Jonathan Smith addresses Michigan State players wanting new culture

Things fell apart in rapid succession for the Michigan State football team in 2023. Then-head coach Mel Tucker was suspended after Week 2 then shown the door shortly thereafter, and the product on the field started to reflect the dysfunction off it.

Enter Jonathan Smith, the new head coach in East Lansing, and his first big task: Resetting the culture that had been worn down and washed away. Fortunately for Smith, though, the players who he inherited at Michigan State wanted a new perspective and shine on things.

“I felt the response from a lot of the guys that they were looking for a fresh start, kind of a different direction,” Smith said at Big Ten Media Days. “They were receptive. Again, I think as time goes on opportunity and our approach and the consistency of it, those that’ll be here for the long haul will improve and develop.”

And the cultural issues that Smith showed up and addressed weren’t anything the players that accompanied him to Big Ten Media Days shied away from, either.

Defensive back Dillon Tatum explained the situation bluntly, from his perspective.

“Compared to last fall? Last fall, I felt like we didn’t — my personal feeling, I don’t think we liked each other a lot. So that was a big deal over the summer, being able to like each other as teammates and give in and trust in one another is a big deal. So, I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that so far. We’re going to keep doing that in camp, because camp is an all-day thing, every day. So we’re going to have to be around each other a lot.” 

And the work to repair and rebuild a culture in East Lansing — and making one that can win — is something Tatum said everyone at Michigan State was intentional about.

“So in the weight room, we had five teams within our team. With the usual football players like myself, competitions help build relationships, help build trust with one another, that’s what we did all summer,” Tatum said. “My team ended up winning the summer, just gotta put that out there.” 

All the work, too, has a purpose: Getting Michigan State back to winning ways on the football field.

“Winning more than we lose,” Smith said of Year 1 expectations. “Playing our best football at the end of the year. We want to be in a constant state of improvement. And so, the approach, or process, if that is right, we will be playing our best football at the end of the year. You know, Week 1, you want to improve in Week 2, right? A lot of things to clean up. Well, you keep that process going. Getting to Game 12, and you’re hoping to be playing in meaningful games in November, playing your best football.”