College Football Coach With $33 Million Buyout Fired

The college football coaching carousel is rolling fast and furiously on Sunday. Three SEC programs hired new leaders, and other major conference schools are making changes as well.

According to multiple reports, Michigan State has fired head coach Jonathan Smith after two seasons. ESPN's Pete Thamel broke the news a short time ago; as a result of the move, the Spartans are on the hook for a substantial amount of money.

Smith owed more than $30 million

Smith, 46, was hired by MSU after six seasons at his alma mater Oregon State, where he closed out his tenure with three consecutive winning campaigns.

However, that success did not carry over to East Lansing. Michigan State went 5-7 in 2024 and 4-8 this fall, including a 1-8 mark in Big Ten play.

Despite his struggles, Smith is still set up well financially. His buyout from Michigan State is a reported $33 million, plus an additional three months of continuing health care benefits.

However, per 247Sports, Smith is "obligated to make a reasonable effort to seek new employment - which would partially offset MSU's financial obligations with the buyout."

Spartans' struggles continue

From 2010-15, Michigan State was one of the top programs in the country under Mark Dantonio, posting five seasons of 11 or more wins, including three Big Ten titles, one College Football Playoff appearance and a trip to the Rose Bowl.

After a 3-9 slipup in 2016, MSU rebounded to go 10-3 with a Holiday Bowl win in 2017. However, since then, consistent winning has been hard to come by in East Lansing.

Dantonio posted 7-6 marks in his final two seasons, and while his replacement Mel Tucker went 11-2 with a Peach Bowl victory in 2021, his second campaign at the school, Tucker was fired amid sexual harassment allegations in 2023.

Since 2018, Michigan State is 45-49 overall, including a 27-43 record in the Big Ten.