(BCNN) -- Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Pat Fitzgerald has returned to the Big Ten spotlight. Michigan State University announced Monday that one of the conference’s winningest coaches will take over as the Spartans’ 27th head football coach, signaling a bold new era in East Lansing.

Fitzgerald, who won 110 games over 17 seasons at Northwestern, brings a résumé that includes 10 bowl appearances, five AP Top 25 finishes, and two trips to the Big Ten Championship Game. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2018 and won the prestigious Dodd Trophy in 2020 after leading the Wildcats to a No. 10 national ranking and a Citrus Bowl victory over Auburn.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era for Michigan State Football,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics J Batt. “Pat Fitzgerald is widely recognized as an exceptional football coach, whose teams play with extreme toughness and grit. His incredible passion will resonate throughout Spartan Nation.”

Fitzgerald’s 110 career wins rank 14th all-time among Big Ten coaches, while his five bowl victories tie him for 12th in league history. His return to the sidelines comes with the promise of restoring tradition and injecting grit into a program hungry for stability and success.

“I am honored to be named the head football coach at Michigan State University,” Fitzgerald said. “This is a program with a deep and storied tradition, a passionate fan base, and a commitment to excellence. We will restore tradition, and I’m eager to earn the trust of our players, alumni, and fans while competing at the highest level.”

Fitzgerald’s coaching career began after his legendary playing days at Northwestern, where he was twice named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and became the only two-time consensus All-American in school history. He won the Nagurski and Bednarik Awards twice, the Lambert Trophy in 1996, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

His tenure at Northwestern was marked not only by wins but by academic excellence. The Wildcats earned seven AFCA Academic Achievement Awards under his leadership, and in 2019 became the first Power 5 program to post a perfect 100 percent Graduation Success Rate. Fitzgerald’s teams embodied resilience on and off the field.

Michigan State President Kevin M. Guskiewicz praised the hire, saying, “Pat Fitzgerald is a proven leader who understands the full mission of intercollegiate athletics—competitive excellence, academic achievement, and holistic development. His track record of building disciplined, resilient teams makes him an exceptional fit for Michigan State.”

The hire requires formal approval from the MSU Board of Trustees on Dec. 12, but Spartan fans are already buzzing. For Fitzgerald, this is more than a comeback — it’s a rebirth. After years of defining toughness in Evanston, he now takes the reins in East Lansing, ready to prove that his fire still burns and that Michigan State can rise again under his command.