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Michigan State

Michigan State hires Jon Dykema from Detroit Lions as executive senior associate AD

by:Alex Byington•02/19/25•

_AlexByington

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith

Michigan State has hired Detroit Lions director of football compliance and lead counsel Jon Dykema as its new executive senior assoicate athletic director and student-athlete management and assistant general counsel for the Spartans entire athletic department, the program announced Wednesday morning.

In the newly created position, Dykema is expected to play a pivotal role in drafting, managing and negotiating contracts for the Michigan State athletic program. That is expected to include, but is not limited to, contracts relating to sponsorships, commerical partnerships, NIL agreements, media rights and employee contracts, among other things. Dykema is also expected to work “collaboratively with MSU coaches, administratiors and student-athletes to understand their needs and provide effective contract solutions, while also ensuring compliance with recent legal rulings and NCAA regulations,” according to the team’s press release Wednesday.

“With the constant evolution in college athletics and revenue sharing on the horizon, this is an incredibly important hire for Michigan State athletics,” MSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Alan Haller said in the press release. “Jon brings a wealth of experience working with contracts and the salary cap at the NFL level, where he has played an important role behind the scenes in the Detroit Lions’ success. He will be a great resource to Spartan coaches and administrators as we navigate our new landscape.”

Dykema has spent the past 15 years with the Lions, and was in his fourth as the team’s lead counsel and director of compliance, after previously serving as the manager of football administration from 2016-2021, interim general counsel (2015) and staff counsel (2011-14).

Michigan State hires former Oregon State staffer Jon Boyer as QB coach

Michigan State has hired Oregon State tight ends coach Jon Boyer as its next quarterbacks coach, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Boyer spent six seasons at Oregon State, five of which were under current Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith.

This past season was Boyer’s first as the team’s tight ends coach. He previously served as Oregon State’s quality control coach and senior advisor on offense.

In the 2024 campaign, Oregon State tight end Jermaine Terry II was the Beavers’ second-leading receiver with 23 receptions for 375 yards. During his time at Oregon State, Boyer also mentored standouts such as quarterbacks DJ Uiagalelei and Jake Luton.

Before serving at Oregon State, Boyer spent six seasons as Northern Colorado‘s offensive coordinator. While there, Boyer mentored quarterback Seth Lobato, who broke nearly every passing record in program history.

Now, he’ll look to bring his vast knowledge of the game to East Lansing. The Spartans finished with a 5-7 record in Smith’s first season at the helm. Aidan Chiles was the team’s starting quarterback, completing 59.4% of his pass attempts for 2,415 yards and 13 touchdowns while throwing 11 interceptions this past season.

Boyer is already familiar with Chiles’ game. The sophomore QB spent his freshman season in 2023 at Oregon State before following Smith to Michigan State. The Spartans will also welcome three-star freshman Leo Hannan to the quarterback room this offseason.

Jon Boyer will take over for Brian Lindgren, who spent last season as Michigan State’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. Lindgren will remain Michigan State’s offensive coordinator.

On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this report.