Michigan State football hires new QBs coach

John McNulty replaces Mike Bajakian, who left for the NFL's Cleveland Browns

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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Michigan State football has hired John McNulty as its new quarterbacks coach, replacing Mike Bajakian who left for the NFL's Cleveland Browns after just a month with the Spartans. McNulty arrives from Rutgers, where he was a senior offensive assistant in 2025, and has previous experience as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at both the college and professional levels.

Why it matters

The quarterback position is crucial for Michigan State's offense, so finding the right coach to develop the team's signal-callers is a key hire for head coach Pat Fitzgerald as he looks to build on the Spartans' recent success.

The details

McNulty, a 57-year-old former safety at Penn State, has coordinating experience at Boston College in 2022 and Rutgers from 2004-06. He also has coached quarterbacks in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Tennessee Titans, and has additional college coaching experience at Connecticut, Penn State, and Notre Dame.

  • McNulty will begin his new role with Michigan State on Tuesday, February 11, 2026.
  • Bajakian left the Spartans to join the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, February 2, 2026.

The players

John McNulty

The new quarterbacks coach for Michigan State football, McNulty has extensive experience as both an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the college and professional levels.

Mike Bajakian

The former Michigan State quarterbacks coach who left the Spartans to join the NFL's Cleveland Browns.

Pat Fitzgerald

The head coach of the Michigan State football team who hired McNulty to replace Bajakian.

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What they’re saying

“We wanted someone with coordinating experience, similar to Jake (Bajakian) to add to the room. Offensively, someone with quarterback (coaching) background experience. That speaks for itself with John McNulty.”

— Pat Fitzgerald, Head Coach, Michigan State Football (Detroit Free Press)

“I'm really happy for Jake (Bajakian), and I'm thankful he was on planes, trains and automobiles all over the country seeing quarterbacks, flights canceled, flights delayed. I mean, he grinded.”

— Pat Fitzgerald, Head Coach, Michigan State Football (Detroit Free Press)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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