Michigan State's hiring of Mike Bajakian as QBs coach now solidified

Mike Bajakian‘s plans to join Michigan State’s football coaching staff as quarterbacks coach on Pat Fitzgerald’s staff have become solidified. SpartanMag has learned that Bajakian has signed on to become part of the Michigan State football coaching staff, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Bajakian is a well-travelled assistant coach with a strong resume. He has extensive experience as a quarterbacks coach in both college and the NFL. In addition to being a proven position coach, Bajakian also has more than a decade of experience as an offensive coordinator.

Prior to serving as the offensive coordinator at UMass (2025) and interim offensive coordinator at Utah (2024), Bajakian held the same role under Fitzgerald at Northwestern, where he also coached quarterbacks. Bajakian joined Fitzgerald’s staff at Northwestern after serving as the offensive coordinator at Boston College in 2019. That one-year stint at Boston College followed a four-year run with with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Bajakian coached quarterbacks.

While he was with Tampa Bay, Bajakian was instrumental in the development of Jameis Winston in his role as quarterbacks coach under offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. During Bajakian’s first season working with Winston, the former Florida State star set Tampa Bay rookie records for passing yards, touchdowns, completions, and passer rating. In year two, Winston set franchise records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. Winston was also the youngest player in NFL history to throw 50 touchdown passes.

Before working with Winston in Tampa Bay, Bajakian served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Tennessee under Butch Jones. While at Tennessee, he was instrumental in the development of NFL draft pick Joshua Dobbs. During his final year at Tennessee in 2014, Michigan State offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan worked under Bajakian as a graduate assistant working with quarterbacks at Tennessee.

Bajakian followed Jones to Tennessee from Cincinnati where he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2010-2012. Prior to running the offense at Cincinnati, Bajakian served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Central Michigan (2007-2009) under Jones.

Bajakian is a New Jersey native, who played college football at Williams College in Massachusetts. After his days as a collegiate quarterback, he coached quarterbacks at New Jersey prep school Delbarton for two seasons.  

After Delbartan, Bajakian broke into college coaching as a graduate assistant at Rutgers (1998-2000) and Michigan (2000-2001). He was hired as quarterbacks coach at Central Michigan working under Mike DeBord (2002-2003). After working with quarterbacks at CMU, spent three seasons with the Chicago Bears, where he served as an offensive quality control coach before coaching wide receivers.

PAUL’S TAKE: I have received quite a few text messages over the last few days asking me what I think about Michigan State hiring of Bajakian as quarterbacks coach. Some of the Spartan fans I have spoken with are not overly enamored with the move.

I feel quite differently than those fans. In his role as a quarterbacks coach, Bajakian checks off the biggest box needed at the position. His track record for developing quarterbacks exceptional. He has had success bringing out the best in a wide range of quarterbacks in both college and the NFL.

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Jameis Winston with the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Bajakian is the guy that then Bucs offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter tasked with helping the Heisman Trophy winner from Florida State make a successful transition to the pro game.

During his time at Northwestern, Bajakian worked his magic on Indiana transfer Peyton Ramsey, who garnered All-Big Ten recognition as a senior. During his time as an assistant at Tennessee, Bajakian was instrumental in the develop of Joshua Dobbs, who established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC before being selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. Before working with Winston at Tampa Bay and Dobbs at Tennessee, Bajakian played a role in the development of Dan LeFevre at Central Michigan.

Beyond a strong track record for player development, the familiarity that Bajakian has with Michigan State offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, who worked under him as a graduate assistant at Tennessee, will benefit the entire Spartan quarterback room as they strive to learn an new offense this off-season. That’s a big deal in my opinion. And if he didn’t work well with Sheridan, Bajakian wouldn’t be part of the Michigan State coaching staff. A strong working relationship between offensive coordinator and his quarterbacks coach will benefit the entire Spartan offense.