#program-rebuilding

#program-rebuilding

Williams, 56, has an extensive background coaching at the high school, college, NFL and international levels, including time with Hawaii, Washington, San Jose State and the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also served as Yale's head coach from 2009-2011. He resigned late in 2011 amid controversy after admitting he made a false claim that he had applied for a Rhodes scholarship and was a finalist while at Stanford.

Fitzgerald will make $5 million guaranteed in his first year and will be paid at least $500,000 more in each of the following four seasons. If he helps Michigan State win seven games in any of his first three seasons, an extra year and $500,000 will be added to his contract. If the Spartans simply win six games or more in the regular season, he will earn a $500,000 bonus; seven wins would give him an additional $1 million and an eight-win season would trigger a $1.5 million bonus.

A year before Virginia Tech came as close as it ever has to winning a national championship, it installed an empty trophy case in its football facility. The idea, the program's leadership believed, was that the case would eventually be filled. Frank Beamer had built the Hokies into a power, Michael Vick turned the program into a national brand, and championships were sure to follow.