Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith has given offensive analyst Aaron Pflugrad a promotion, making him the team’s new passing game coordinator, sources confirm to Spartans Illustrated. Justin Thind and Matt Zenitz were first to report the move.
The promotion for Pflugrad comes shortly after MSU hired Jon Boyer as the team’s new quarterbacks coach.
The 2025 campaign marks Pflugrad’s second season in East Lansing. He worked closely with Michigan State's quarterbacks in 2024.
The majority of his coaching career has been spent at FCS Northern Arizona, where he coached at from 2015 through 2023. Pflugrad held the offensive coordinator position for six of his nine total years with Lumberjacks. He spent his first three years with NAU as the program's wide receivers coach.
Pflugrad’s dad, Robin, was the head coach at Montana while Smith was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach there from 2010 and 2011.
Pflugrad has also spent time as a graduate assistant coach at Arizona State. As a player, he spent time as a wide receiver for the Sun Devils in 2010 and 2011 after starting his collegiate career at Oregon in 2007 and 2008. Pflugrad totaled 96 catches for 1,241 yards and eight touchdowns during his playing days.
Now, Pflugrad will get a larger role in aiding Michigan State's offense in 2025, which will be Smith's second year at the helm.
Going to back to the previous regime, the MSU offense arguably has not found a consistent rhythm since running back Kenneth Walker III led the 2021 team to success.
In 2024 — the first year in East Lansing for Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren — MSU averaged just 19.3 points per game, which ranked 123rd nationally out of 134 full FBS members. The passing attack, led by sophomore Aidan Chiles, collectively totaled 218.1 yards per game, but Chiles failed to reach the 200-yard mark in four of Michigan State’s last five games and seven times in the 10 games after he threw for 363 yards against Maryland. Turnovers were also a big issue throughout the year for the Spartans.
Since the conclusion of the 2024 season, the Spartans have put a clear emphasis on upgrading the offensive playmakers on the roster, bringing in four new wide receivers (Omari Kelly, Chrishon McCray, Evan Boyd and Rodney Bullard) and a running back (Elijah Tau-Tolliver) via the transfer portal, among others. Pflugrad’s role in improving the aerial attack could be a critical factor in how Michigan State’s offense performs in 2025.
