Michigan State is one of four teams in the Big Ten that begin this upcoming season with a new head coach. The Spartans bring in former Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith, who led the Beavers to an 8-4 record last season.
Smith brings in two new coordinators: Brian Lindgren, who served under him at Oregon State, and former Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi. Rossi went into depth on why he made the move to Michigan State.
“It starts with coach Smith,” Rossi said during the Michigan State training camp segment on Big Ten Network. “He’s known throughout the country as being a great guy to work for, just a really good person. It was really tough to leave. I had a great situation with the school that I was at, Minnesota. P.J. {Fleck} was a great guy to work for, too {he} ran a really good program. But it’s closer to home for me. This is the closest I’ve been in my coaching career.”
What was the draw and the attraction of @MSU_Football?
— Michigan State on BTN (@MichiganStOnBTN) August 20, 2024
New DC Joe Rossi gives his answer here ⬇️#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/sJ1EOhJdcv
Rossi brings the experience of having worked with some strong talent throughout his years with the Golden Gophers. Carter Coughlin, Boye Mafe, and Antoine Winfield Jr. had great careers in Minneapolis and got drafted into the NFL. Rossi hopes to bring that same coaching pedigree to a Spartan defense that struggled mightily last season.
Nevertheless, Michigan State still returns some production from last year’s unit. Linebacker Cal Haladay looks to be a senior leader for this defense, having led the team in tackles with 91 and ranking inside the top 50 in America in fumble recoveries. Derrick Harmon and Maverick Hansen also return with experience under their belt and hope to deliver some pressure on some of the Big Ten’s best quarterbacks.
It will be interesting to see how the Spartans look in year one of the Jonathan Smith era. Michigan State will open up the season at home in East Lansing on Aug. 30 against the Florida Atlantic Owls.