Michigan State Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald Addresses the Media Before Hosting Spartans Host Northwestern

Did you envision when you, when you got here?

Uh, yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

I knew it would come at some point and it's right now, so it's ex- exciting stuff for sure.

[sniffs]

Can you kinda walk us through how you, you know, the process from when Albany here and how you worked in the portal and got that with, with Tennessee and all that?

Yes, sir.

So, uh, I was at Albany for two and a half years and, uh, unfortunately my coaches there, uh, this or that past year, uh, had to move on.

And so I decided it was my time to move on as well.

And so right after our last game, I announced that I was gonna enter the portal, and then obviously things didn't really pick up until that, that January second date.

So it was about a month and a half of kinda sitting around waiting.

And then, uh, once that day came, I heard from Coach Bullough, Coach Rossi, and kinda just knew from there that this was the place I wanted to be.

Got out here a couple days later and then, uh, told Coach Fitz in his office that I wanted to be a Spartan.

So now we're here.

What was your pitch for you?

Um-

Did they envision using you in, in all that stuff?

Yes, sir.

Uh, you know, just growth was the biggest thing for me 'cause I knew there was things that, um, maybe I kinda got away with at Albany that wouldn't fly in the Big 10.

Um, I was a lot smaller before I got here, and I talked to Coach Welsh, uh, and then obviously the rest of the staff, and I knew that it would just be a good fit for me to grow and that it would be a great place for me to elevate my game and then obviously, hopefully elevate this team.