Michigan State SHOCKER! Coach Smith Fired After Just 2 Seasons?!

Well, folks, the college football world is buzzing with some pretty shocking news out of East Lansing: Michigan State has just fired head coach Jonathan Smith. Yes, you read that right. Less than two years after he was brought in to revitalize the program, Smith is out. It's a move that's left many scratching their heads, to say the least.

Michigan State SHOCKER! Coach Smith Fired After Ju...

The decision was reportedly made by athletic director J Batt, who's only been on campus since June. This information comes from a source close to the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity, because, as you can imagine, nobody wanted to jump the gun before the official announcement. Still, the writing was on the wall, perhaps.

Smith, you might remember, came to MSU with a decent reputation, having put together a 34-35 record over six seasons at Oregon State. He even managed to string together consecutive eight-win seasons, which, at his alma mater, hadn’t happened in over a decade. Hopes were high that he could bring some of that magic to the Spartans.

Unfortunately, things just didn't pan out as planned. Smith's first season at the helm resulted in a 5-7 overall record, with a 3-6 showing in the Big Ten. Not exactly the turnaround Spartan fans were hoping for. Adding fuel to the fire, Alan Haller, the athletic director who actually hired Smith, left the school last May. That undoubtedly left Smith's position feeling a little less secure.

To be fair, expectations weren't sky-high coming into the season, but the results were undeniably disappointing. The program has been struggling to find its footing ever since Mark Dantonio's retirement. Dantonio, the school’s winningest coach, left after a phenomenal 13-year run, though it did end with consecutive 7-6 seasons. Still, those were stable years, something MSU hasn't seen much of lately.

It's worth remembering the circumstances surrounding the hire before Smith. After Dantonio's departure, the athletic director at the time, Bill Beekman (who was relatively inexperienced himself), made the call to bring in Mel Tucker. Tucker had only one season under his belt at Colorado, where he went 5-7, though he did have some ties to MSU as a former graduate assistant under Nick Saban. That whole situation felt a little rushed, and it seems the program is still reeling from the fallout. Now, the question is, where does Michigan State go from here? Another coaching search begins, and the pressure is on to get it right this time.