meeting ends with personal accountability.
This isn’t a program playing catch-up anymore. This is a program reloading.
PART SEVEN: WHAT PLAYERS ARE SAYING
It’s easy to talk about culture. Harder to see it in action.
But ask the players, and you’ll hear it loud and clear.
> “Coach Smith doesn’t sugarcoat. He tells you the truth—even if you don’t want to hear it.”
– Starting Linebacker
> “He brought back structure. We were lost last year. Now we know exactly who we are.”
– Team Captain
> “He’s not just building a team. He’s building a family.”
– True Freshman QB
Every Friday, Smith holds “Spartan Stand-Up,” where players voluntarily share their story: upbringing, pain, purpose. It’s optional—but nobody skips.
PART EIGHT: BACK IN THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION?
Let’s talk wins.
Nobody’s pretending 2025 will be perfect. But insiders are quietly bullish.
With Smith’s disciplined system, strong line play, and a deep tight end room, this year’s MSU team could shock the Big Ten.
Vegas has the over-under win total at 6.5. Don’t be surprised if they finish with 8 or 9.
Especially with a defense that’s faster and more aggressive than in years.
Especially with a locker room that wants to play for something bigger than themselves.
And especially with a coach who wakes up every morning with a chip on his shoulder.
PART NINE: SPARTAN FAITH RESTORED
In a time where college football is becoming more corporate, Jonathan Smith is a throwback.
No TikToks, no buzzwords, no gimmicks, just grit!
His message to the players is the same one he gave his Oregon State team every week:
> “We don’t need to prove them wrong. We just need to prove us right.”
That’s what’s happening in East Lansing.
And for the first time in years, the fanbase feels something new, belief!
CONCLUSION: A PROGRAM REBORN
You can talk about schemes. You can talk about talent.
But programs rise and fall on leadership.
And in Jonathan Smith, Michigan State didn’t just find a head coach. They found a compass.
A relentless, no-nonsense, relentlessly authentic leader who’s already changing everything—without needing to say much.
He’s the kind of coach Michigan State always wanted. The kind they always needed.
And now they have him.
> “There is no doubt that he is the right person to lead the Spartans.”
Truer words have never been spoken!
