Michigan State football has lagged behind quite heavily over the previous years. The program never remained out of headlines as controversies surrounded them, and every season brought even more misery, not just on the field but off the field, too. In three seasons under Allan Haller as the Athletic Director, the program has seen more lows than highs. The tunnel brawl tarnished the program’s image, then there were misconduct allegations (as per reports) against the head coach, Mel Tucker, and, of course, the alleged failure to secure NIL funding. The AD’s role for Michigan State was more negative than positive. And on field issues?

Well, the on-field issues were never-ending as the program descended into consecutive years of mediocrity. The program was reeling with consecutive losses in seasons as the years 2022-2024 never showed any hope for MSU in the field. The program finished 5-7 in 2022, 4-8 in 2023, and 5-7 in 2024. Now, when you look at these seasons, the 2021 season feels like an exceptional anomaly where MSU finished 11-2. The rumblings became even louder for Allan Haller after his failure in securing NIL money.

The program needed at least $10 million to $ 15 million in order to make it a winning program. The AD, in that sense, failed to secure the backing of some of the billionaire alumni of the program. The AD even termed the NIL chase as “unsustainable” in an interview. “The question is, not just us, but any school: Is this sustainable? And it’s probably not,”. But we all know now that without significant NIL backing, programs wouldn’t even dream of walking out with a winning season, let alone making the playoffs. All of this eventually led to the Athletic director’s departure, who is now reported to leave the program on 11th May, as his contract was to expire this year. But who will be the replacement?

Well, Andy Staples and Ary Wesserman of ON3 discussed the potential replacement of the AD and came up with a name. “The Current President of Michigan State, Kevin Guskiewicz, is the former chancellor of North Carolina. He worked very closely with Bubba Cunningham, the Athletic Director of North Carolina. Bubba Cunningham is from Flint, Michigan. Bubba Cunningham needs to get out of North Carolina. He did not want to hire Bill Belichick, he was looking for a traditional hire. So, if you’re Bubba Cunningham, and Michigan State’s calling, you’re on the first flight“.

Well, the rumblings at UNC after Bill Belichick joined the program may truly bring Bubba Cunningham to MSU. Quite recently, the UNC head coach has embroiled himself in a fresh controversy as he appeared on CBS with his girlfriend Jordon Hudson, to promote his book. However, Jordan’s interruption in between and allegedly ‘taking control’ of the interview led to furore in the UNC community. The head coach even clarified his stance. With the allegations of UNC functioning like a pro team, and the new staff being reported to have no idea about college football. All in all, the ingredients are there; now Cunningham just needs a little convincing by MSU.

The exit of Haller bring trouble for Jonathan Smith?

As shocking as the news was for MSU fans to take after Haller’s announcement. It would be more shocking if MSU slips into even more oblivion, considering Haller, despite his shortcomings, had some achievements, too. The former MSU AD hired Sharonda McDonald for the Softball team, who is a refreshing change for the program. Moreover, Harry Jadun’s appointment in tennis has also shown significant improvement for the program. But for football? It may not be too shiny.

The firing of Haller has reduced the MSU football head coach Jonathan Smith’s buyout to half. This is all because of a clause in Smith’s contract which stated that, “In the event Alan Haller is no longer serving as the Athletics Director at the time of termination, the Liquidated Buyout shall be reduced by 50%.” This was not the same in Mel Tucker or Mark Dantonio’s contract, but having it in Smith’s contract seems peculiar.

Anyway, right now, if any school wanted to rope in Smith, they would have to pay just $3 million in buyout money. This is equivalent to what the program paid when it hired the head coach from Oregon State. The number, though in 7 figures, is relatively quite low in terms of the buyouts of some ‘power’ program head coaches, which sometimes could go upwards of $50 million. The news could be both good and bad for MSU, considering how the 2025 season goes for Smith.