Michigan State hired Jonathan Smith as its 26th head football coach in program history on Saturday, Nov. 25. Smith held a meeting with the current Michigan State players on the morning of Monday, Nov 27 to introduce himself and some assistant coaches to the team.
Speaking of assistant coaches, one of his first orders of business will be to assemble and complete his coaching staff and support staff for the Spartans. Expectations are that several staff members from Oregon State will be joining Smith in East Lansing
As is often the case, some coaches may be retained from the previous staff. Initially, sources told Spartans Illustrated that Harlon Barnett was expected to stay on the staff in some capacity. However, a few weeks later on Dec. 21, it was reported and confirmed by Spartans Illustrated that Barnett would ultimately not be a part of Smith's staff.
Wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins was expected to meet with Smith on Sunday, Nov. 26 to possibly be retained in his position. It was officially announced on Dec. 11 that Hawkins is being retained as wide receivers coach.
We are beginning to hear word on a number of staff members at vital positions. The following names are coaches or support staff members we have received or gathered intel on regarding their statuses.
Update: On Dec. 7, 2023, Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith officially announced the hiring of 11 staff members.
According to MSU, the hirings are dependent on the completion of all university employment procedures.
"This is an experienced staff with a proven track record," Smith said. "They have coached numerous NFL Draft picks and All-Americans while winning championships and bowl games throughout their entire coaching careers. This staff has the ability to find talent and develop players, and they have won at every level of football. They are also an outstanding group as people and will create meaningful relationships with our players. I couldn't be more excited to continue working with this excellent staff of coaches and welcome their families to East Lansing."
Update: On Dec. 10, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Michigan State is expected to hire Joe Rossi as the next defensive coordinator. MSU made the news official on Dec. 14.
Update: On Dec. 11, Smith and the Spartans officially announced that they were retaining wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins.
Update: On Jan. 4, 2024, Smith and Michigan State officially hired Chad Wilt as co-special teams coordinator and rush ends coach.
Update: On Jan. 4, 2024, Football Scoop reported that Aaron Pflugrad was being hired to be a "senior offensive analyst" on the Michigan State staff.
Update: On Jan. 5, 2024, Michigan State added Pflugrad (offensive analyst), Andrew Bindelglass (defensive anaylst) and Christian Pawola (defensive backs graduate student assistant) to its support staff.
Update: On Jan. 10, 2024, Michigan State announced that assistant head coach/running backs coach Keith Bhonapha will also serve as co-special teams coordinator. He will share the special teams duties with Chad Wilt.
Update: On Jan. 17, 2024, Michigan State announced that Demetrice Martin will serve as the cornerbacks coach.
Official: Demetrice Martin (cornerbacks coach)
Martin is a California native and Michigan State alumnus. He was a four-year letterwinner for the Spartans as a wide receiver and cornerback from 1992 through 1995. He played for head coaches George Perles and Nick Saban in East Lansing and received first-team All-Big Ten recognition in 1994 when he led the conference with seven interceptions.
He began his coaching career at Monrovia High School (California), where he served as defensive coordinator and secondary coach in 1999 and 2000. He then moved to his alma mater, John Muir High School in Pasadena, California, as the secondary coach in 2001.
After coaching in high school, Martin moved to the junior college ranks. He worked as the secondary coach for Pasadena City College (California) in 2001 and 2002, and then spent the 2003 through 2005 seasons as the pass defense coordinator and secondary coach at Mt. San Antonio College (California).
He broke into the Division I coaching ranks as a graduate assistant at USC under head coach Pete Carroll in 2006 and 2007. He worked with the secondary and helped the Trojans go 22-4 during that two-year span. Martin then returned to Mt. San Antonio College in 2008 as the Mounties' pass defense coordinator and secondary coach.
From 2009 through 2011, Martin was part of Steve Sarkisian's staff at Washington as defensive backs coach. In 2012, Martin went back to Los Angeles to serve as UCLA's defensive backs coach under Jim L. Mora. In addition to his duties as defensive backs coach, Martin was named the Bruins' assistant head coach in 2014. Mora was fired in November of 2017 and Martin parted ways with UCLA after that season as well.
