5 months ago
- Spartans
- Published: Jan. 02, 2026, 6:23 p.m.
Pat Fitzgerald’s violative unit heading into his first play starring Michigan State is set.
The Spartans connected Friday nighttime officially announced nan hiring of six violative assistants, led by coordinator Nick Sheridan. Fitzgerald retained a brace of assistants connected that broadside of nan shot successful Courtney Hawkins (wide receivers) and Brian Wozniak (tight ends) and added Mike Bajakian (quarterbacks), Nick Tabacca (offensive line) and Devon Spalding (running backs). Michigan State besides officially added special teams coordinator and adjunct caput coach LeVar Woods from Iowa and cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat from Iowa State.
Fitzgerald, who was nan caput coach astatine Northwestern for 17 seasons, was hired Dec. 1 and replaced Jonathan Smith, who posted a 9-15 grounds complete 2 years earlier being fired. Fitzgerald’s statement calls for an yearly net excavation of $12.12 cardinal to prosecute adjunct coaches and support staff, which is an summation from nan $10.75 cardinal Smith was allotted. The coordinators tin motion three-year contracts while nan remainder of nan assistants are restricted to two-year deals.
Sheridan, a Saline autochthonal and erstwhile backmost astatine Michigan, spent nan past 2 seasons astatine Alabama – first arsenic violative coordinator and past arsenic co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He has erstwhile coaching stops astatine Washington, Indiana, Tennessee, South Florida and Western Kentucky. The Crimson Tide vanished this play 11-4 pinch a 38-3 nonaccomplishment against Indiana connected Thursday successful a College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
“Nick Sheridan has worked pinch immoderate of nan champion violative coaches and quarterbacks successful nan state nan past fewer years,” Fitzgerald said successful a property release. “He is an knowledgeable and knowledgeable play caller who emphasizes equilibrium and physicality. He besides has a way grounds of processing quarterbacks astatine a precocious level.”
Hawkins, a erstwhile standout Spartan receiver who spent 9 seasons successful nan NFL, is now moving for nan 3rd different caput coach astatine his alma mater. The longtime diversion head and coach astatine Flint Beecher High School was hired by Mel Tucker successful 2020 and retained by Jonathan Smith earlier nan 2024 season.
Wozniak is an Ohio autochthonal who played tight extremity astatine Wisconsin and spent six seasons moving for Smith astatine Oregon State earlier pursuing him to East Lansing. He besides served arsenic recruiting coordinator for nan past 2 years.
Bajakian, who has astir 3 decades of coaching acquisition successful assemblage and nan NFL, spent this play arsenic nan violative coordinator and quarterbacks coach astatine UMass. He antecedently served arsenic Fitzgerald’s violative coordinator astatine Northwestern from 2020-23 and nan New Jersey native’s different assemblage stops including Utah, Boston College, Michigan and Rutgers.
Spalding, a Canton autochthonal who played moving backmost and receiver for Central Michigan from 2014-18, conscionable wrapped up his 3rd play coaching nan backfield for Luke Fickell astatine Wisconsin. He antecedently coached nan aforesaid position astatine Western Kentucky for 4 years and was a postgraduate adjunct nether Fickell astatine Cincinnati.
Tabacca spent nan past 11 seasons coach Wake Forest’s violative statement and mentored 4 NFL draught picks. The Ohio autochthonal was a standout violative lineman astatine Ball State pinch erstwhile coaching stops astatine his alma mater, Butler and Defiance.
Woods, a erstwhile standout linebacker astatine Iowa who spent 7 seasons successful nan NFL, was connected unit astatine his alma mater since 1999 successful different roles. He ran 1 of nan nation’s apical typical teams units since 2017.
“We are thrilled to person LeVar subordinate our coaching staff,” Fitzgerald said. “He is nan champion typical teams coach successful nan state and brings a tremendous magnitude of expertise successful that shape of nan game. His typical teams group is nan exemplary of consistency and has ever been highly prepared and efficient. They genuinely make a quality successful nan result of nan game. He is besides an outstanding leader of young men and will thief successful each facets of nan programme arsenic adjunct caput coach.”
Poteat was a prima cornerback and footwear returner astatine Pittsburgh who was picked successful nan 3rd information of nan 2000 NFL draught and won a Super Bowl while spending a decade successful nan league. The Pennsylvania autochthonal antecedently coached astatine Pitt, Kent State, Toledo and Wisconsin earlier spending nan past 3 years astatine Iowa State.
On nan protect broadside of nan ball, Fitzgerald past period officially retained coordinator Joe Rossi and safeties coach James Adams and added erstwhile programme standout Max Bullough from Notre Dame arsenic co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He is reportedly hiring protect statement coach Winston DeLattiboudere from nan Arizona Cardinals, though that hasn’t been officially announced.
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Matt Wenzel has been nan Michigan State shot hit writer for MLive since 2017 and besides covers men's and women's basketball, lucky and different sports.
