Why Jonathan Smith must be a calming presence for Michigan State

The Michigan State Spartans recently went out and got the man they want to lead their football program for the next few years. Former Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith has a proven track record of turning around struggling programs. He did that with the Beavers in Corvallis and fans are hoping for the same in East Lansing.

On the Thursday night edition of the Andy Staples show, Jason Killop of SpartanMag.com broke down why Jonathan Smith must be a calming presence for the Spartans.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what the program needs. No doubt about it. And back to Harlon Barnett and Courtney Hawkins. I think they help keep that calmness in there. The players really do bond with those two guys and the players that were already on the roster know them well. Smith has come in and I think Barnett and Hawkins keep a level of calmness in there. And like you said that’s much needed in East Lansing right now,” Killop said.

Jonathan Smith eager to learn history of MSU program

New Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith says that he’s eager to dive in and learn more about the history of the Spartans’ program.

One of the questions that some have about Smith is that he lacks direct ties to Michigan State and the Midwest. So, at his introductory press conference, he was asked about those lack of ties, if he’s going to study the program’s history, and if it even matters when looking toward the future.

“Definitely important,” Jonathan Smith said. “[I] definitely want to dive in and learn. I continue to learn more and more each day.”

Jonathan Smith is coming over from Oregon State, the school he once led as a quarterback. He knew everything there was to know about Oregon State and he also firmly believes that knowing history is beneficial.

“I’ll say it this way, just thinking of the former players and understanding the big-time players, the history, and championships that were won here, is important for me to learn, but also make sure we have engaging, welcoming back former players, I look back to learning that part.”

One thing that Michigan State does boast is a long and illustrious history. The Spartans have six claimed national championships and 11 conference title wins. However, the last of those national titles was in 1966 and the program would like to get back to that point.

On3’s Dan Morrison also contributed to this article.