Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith talks about the most important hurdles since taking over

When Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith arrived in East Lansing, he found himself in a situation unprecedented in college football history. Coach Smith took over a football program that was once one of the best in the country.

However, Smith took over a football program where he and his coaching staff had to pick up the pieces left behind by the last regime.

Smith has overcome many obstacles since taking over, probably more than most coaches arriving at a new school. Although Smith has successfully turned around a football program in the past, the situation he inherited at Michigan State University undoubtedly presents Smith and his coaching staff with more obstacles than most college football programs.

The biggest challenge Smith and his coaching staff faced during their first offseason in East Lansing was the mass exodus of players to the transfer portal earlier this season. Although Smith and his team eventually rebounded by securing one of the best transfer portal classes in the country, the Spartans initially had one of the worst transfer portal classes in the country. Michigan State losing nearly 20 scholarship players to the transfer portal immediately presented Smith and his coaching staff with a problem they had to solve, which they did.

However, the transfer portal was just one of many obstacles Smith and his coaching staff have faced since arriving in East Lansing. Smith spoke about some of the difficulties he and his coaching staff faced when he addressed the media at the National College Showcase at Wayne State University in May.

“Obviously you learn, you build trust with the squad over six months,” Smith said. “It takes time to build trust. That’s something. You know the landscape is constantly changing and you have to find your way when there’s still uncertainty about the size of the squad and how it’s all going to work.”

As Smith and his coaching staff approach the first kickoff of their first season in East Lansing, they are preparing for every obstacle that may come their way this season. Smith and his coaching staff have proven that they can overcome most obstacles that could potentially come their way. Time will tell if they can translate that into wins and a complete turnaround of the football program.

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