Jonathan Smith explains enjoyable aspects of rebuilding a team

Jonathan Smith has a rebuild on his hands in East Lansing after becoming the head coach at Michigan State this offseason. It’s a far better process for everyone, though, when they’re all bought in to it like the Spartans apparently are.

Smith spoke about the work within their program during his postgame press conference after their Spring Showcase in mid-April. He explained how every coach enjoys the development aspect of their team, both individually and collectively. That’s then even better for the staff when the players themselves are also all in on that effort.

“Yeah, I will say I think that’s why you coach is you enjoy improvement and the process that takes,” said Smith.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Smith said. “I enjoy, this coaching staff enjoys that process of improvement and development. Especially working with a group – these guys like football. They like being around it, they like practicing, they like studying it.”

“As a coach, you kind of enjoy that part,” said Smith.

Smith and the Spartans have had a lot to do over the past few months. That comes with any new career opportunity, especially for one with a team that went 4-8 last year and 9-15 over the past two and specifically one that’s coming out of a tenure that ended in a scandal.

Part of that was what took place for Michigan State on the recruiting trail. The team did lose 36 players via the transfer portal. They also had to rework their freshman class after the dismissal of Mel Tucker.

However, the Spartans, heading into the summer, have 37 new players coming in. 17 arrive from the portal while 20 more will join from their recruiting class.

Their portal commitments make up the No. 53 group in On3’s 2024 Team Transfer Portal Rankings. Only three of those transfers came with Smith from Oregon State. That includes their biggest get in QB Aiden Chiles, the No. 31 overall transfer and No. 7 QB in On3’s 2024 Transfer Portal Top Players. They also add in the No. 43 collection of freshmen per On3’s 2024 Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings. WR Nick Marsh is the bunch’s best as a Top-175 prospect and Top-30 WR out of River Rouge, Michigan.

There’s been plenty to do at Michigan State since Smith took the job and was officially introduced at the end of November. Now that much of that is done, though, they can all get down to making themselves the best team that they can be come the start of his first season this fall.