Pat Fitzgerald to retain tight ends coach Brian Wozniak at Michigan State

On Sunday night, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Michigan State tight ends coach Brian Wozniak will reprise his position on newly announced head coach Pat Fitzgerald's staff in 2026. Spartans Illustrated can also confirm this news.

After nine total seasons at Oregon State, including five seasons as the Beavers' tight ends coach from 2018 through 2023, Wozniak followed head coach Jonathan Smith from Corvallis to East Lansing to serve as both tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator for the Spartans. Smith hired Wozniak at MSU in December of 2023.

However, following a 4-8 (1-8 in Big Ten) 2025 season, Smith was fired by Michigan State on Nov. 30, and Fitzgerald was hired one day later, on Dec. 1. It was initially unclear who Fitzgerald would keep from Smith's staff during the program's transitional period, but Wozniak, defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, safeties coach James Adams and wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins have each been retained. On the support staff side, Fitzgerald also retained Kurt Richardson as director of player engagement.

The 32-year-old Wozniak served as a graduate assistant for two years at Oregon State from 2015 through 2017. He also spent under a year as an offensive quality control analyst for the Beavers from December 2017 until July of 2018 before taking over as OSU's tight ends coach.

Fitzgerald evidently likes what Wozniak brings to the table. Under Wozniak, while the tight end group as a whole has had its ups and downs, the position has experienced many bright spots at Michigan State.

Senior tight end Jack Velling hauled in 36 receptions 359 yards and three touchdowns in 2025 on his way to third-team All-Big Ten honors. Velling followed Smith and Wozniak from Oregon State to Michigan State ahead of the 2024 season, and compiled 36 catches for 411 yards and one touchdown that year. In 2023 with the Beavers, under Wozniak's tutelage, Velling earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors. He set a new OSU single-season record for receiving touchdowns (eight) by a Beaver tight end that year, and amassed 29 receptions for 438 yards.

Tight end Michael Masunas also was productive for the Spartans under Wozniak's instruction, as both a pass-catcher and blocker. Masunsas finished the 2025 campaign with 19 receptions for 232 yards and three touchdowns. An injury limited his 2024 season to just four games, but he recorded four receptions for 37 yards in those four contests.

Wozniak has seen success on the recruiting trail and transfer portal as well. He brought in three star-prospect Jayden Savoury — who played in four games as a true freshman and recorded a 16-yard reception — in the 2025 class. He also signed three-star recruit Wyatt Hook in the 2024 class. In the 2026 class, Wozniak was a crucial figure in the Spartans signing four-star tight end Joey Caudill and highly-coveted three-star Eddie Whiting. Through the transfer portal, Wozniak has brought in Velling, the top-ranked tight end in 2024 transfer class, and for the 2025 season, he brought in Kai Rios through the portal as well. Rios caught a touchdown in the 2025 season finale win over Maryland.

Two tight ends who Wozniak has coached have been drafted into the NFL thus far. These players are Luke Musgrave in 2023, who was a second-round pick for the Green Bay Packers, and Teagan Quitoriano, who was a fifth-round pick for the Houston Texans in 2022.

An Ohio native with Midwest ties, Wozniak played four years at tight end at the University of Wisconsin from 2009 through 2013. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons in 2013, but never played in a game.

It is currently unclear whether Wozniak will also hold the same role of recruiting coordinator on Fitzgerald’s staff.