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 Michigan State Adds Two New Position Coaches
Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith looks on from the sideline during the third quarter in the game against Rutgers on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State football announced the addition of two position coaches to the staff on Monday.

Spartans coach Jonathan Smith will gain some help at the quarterback position as he added former Oregon State staffer Jon Boyer as the new quarterbacks coach.

Boyer was on Smith’s staff for three seasons as a quality control coach at Oregon State before getting promoted to tight end coach when Smith left for East Lansing last offseason.

On the defensive side of the ball, Smith added James Adams, who will join the staff as a safeties coach.

Adams will work alongside Blue Adams, Michigan State's secondary coach. Smith needed to bring in a new coach for the defensive secondary after the departure of Demetrice Martin, the former cornerbacks coach who took a new job at UCLA this offseason. 

Adams spent the last three seasons as the safeties coach for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, where he developed two players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Adams will be working with a veteran group in 2025, led by safeties  Dillon Tatum and Nakai Martinez. 

Tatum has shown to be one of the most coachable players on the defensive end, showing off his versatility in his time as a Spartan.  

Spartans offensive coordinator Brain Lindgren will now have less on his plate as he will no longer have the duties of quarterbacks coach, as he did in 2024. 

This move will open Lindgren to spend more time diversifying the offensive game plan, as the play-calling was too repetitive at times last season.

This is a much-needed jolt for the Spartans’ offense that struggled last season, ranking in the bottom half of the Big Ten in most offensive categories. 

Boyer will spend immense time with Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles, who he is familiar with from their time together at Oregon State. Chiles has shown flashes of greatness as a starter but needs stability in order to get away from the high frequency of turnovers committed. 

The addition of Boyer will also help with the development of the underclassmen at the quarterback position who are waiting next in line. Boyer will be able to help incoming freshman quarterback Leo Hannan, who could very well be the next man up after Chiles.


This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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