There was only one way for Pat Fitzgerald to conclude his opening remarks Tuesday at his introduction as the football coach at Michigan State.
‘‘Go, Green!’’ he said, his trademark enthusiasm on display.
It wasn’t ‘‘Go, Cats!’’ but it had a decent ring.
On his 51st birthday, Fitzgerald officially replaced Jonathan Smith, who was fired Sunday after going 4-8 (1-8 Big Ten) in his second season as the Spartans’ coach.
‘‘I’ve been dreaming about this day for a long time,’’ Fitzgerald said, choking up. ‘‘There will be no more motivated coach [than] I will be compared to anywhere else in the country, I promise you that.’’
Fitzgerald, who was fired from Northwestern amid a hazing scandal in July 2023, sued his alma mater for $130 million for wrongful termination and reached an undisclosed settlement with the school in August. Since then, he said he had conversations with at least eight schools about potential jobs.
‘‘I’ve had moments to reflect now and learn and grow,’’ he said. ‘‘The experience has made me a better leader, a better man, a better husband, a better father and a better coach and has reinforced my commitment to creating an environment that’s going to be built on trust, discipline, communication and accountability.’’
Again, Fitzgerald — the Wildcats’ leader in coaching victories with 110 in 17 seasons — referred to himself as ‘‘100% vindicated.’’ He promised a program run with the ‘‘highest integrity’’ and gave a nod to Michigan State’s tense, spirited rivalry with Michigan.
‘‘There’s one game that just means a little bit more, doesn’t it?’’ he said. ‘‘I’ll just leave it at that.’’
Related Posts:
- Pat Fitzgerald to Michigan State? Could happen after school fires football coach Jonathan Smith News Jonathan Smith is out as football coach at Michigan State. Is Pat Fitzgerald in? After MSU fired Jonathan Smith on Sunday, reports quickly began to swirl about the school’s interest in Fitzgerald, the ex-Northwestern coach. Fitzgerald’s agent confirmed to the Sun-Times that the Orland Park native was in talks with…
- It's official: Michigan State hires Pat Fitzgerald News Michigan State has hired former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald to lead its football program. The announcement on Monday comes a day after the Spartans fired Jonathan Smith two seasons into his seven-year contract. “Pat Fitzgerald is widely recognized as an exceptional football coach, whose teams play with extreme toughness and…
- Strictly star who’s been in most dance-offs ‘points out lack of airtime’ Entertainment A Strictly star has addressed her regular appearances in the dance-off (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire) Key Points summary__ai-icon Balvinder Sopal, despite multiple dance-offs, has reached the Strictly quarterfinals with pro partner Julian Caillon She insisted viewers haven’t had the chance to connect with her away from the dancefloor Balvinder expressed…
- Andrew Windsor ‘told Epstein victim he knew disgraced billionaire had been inappropriate’ News Andrew Windsor allegedly introduced a woman he was dating to Epstein (Picture: Steve Parsons/Pool Photo via AP, File) A young actress who Jeffrey Epstein abused was allegedly told by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor that another woman had complained of the financier’s ‘inappropriate’ behaviour. A statement to The Mail on Sunday claimed that…
- Kristen Stewart Roasts ‘Twilight’s Corniest Lines, Including ‘Where You Been, Loca?’ Entertainment <p id="par-1_49">When <em>Twilight</em> premiered in 2008, expectations were high, but the <a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/twilight-why-the-wildly-successful-movie-nearly-got-scrapped-completley.html/">movie exceeded them</a>, instantly becoming a box-office juggernaut. <em>Twilight</em> set the record for the biggest opening weekend for a female-directed film, grossing $69.6 million in the U.S. in those first few days. Eventually, it grossed over $400 million…
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)