Michigan State expected to hire Alabama's Nick Sheridan as offensive coordinator
Sheridan most recently served as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Alabama.
Michigan State head football coach Pat Fitzgerald is expected to hire Nick Sheridan as offensive coordinator, sources tell Spartans Illustrated. As Fitzgerald —who was hired by MSU on Dec. 1 — continues to build out his first staff in East Lansing for 2026, the offensive coordinator role is a crucial hire. Sheridan is the choice, and now the Spartans can work to fill offensive position coaching roles.
The 37-year-old Sheridan currently serves as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Alabama — a team that was selected for the College Football Playoff —under head coach Kalen DeBoer for the 2025 season. Alabama defeated Oklahoma 34-24 in a CFP first-round game on Friday. Sources tell Spartans Illustrated that Sheridan will continue to work as Alabama’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach while the Crimson Tide remain in the College Football Playoff.
According to sources, it is to be determined whether or not Sheridan will also coach MSU's quarterbacks.
Sheridan works alongside offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb with the Crimson Tide in 2025. In 2024, Sheridan served as Alabama's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Under Sheridan's guidance in 2024, the Crimson Tide's offense averaged 33.8 points per game, which ranked third in the SEC and 22nd nationally.
Prior to his stint at Alabama, Sheridan was on DeBoer's staff at Washington as tight ends coach in 2022 and 2023. The Huskies made the national championship game in 2023, but lost to Michigan. In 2022, UW lead the nation in passing offense (369.8 yards per game), and in 2023, the Huskies ranked second nationally in that category (343.7 yards per game).
Sheridan coached under head coach Tom Allen at Indiana for five seasons from 2017 through 2021. He began his tenure in Bloomington as quarterbacks coach in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, Sheridan made the transition to coaching tight ends, while DeBoer worked as IU's offensive coordinator. In 2020, with DeBoer taking over as head coach for Fresno State, the Hoosiers promoted Sheridan to the role of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He also served in that same role in the 2021 season.
Additionally, Sheridan helped to develop quarterback Michael Penix Jr. while at IU. Penix became a Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist and second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2021. He led the Big Ten with 274.2 passing yards per game that year. Penix was also the starting quarterback at Washington under DeBoer and Sheridan. Penix now plays in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons.
Before coaching at Indiana, Sheridan spent three seasons as an offensive graduate at Tennessee from 2014 through 2016 under head coach Butch Jones. While with the Volunteers in 2016, Sheridan worked with quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who went on to be selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In 2013, Sheridan served as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Willie Taggart at South Florida. He served in the same role under Taggart in 2012 at Western Kentucky, and also worked as a graduate assistant for the Hilltoppers in 2011.
In 2010, Sheridan began his coaching career as quarterbacks coach at his alma mater, Saline High School.
As a player, Sheridan walked on to Michigan as a quarterback in 2006, and he earned a scholarship prior to his junior year. He appeared in 12 games in 2008, with four starts. Sheridan earned a bachelor's degree in political science from U-M in 2010.
Sheridan's father, Bill Sheridan, is a longtime veteran coach who currently works for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars as a senior defensive assistant. Bill Sheridan coached Michigan State's linebackers under Nick Saban in 1998 and 1999, as well as in 2000 under Bobby Williams.