Arizona head coach Kevin Sumlin then hired Martin, where he worked as cornerbacks coach for the Wildcats in 2018 and 2019. After his stint in Tucson, Martin moved to Boulder and spent two seasons at Colorado in 2020 and 2021. He worked as cornerbacks coach for head coach Karl Dorrell during that span.
Martin then joined Lanning in Eugene ahead of the 2022 campaign and has spent the past two seasons with Oregon.
Throughout his career, Martin has worked with multiple NFL draft picks, including Christian Gonzalez, Fabian Moreau, and Taylor Mays.
Official: Christian Pawola Jr. (defensive backs graduate student assistant)
On Jan. 5, Michigan State football updated its support staff list. One of the new additions was Pawola as a defensive backs graduate student assistant.
Pawola was most recently at Minnesota, his alma mater, where he served as a defensive backs graduate assistant. While with the Golden Gophers, Pawola worked under newly-hired Michigan State defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi.
In 2021, Pawola worked as a linebackers coach at Thiel College, a Division III program in Greenville, Pennsylvania.
Pawola graduated from Minnesota in 2020. While enrolled there, he spent two seasons working with the Minnesota linebackers under Rossi as a defensive student assistant coach. His duties included providing opponent tendency and personnel information, and breaking down game film.
Official: Andrew Bindelglass (defensive analyst)
Similarly to Pawola, Bindelglass comes over to Michigan State from Minnesota and was officially added to the Spartans' support staff as a defensive analyst on Jan 5, 2024.
Bindelglass originally joined the Golden Gophers in the summer of 2019 as a defensive graduate assistant and was named as a defensive quality control coach in January of 2022. He also worked under Joe Rossi.
He spent winter workouts and spring practices in 2019 with Bryant University as an outside linebackers coach. In 2018, Bindelglass was a defensive quality control coach at Holy Cross.
Bindelglass attended Tufts University in Massachusetts and played cornerback for the Jumbos. He also worked as a student assistant coach at Tufts and transitioned to a full-time coaching role there upon graduation. He helped coach the secondary for his alma mater.
Official: Aaron Pflugrad (senior offensive analyst)
On Jan. 4, 2024, Football Scoop reported that Pflugrad would join Smith's staff as a "senior offensive analyst" and that he would "work closely" with the quarterbacks.
Pflugrad will come from Northern Arizona, where he has been the offensive coordinator since 2018. Before becoming the offensive coordinator for the Lumberjacks, he was the wide receivers coach for three seasons. His first coaching stint was at Arizona State as a grad assistant from 2012-2015. He has coached numerous All-Conference players and has produced five All-Americans during his coaching career.
His playing career included stops at Oregon (2007-2009) and Arizona State (2010-2011). While with the Sun Devils, he was named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List. Coming out of college, Pflugrad signed a contract as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles but he ended up playing with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League in the 2012 season before beginning his coaching career.
Update: On Jan. 5, 2024, Pflugrad was officially listed as an offensive analyst on Michigan State's support staff.
Official: Chad Wilt (co-special teams coordinator and rush ends coach)
On Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, Matt Zenitz reported that Michigan State was expected to add Chad Wilt as a defensive assistant coach, although his exact role was uncertain. On Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, Michigan State officially announced Wilt's hire as co-special teams coordinator and rush ends coach.
Wilt has 23 years of coaching experience. He most recently served as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Indiana in 2023, working under head coach Tom Allen. He was paired with co-defensive coordinator Matt Guerrieri this past season. Wilt worked as the sole defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Hoosiers in 2022.
Prior to his stint with IU, Wilt served as the defensive line coach at Minnesota for head coach P.J. Fleck in 2020 and 2021. While with the Golden Gophers, Wilt worked with newly-hired Michigan State defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi, who previously served in the same role for Minnesota from 2019 through 2023.
Additionally, Wilt has served as defensive line coach for Cincinnati (2019), Army (2016 through 2018), Maryland (2014 and 2015), Ball State (2011 through 2013), Virginia (2010, also a graduate assistant in 2004 and 2005), Liberty (2006 through 2008, and was also special teams coordinator), and Central Connecticut State (2001 through 2003, also was special teams coordinator).
