Saturday night in East Lansing was brutal, but it’s become a familiar scene this fall. Michigan State dropped its seventh consecutive game. It fell 28-10 to Penn State in a contest that somehow felt even worse than the score suggests. Twice this year, the Spartans have lost to teams being led by interim coaches. But despite the on-field disaster, coaches around the country are lining up for this job.

Football Scoop came on with hard evidence this week when they reached out to a coaching agent with a simple question: “Will coaches want Michigan State given recent sanctions?” The response was immediate and emphatic: “100%.”

That’s not lip service either. Despite the three-year probation, the Michigan State job remains one of the more attractive openings in college football. The Big Ten affiliation alone is worth its weight in gold, especially with the conference’s new media deal potentially bringing in $2.4 billion in investment money. Add in the fact that Michigan State regularly ranks in the top 20 nationally in both attendance and revenue, has excellent facilities, and sits in one of the best recruiting footprints in America, and you start to understand why agents aren’t steering their clients away from East Lansing.​

The reality is that top-tier coaches like James Franklin probably won’t be considering Michigan State. But they will 100% use the MSU offer to make their market price better. But coaches like Pat Fitzgerald? This is exactly the kind of opportunity they’re hunting for.

Pat Fitzgerald, who went 110-101 during his time at Northwestern with three 10-win seasons has made it clear he’s ready to get back into coaching. He told ESPN’s College Gameday podcast that he feels “100 percent vindicated” and has been dropping hints that sound an awful lot like he’s describing Michigan State. Fitzgerald mentioned wanting to work at a school with a “great basketball coach” and a strong athletic department. Well, Tom Izzo checks that box pretty decisively. 

Fitzgerald is trying to rebuild his reputation after the hazing scandal that led to the end of his Northwestern tenure. Michigan State offers Big Ten resources, a passionate fanbase, and a chance to prove he can win at a higher level than he did in Evanston.​

The NCAA penalties themselves, while significant on paper, aren’t the program-killers some might assume. Michigan State was hit with three years of probation for recruiting violations that occurred under former coach Mel Tucker’s staff. The investigation found that Tucker “took a hands-off approach to compliance” and “did not promote a culture where staff felt comfortable coming to him with concerns or to report potential violations,” which resulted in a Level 1 head coach responsibility violation. 

The 14 vacated wins include five from Jonathan Smith’s first season in 2024, meaning almost all of his victories have been wiped off the books. But Michigan State self-reported the violations, cooperated fully with the investigation. They have negotiated a resolution that minimized the impact on current players and coaches who had nothing to do with Tucker’s regime. The recruiting restrictions are annoying but manageable, especially for an established coach with a strong staff.​

Dave Portnoy’s victory lap

Dave Portnoy couldn’t help himself when the news broke about Michigan State’s NCAA sanctions. And nobody expected him to either. The Barstool Sports founder and notorious Michigan booster took to Twitter with sarcasm that’s become his trademark. He wrote, “I’m disgusted but I can’t say I’m surprised at the rampant cheating at @MSU_Football. You don’t just win 4 games a year at a place like MSU unless you’re cheating. Shame Little Brother has to now vacate all these 4-win seasons (aka the glory years).”

The tweet was specifically designed to get under the skin of Michigan State fans, and judging by the replies, it worked exactly as intended. But Portnoy didn’t stop there.​

He doubled down on Saturday morning’s Big Noon Kickoff, unleashing a full rant where he called out Michigan State for “lack of integrity.” He also labeled them “s***bags” who “cheat and stink still.” The irony wasn’t lost on anyone paying attention. This is the same Dave Portnoy who laughed off Michigan’s $20 million sign-stealing penalties as “ashtray money.” 

Michigan got to keep its national championship while facing far more serious allegations than MSU’s recruiting violations. Yet here was Portnoy, acting shocked and disgusted that Michigan State committed violations. The pot calling the kettle black doesn’t even begin to describe it. But Portnoy’s never been one to let hypocrisy get in the way of a good rivalry jab.​