​Is Pat Fitzgerald, the new head coach at Michigan State, considered an upper-tier coach in the Big Ten? USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg has weighed in with his latest coach rankings, and Fitzgerald’s placement is intriguing. In a field of 18 Big Ten coaches, Myerberg slots Fitzgerald squarely in the middle of the pack. He ranks Fitzgerald No. 11, placing him just behind Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck and just ahead of Washington’s Jedd Fisch. This positioning suggests that Fitzgerald, who reentered the Big Ten landscape four years after his departure from Northwestern, is still being judged against a changing backdrop of college football where the dynamics of competition and program-building have evolved considerably since his final season with the Wildcats.
Myerberg offers candid commentary on Fitzgerald’s current standing. He notes that Fitzgerald must demonstrate an ability to navigate a conference that has transformed since his Northwestern tenure, as he attempts to translate past success into results within Michigan State’s program. The ranking acknowledges Fitzgerald’s notable track record at Northwestern, even as it recognizes that the landscape of college football—recruiting ecosystems, style of play, and competitive parity—has shifted in meaningful ways since then. Fitzgerald’s inclusion among the middle tier of Big Ten coaches underscores both the respect he commands for his previous accomplishments and the evident questions about how his leadership will translate to sustained success at Michigan State in a new era of the sport.
This assessment from Myerberg reflects a cautious optimism: Fitzgerald is viewed as an intriguing case study, a coach whose earlier success in Northwestern’s environment raised expectations that could be recalibrated by Michigan State’s current circumstances. The ranking acknowledges that a strong debut season and progress in East Lansing could elevate Fitzgerald into the upper half of the rankings in the near term, signaling that Michigan State exceeded expectations in his first year at the helm.
As the Spartans embark on this new chapter, the coaching landscape in the Big Ten will continue to evolve, and Fitzgerald’s ability to adapt to, and ultimately thrive within, this changed conference will be closely watched. For readers following Michigan State news, notes, and opinion, updates and analysis from Spartans Wire remain a valuable resource. You can connect with coverage and follow related conversations on X (formerly Twitter) at @TheSpartansWire and @RobertBondy5, as well as on Facebook. This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire under the headline Where did Pat Fitzgerald land in Big Ten coaches rankings from USA TODAY Sports? and is intended to support broader SEO goals for the Spartans Wire platform.