As a player, Wilt was a four-year letterwinner three-time all-conference selection at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana from 1996 through 1999. He was also a two-time NAIA All-American at defensive end and two-time academic all-conference selection.
Official: Courtney Hawkins (wide receivers coach)
Shortly after Smith was hired, sources told Spartans Illustrated that Hawkins was expected to be retained. The process was longer than initially anticipated, but it is now finalized after Michigan State officially announced Hawkins on Dec. 11.
Hawkins will resume his role as the wide receivers coach as he is heading into his fifth season in East Lansing. He's coached the Michigan State wide receivers since 2020. Hawkins has also coached two NFL Draft picks in his time with the Spartans, Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor.
He has nine years of NFL experience as a player with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers. After his playing career, he became the head coach at Beecher High School is his hometown from 2006 to 2019.
Official: Joe Rossi (defensive coordinator/linebackers coach)
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Dec. 10 that Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi is expected to become the next defensive coordinator at Michigan State.
The Pittsburgh native previously spent time as an assistant at Rutgers, Maine and Thiel College before coaching at Minnesota. Rossi started as a quality control coach in 2017. He was promoted to defensive line coach in 2018. Rossi got the permanent defensive coordinator role in 2019 after serving part of 2018 as the interim defensive coordinator.
Rossi was a nominee for the Broyles Award in 2021, which is given to the top assistant coach in college football. The 44-year-old also coached top 10 defenses in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Rossi has also coached eight NFL Draft picks at Minnesota since 2019.
Sources told Spartans Illustrated that Rossi and Jimmy Lake of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams were the two finalists for the defensive coordinator position.
Update: Rossi was officially announced as part of the MSU staff on Dec. 14, 2023.
Official: Brian Lindgren (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach)
Per sources and reported by Spartans Illustrated's Dylan Callaghan-Croley, Brian Lindgren will accept the position as offensive coordinator for the Spartans. Lindgren has been the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon State for the past six seasons.
Prior to Oregon State, he held the same positions at Colorado (2013-2017), San Jose State (2012) and Northern Arizona (2006-2011). Lindgren played quarterback at the University of Idaho from 2001 through 2003 under head coach Tom Cable.
Under Smith and Lindgren in 2023, Oregon State had a strong offense, averaging 33.8 points, 426.9 total yards, 246.1 passing yards and 180.8 rushing yards per game. The Beavers also recorded 269 total first downs.
Update: Lindgren was officially announced as part of the MSU staff on Dec. 7, 2023.
Official: Jim Michalczik (offensive line coach/run game coordinator)
First reported by Justin Thind of 247Sports, Michalczik is expected to end up in East Lansing. While sources told Spartans Illustrated that Oregon State was making a push to keep him, Michalczik was introduced to the current team at the Nov. 27 team meeting.
Michalczik has been the offensive line coach, run game coordinator, and associate head coach for the Beavers since 2018. He is widely respected as one of the better offensive line coaches in college football.
In 2021, the Oregon State offensive line was one of the four units named as finalists for the Joe Moore Award as the top offensive line in college football. He was also nominated for the 2023 Broyles Award as college football's top assistant.
Prior to this stint with Oregon State, he held similar positions at Arizona (2013-2017), California (2002-2008 and 2011-2012) and the Oakland Raiders (2009-2010). Michalczik was hired by Raiders head coach Tom Cable, who himself was the offensive line coach prior to replacing Lane Kiffin.
Michalczik's first time as a coach at Oregon State lasted three seasons (1999-2001) as an assistant at tight ends, special teams, and offensive line coach under Dennis Erickson. Smith was the starting quarterback for the Beavers during this time as well.
Michalczik started his coaching career working for Erickson (after playing for him at Washington State from 1984-1988) at the University of Miami in 1990. In 1991, Michalczik was a defensive line assistant when the Hurricanes won the national title. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was a defensive lineman under his coaching during that time.
Update: Michalczik was officially announced as part of the MSU staff on Dec. 7, 2023.
