Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith did not look like somebody who feels confident about his future at MSU during his weekly Monday

Analyzing whether or not Michigan State will fire Jonathan Smith on Sunday following the team's collapse at Iowa.

Michigan State's Jonathan Smith is the No. 27 highest-paid coach in college football, according to USA TODAY's 2025 compensation survey. The Spartans coach is set to earn a total of $7,350,000, not including bonuses,

Michigan State's Nick Marsh, right, catches a pass as Penn State's Audavion Collins closes in during the third quarter on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, who suffered an early-career losing streak, voiced his support for struggling Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith.

After silence all season, Michigan State athletic director J Batt will have to make his decision whether to keep Jonathan Smith as football coach.

The grit put the 17.5-point underdog Spartans firmly in position to stun the Hawkeyes on senior day at Kinnick Stadium. Instead, Michigan State remains snakebit with the eight straight losses being the program’s most in a row since a defeat to end the 1981 season was followed by seven setbacks to open the next year.

After firing Mel Tucker, Michigan State turned to Jonathan Smith to bring some stability to East Lansing and build the Spartans back into a Big Ten threat.

Michigan State is believed to be heading toward firing Jonathan Smith by the end of the season after a seventh-straight loss.

Michigan State would be on the hook for more than $30 million in a buyout to fire Smith only two seasons into a seven-year, $52.85 million deal. Other than Tom Izzo preaching patience earlier this fall, Smith hasn’t received public support from major powerbrokers.