CONFIRMED: Fitzgerald hires former Northwestern offensive coordinator - Mike Bajakian - as MSU's QB coach

Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald is once again turning to a familiar and trusted voice, hiring his formeroffensive coordinator at Northwestern, Mike Bajakian, as the Spartans’ new quarterbacks coach. Spartans Illustrated can confirm the hire, which was first reported by Matt Fortuna.

The move reunites Fitzgerald with a highly experienced offensive assistant from his time at Northwestern, where Bajakian served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2020 through 2023. During that stretch, the two helped guide the Wildcats through one of the most successful periods of Fitzgerald’s tenure, highlighted by a Big Ten West title and a Citrus Bowl victory during the 2020 season.

Bajakian coached the Wildcats with Fitzgerald for three seasons, before serving under head coach David Braun in 2023.

As mentioned, Bajakian played a central role in Northwestern’s 2020 breakthrough season, when the Wildcats finished 7–2 to earn a spot in the Big Ten Championship game. NU defeated Auburn in the Citrus Bowl, and ended the year ranked No. 10 in the final Associated Press Top-25 poll. 

While Bajakian’s time with Fitzgerald formally ended after the 2022 season, his offensive track record continued to grow. In 2023, Northwestern finished 8–5 and won the Las Vegas Bowl.

He then spent the 2024 season at Utah, finishing the year as the Utes’ interim offensive coordinator/interim quarterbacks coach.

Most recently, Bajakian was named as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Massachusetts in January 2025 and served in that role for the Minutemen this past season.

Bajakian brings an extensive and diverse resume to East Lansing. Prior to Northwestern, he served as offensive coordinator at Boston College in 2019, where the Eagles led the ACC in rushing offense and ranked third among Power Five teams. Other collegiate stops include Central Michigan and Cincinnati and and Tennessee. While at CMU, Bajakian's offenses won multiple conference championships and set more than 30 school records. He also helped lead the Bearcats to back-to-back conference championships.

He spent the early parts of his career at Rutgers and Sacred Heart.

His experience extends well beyond the college game, as he has also had multiple stints in the NFL. Bajakian spent four seasons as the quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2015 to 2018, working closely with quarterback Jameis Winston during the early years of his NFL career. Under Bajakian’s guidance, Winston earned the 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year award and became the first quarterback in league history to throw for 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons. 

Additionally, Bajakian was an offensive quality control assistant and wide receivers coach for the Chicago Bears from 2004 through 2006.

For Michigan State, the hire represents the desire to construct a staff with diverse experience, Midwest ties, and relationships. Fitzgerald has consistently valued trust and familiarity when building his staff, and Bajakian’s return underscores an emphasis on quarterback development. Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan — who is an accomplished quarterbacks coach in his own right — can focus on the offense as a whole, while the quarterbacks have a dedicated position coach in Bajakian.

With experience at every level of the game — from Power Five programs to the NFL — Bajakian enters East Lansing as a seasoned teacher capable of guiding Michigan State’s quarterbacks through both growth and transition.