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Michigan State Hires New Football Coach, and 4 Other Major Stories
Pat Fitzgerald returns to coaching after a hazing scandal and legal battles to lead Michigan State and rebuild its struggling football program, which went 4-8 last season.
- On Monday, Michigan State announced it hired former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald in East Lansing, a day after firing Jonathan Smith following a 4-8 season capped by a 38-28 win over Maryland.
- Jonathan Smith's dismissal followed a longer trend in which the program struggled since Mark Dantonio retired, with Michigan State football program facing offensive line and run game issues this season.
- Fitzgerald denied wrongdoing and sued Northwestern University for $130 million, settling the lawsuit earlier this year after two seasons off, compiling a 110-101 record in 17 seasons.
- Michigan State athletic director J Batt made the hire, calling Fitzgerald an excellent fit, while top players Nick Marsh and Makhi Frazier entered the transfer portal this week, signaling roster churn.
- Tasked with restoring the program, Pat Fitzgerald faces cultural and competitive work while Michigan State donors must fund better offensive and defensive trenches; he is due more than $30 million under contract.
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Scandal-Plagued Michigan State Hires Scandal-Plagued Pat Fitzgerald
Pat Fitzgerald, a coaching retread with lots of dirt in the grooves, is about to get another Big 10 gig. Among the bigger stories on the latest Bloody Sunday for college football coaches was Michigan State’s allegedly imminent hiring of Fitzgerald, the allegedly disgraced former Northwestern coach. The rumors swirled immediately after MSU fired Jonathan Smith, who went 9-15 in his two years in East Lansing, and Fitzgerald's hire became official…
Rockdale Citizen & Newton CitizenReposted by 
Arizona Daily Sun
Arizona Daily SunReports: Michigan State brings Pat Fitzgerald back to Big Ten
Pat Fitzgerald is back in the Big Ten as head coach of the Michigan State Spartans after signing a five-year contract on Monday, according to multiple reports.
·Georgia, United States
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Total News Sources21
Leaning Left8Leaning Right2Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Left, 44% Center
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Left, 44% of the sources are Center
45% Left
L 45%
C 44%
11%
Factuality
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