Official: Keith Bhonapha (assistant head coach/running backs coach/co-special teams coordinator)
Callaghan-Croley also reported that it is very likely that Bhonapha will head east to join Smith. Bhonapha was appointed the assistant head coach/running backs position at Oregon State in January of this year.
He came to the Beavers after holding the same position at Boise State in 2022 (along with special teams). Bhonapha had previously been at Boise State for eight seasons (2006-2013) as a running backs assistant for head coach Chris Petersen and alongside Jonathan Smith, who was the quarterbacks coach. Bhonapha joined Petersen (and Smith) when he accepted the head coaching position at the University of Washington in 2014.
Bhonapha started his coaching career as a defensive backs and special teams coach at Hawai'i where he had played defensive back from 1999-2002.
Update: Bhonapha was officially announced as part of the MSU staff on Dec. 7, 2023.
Update No. 2: On Jan. 10, 2024, Michigan State announced that Bhonapha added co-special teams coordinator to his title. He will share the special teams duties with Chad Wilt.
Official: Brian Wozniak (tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator)
In addition, Callaghan-Croley and Thind both reported that Wozniak is expected to join Smith on Michigan State's staff. Wozniak has been the tight ends coach (and recruiting coordinator) at Oregon State since Smith was named the head coach in 2018. Wozniak is believed to currently be in East Lansing with Smith and the rest of the staff when they arrived on Nov. 26.
Wozniak has developed Beavers tight end Jack Velling, who was named a Freshman All-America honorable mention selection in 2022, along with NFL draftees Luke Musgrave (seconf round in 2023) and Teagan Quitoriano (fifth round in 2022). His prior positions on staff were offensive quality control analyst (December 2017-July 2018) and offensive graduate assistant coach (2015-2017).
Wozniak, a native of Loveland, Ohio, played tight end at Wisconsin, appearing in 47 career games and starting over two seasons.
Update: Wozniak was officially announced as part of the MSU staff on Dec. 7, 2023.
Official: Blue Adams (secondary coach)
Adams is expected to join the new staff at Michigan State, according to Callaghan-Croley. As like several other members of the staff, Adams joined Smith at Oregon State in 2018, and was appointed secondary coach January 24, 2019.
Adams had the same duties at South Florida (2017-2018), West Virginia (2016), and with the Miami Dolphins (2012-15).
He started his coaching career at Northern Iowa (2011-2012). Adams was a seventh round pick in the 2003 draft by the Detroit Lions after playing collegiately at the University of Cincinnati.
Update: Adams was officially announced as part of the MSU staff on Dec. 7, 2023.
Official: Cole Moore (general manager)
Moore is also expected to join Smith in East Lansing, according to Callaghan-Croley. Ryan O'Bleness of Spartans Illustrated also reported that Moore was already in contact with Michigan State recruits after Smith's hire became official on Saturday, Nov. 25. Moore was named Oregon State’s director of player personnel in February 2022.
Moore joined the Beavers after one season as the assistant director of player personnel and co-camp director at Texas. Prior to Texas, Moore spent six years at Montana State, where he first served as a football administrative assistant, then director of football operations, next the assistant athletic director for football operations, and finally chief of staff. While with the Bobcats, he oversaw all aspects of the football program.
Moore began his collegiate career from 2015 through 16 at Washington (with Smith and Bhonapha) as a football recruiting graduate assistant. He assisted in developing recruiting profiles for the team’s coaching staff as well as recruiting itineraries.
Update: Moore was officially announced as part of the MSU staff on Dec. 7, 2023.
Official: Dan Van De Riet (chief of staff)
Van De Riet is expected to follow Smith and continue to be his right-hand man at Michigan State. Smith hired Van De Riet in 2018 as chief of staff and director of operations for Oregon State and has held that position since then. Van De Riet oversaw Oregon State’s football day-to-day operations and is a liaison with other departments. He is responsible for travel, the team’s budget and staffing for the football office.
From 2015 to 2017, he served as the Nebraska associate athletic director of football administration. Van De Riet first came to Corvallis in 2001 as the assistant director of football operations, and other than the three seasons with the Cornhuskers, he held various positions with Oregon State, including director of football operations in 2008 and then associate athletic director in 2014.
