Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith announces six assistant coaches, off-field hires

New Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith is relying heavily on his former staff at Oregon State.

Smith on Thursday morning officially announced six of his 10 on-field assistants, along with a handful of support staffers, are coming with him from the Beavers.

As previously reported, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren, offensive line coach/run game coordinator Jim Michalczik, running backs coach/assistant head coach Keith Bhonapha, tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator Brian Wozniak and secondary coach Blue Adams are now with the Spartans. The newest addition is defensive line coach Legi Suiaunoa.

Smith is also filling out his off-field staff with those he worked with at Oregon State in head strength and conditioning coach Mike McDonald, chief of staff Dan Van Riet, general manager Cole Moore, director of recruiting and player relations Michael Doctor and director of recruiting communications Austin D’Armond.

All of these new staff members must complete the university hiring process. Smith, who was named the new head coach on Nov. 25 and agreed to a seven-year deal worth $52.85 million, still has to be formally approved by Michigan State’s Board of Trustees.

Smith, who spent the previous six seasons coaching Oregon State, his alma mater, has four on-field staff members left to hire with defensive coordinator the top spot remaining. He could also retain members of former coach Mel Tucker’s staff – secondary coach Harlon Barnett and wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins the most likely options – but already has a group in place with the early signing period two weeks away.

“This is an experienced staff with a proven track record,” Smith said in a university press release. “They have coached numerous NFL Draft picks and All-Americans while winning championships and bowl games throughout their entire coaching careers. This staff has the ability to find talent and develop players, and they have won at every level of football. They are also an outstanding group as people and will create meaningful relationships with our players. I couldn’t be more excited to continue working with this excellent staff of coaches and welcome their families to East Lansing.”

Lindgren, a former quarterback at Idaho, made coaching stops at Redlands, Northern Arizona, San Jose State and Colorado before spending the last six seasons coaching quarterbacks and running Oregon State’s offense. He helped revive quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei’s career and the former Clemson transfer threw for 2,638 yards and 21 touchdowns before entering the portal last week.

Michigan State has an opening at quarterback after all three scholarship players at the position – Noah Kim, Katin Houser and Sam Leavitt – entered the portal. Aiden Chiles, a former four-star prospect who played well as a true freshman this season for the Beavers before also entering the portal, is scheduled to visit Michigan State on Saturday, according to 247Sports.

“Brian has an established offensive identity as a play caller for the past 15 seasons,” Smith said in the press release. “He also has an impressive track record of finding and developing talent. He has mentored several quarterbacks who have experienced tremendous success at this level.”

Bhonapha was a defensive back at Hawaii and he coached at his alma mater before stops as the running backs coach at Boise State, Washington, Boise State again in 2022 and then spent this season leading Smith’s backfield while also serving as assistant head coach.

“Keith Bhonapha is an experienced, proven coach who has been a part of championship teams and has developed some very productive running backs that have gone on to the NFL,” Smith said. “I have been on three different coaching staffs with Keith and I am very impressed with his football knowledge and expertise. He fully understands what we’re trying to accomplish on the offensive side of the ball, and also has extensive experience coaching special teams.”

Michalczik, who was an offensive lineman at Washington State, has more than three decades of coaching experience in college and the NFL while serving in a variety of roles. He won a national championship coaching Miami’s defensive line in 1991 and had stops at Montana State, Oregon State, California, the Oakland Raiders, Cal again, Arizona and then back to Oregon State for the last six seasons. In addition to coaching the offensive line, he was Smith’s run game coordinator.

“Jim Michalczik is one of the best offensive line coaches in the country,” Smith said. “I’ve known Jim since my playing days. He has consistently produced some of the most tough and physical offensive lines in the nation. He will develop players at an extremely high level – the results have proven that during his entire coaching career.”

Adams was a defensive back at Cincinnati who was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round in 2003 and appeared in 50 career games while splitting time with the Jaguars, Buccaneers and Bengals. He was a graduate assistant at Purdue and coached at Northern Iowa, with the Miami Dolphins, West Virginia and South Florida before serving as Oregon State’s secondary coach the last five seasons.

“Blue Adams has done an excellent job mentoring and developing defensive backs on our staff the last five years,” Smith said. “He has coached multiple NFL Draft picks and gained valuable experience both playing and coaching in the NFL. He has learned from some of the top coaches in the game, and his emphasis on technique and fundamentals has led to our secondary playing fast and physical while also creating takeaways. Coach Adams is also an excellent recruiter and creates strong player relationships.”

Wozniak, an Ohio native, was a starting tight end and three-time Big Ten champion at Wisconsin who joined the Oregon State staff in 2015 as a graduate assistant, then served as an offensive quality control analyst before being named tight ends coach in 2018.

“Brian is familiar with the Big Ten and has Midwest roots,” Smith said. “He has developed some of the best tight ends in the Pac-12 over the past few years, including two NFL Draft selections (Luke Musgrave and Teagan Quitoriano). Brian has a deep understanding of our offensive scheme and has also done an excellent job for us as our recruiting coordinator.”

Suiaunoa, a former linebacker at Nevada, has more than two decades of coaching experience and began his career in the JUCO ranks before serving as a graduate assistant at his alma mater. That was followed by stops at Western Washington, Eastern Oregon, Portland State, Montana and Hawaii before spending the last six seasons coaching Smith’s defensive line at Oregon State.

“Legi helped develop one of the best defensive lines in Pac-12,” Smith said. “His players are physical at the point of attack and create pressure on the quarterback while stopping the run. I have tremendous respect for Coach Suiaunoa not only as a coach, but as a great person who will help mentor our players on and off the field.”

McDonald, a former defensive lineman at Purdue, started his strength and conditioning career at his alma mater before stops at Washington State, Boise State and Washington and then spent the last six seasons at Oregon State.

Van De Riet spent 20 years on staff at Oregon State, including the last six seasons as Smith’s chief of staff and director of football operations. His time with the Beavers was interrupted by a three-year run as associate athletic director for football operations at Nebraska.

Moore served as Smith’s director of player personnel the last two seasons with the Beavers and, as his new general manager, will oversee Michigan State’s roster management and recruiting strategies. He previously worked on staff at Texas, Montana State and Washington.

Doctor, a former Oregon State defensive back, spent the last three years as director of recruiting for the Beavers. D’Armond was Oregon State’s assistant director of recruiting the last two seasons.