EAST LANSING, Mich. – New Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith talked about the importance of the in-state rivalry with Michigan during his introductory press conference on Tuesday.
Smith, 44, accepted the Michigan State head coaching job after six years at Oregon State. He went 34-35 overall and turned the program around to the tune of an 18-7 record the past two seasons.
Smith takes over a program that went through plenty of turmoil in 2023. Former head coach Mel Tucker was suspended, and eventually fired, after a 2-0 start, and the team finished 4-8.
One of the reasons Tucker received such a large contract extension from the Spartans was his 37-33 win over eventual Big Ten champion Michigan in 2021. Smith said he understands the importance of that in-state rivalry.
“I thought the fit was good, as well, because let’s face it: There’s an in-state rivalry, and I appreciate in-state rivalries,” Smith said. I think those things are meaningful. It’s a great thing about college football to have a rivalry like that.”
During his playing and coaching days at Oregon State, Smith’s in-state rival was Oregon. He went 2-2 against the Ducks as a player, and 2-4 as a coach. Oregon State won the last two matchups at home during his coaching tenure.
“Every spot, I’ve mentioned earlier in my career, I know what that is like, and being able to compete in that year-round,” Smith said. “So that will, again, mean a ton.”
Next season, the Spartans will travel to Ann Arbor on Oct. 26 to try to bring the Paul Bunyan trophy back to East Lansing. Michigan has won each of the past two meetings, including a 49-0 beatdown in East Lansing last month.