Michigan State quarterbacks coach Jon Boyer looks on during football practice on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MSU's QB Coach Crucial to Key Element of Chiles' Game

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Aug 9, 2025 4:36 PM ET

Michigan State brought in a couple of new position coaches this offseason, one of whom the staff is very familiar with.

The Spartans added Jon Boyer as their quarterbacks coach this winter. He came over from Oregon State, where he served on Jonathan Smith's staff and worked with junior quarterback Aidan Chiles in his freshman season.

Chiles said back in the spring that the hire "was the best thing to have ever happened to (him)" since coming to Michigan State.

He talked more last week about where Boyer is helping him in his game.

"Adding Boyer to the room is a great addition, for sure," Chiles said. "Just helping me on the mental side, for sure. We do the physical things with the strength staff and stuff on the field, but the mental side is big with Coach Boyer, and I really love that about him because he's real tedious about his work.

"When we get up on the board or talk to him, he's always ready to go. He can talk for hours, and he knows he can too, we kind of make fun of him for it (smiling). But he's a great coach, and he always has something to teach and it's beautiful how much I have learned from him in the past six, seven months. It's just beautiful."

Jon Boyer's presence gives Aidan Chiles the attention he needs

Boyer's addition also gives Chiles the attention he needs for his development, which is something he didn't necessarily have when offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren had to juggle overseeing the offense and serving as quarterbacks coach last season.

"Sometimes, when you're the coordinator and you're the quarterback coach, now you're going over the script or the game plan, and you're kind of neglecting him (Chiles), as far as sometimes in the individual setting from a technique standpoint," Lindgren said. "I think having Jon around has been awesome for him (Chiles), to where he's got access to him all the time, and I think it's really going to help us out this season."

The three of them -- Chiles, Boyer and Lindgren -- can still complement one another, however.

"We're going to have a consistent message, but there are going to be times where either myself, or Aidan and Jon, maybe sees things a little differently," Lindgren said, "and we want to kind of establish that room to where, especially during the practice sessions, if we see something differently, we're going to have those conversations. Ultimately, get to the best thing for that play and that concept, and what Aidan feels really comfortable with."

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