Update: Van De Riet was officially announced as part of the MSU staff on Dec. 7, 2023.
Official: Michael McDonald (head strength and conditioning coach)
Thind reported that McDonald will be hired as the next Michigan State strength and conditioning coach. McDonald is in his sixth year as Oregon State’s head football strength and conditioning coach.
McDonald arrived at Oregon State after serving as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Washington from 2014 through 2017 (again, with Smith, Bhonapha and Moore). McDonald also worked at Boise State (2009-2014) as the assistant strength and conditioning coach after a two-year stint (2008-2009) at Washington State as a strength and conditioning intern. McDonald got his career started in 2008 as a strength and conditioning intern at his alma mater, Purdue.
The Gatesville, Texas native played defensive end for the Boilermakers from 2006 to 2007.
Update: McDonald was officially announced as part of the MSU staff on Dec. 7, 2023.
Official: Legi Suiaunoa (defensive line coach)
According to Callaghan-Croley's sources, Suiaunoa (pronounciation: Leng-ee SOO-ee-ow-noah) is expected to join Smith at Michigan State. Suiaunoa was hired by Smith as the defensive line coach at OSU in 2018 and has held that post ever since.
Originally, Suiaunoa was expected to join Michigan State after Oregon State's bowl game. As of Dec. 4, however, OSU interim head coach Kefense Hynson said that Suiaunoa will no longer coach the Beavers in the Sun Bowl versus Notre Dame.
In 2023, the Beavers ranked second in the Pac-12 in sacks (36) and fifth in the conference in rushing yards allowed per game (104.1).
Prior to his stint at Oregon State, Suiaunoa was the defensive coordinator at Hawai'i in 2017 and defensive line coach for the Rainbow Warriors in 2016.
Before that, Suiaunoa was at Montana from 2011 to 2015, and helped lead the Grizzlies to four FCS playoff appearances. He was the defensive line coach there during his whole tenure, and also served as associate head coach in 2013 and 2014. In 2011, Smith and Suiaunoa coached together at Montana under head coach Robin Pflugrad.
Suiaunoa also has had stints at Portland State (defensive line coach in 2010), Eastern Oregon (defensive line coach in 2009), Western Washington (defensive line, linebackers, and strength and conditioning coach), Nevada (graduate assistant in 2004) and Palomar College (linebackers coach in 2002 and 2003).
Suiaunoa has strong recruiting ties with the Polynesian community.
Update: Suiaunoa was officially announced as part of the MSU staff on Dec. 7, 2023.
Official: Michael Doctor (director of recruiting and player relations)
Update: On Nov. 25, O'Bleness reported that Doctor could join Michigan State's staff. At the time, sources told Spartans Illustrated that Doctor, who most recently served as Oregon State director of recruiting, was offered to join the Michigan State staff. After mulling over a decision, Doctor was officially announced as MSU's director of recruiting and player relations on Dec 7.
Doctor, a four-year letterwinner for Oregon State, was promoted to the team’s director of recruiting in January 2021. Doctor was promoted after serving as the director of on campus recruiting since July 2019. Doctor had previously served as a recruiting assistant for the Beavers, following a playing career for Oregon State that spanned from 2010 thrush 2014. A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, he started in 38 games at linebacker for Oregon State.
Official: Austin D'Armond (director of recruiting communications)
D'Armond was announced as Michigan State's director of recruiting communications on Dec. 7, 2023.
He spent two seasons on Smith's staff at Oregon State as the assistant director of recruiting communications in 2022 and 2023. He worked directly with Doctor in his role. During D'Armond's two seasons in Corvallis, the Beavers had a record of 18-7.
D'Armond also worked in multiple roles at Texas as both an undergraduate student and graduate student. He spent a year as a lead recruiting assistant and nearly two years as a recruiting intern for the Longhorns. He earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology/sport management from Texas. After graduating, he became a player personnel graduate assistant for about two years, and also received his master's degree in educational psychology.
This article was originally published on Nov. 27, 2023. It will be updated as more information becomes available.
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