Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi is back for his third season with the Spartans; he was one of the few coaches retained from the previous staff. With Rossi’s return, it appears the defense is ahead of schedule this spring and continues to make progress with all the new personnel.
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Rossi met with local media on Tuesday to discuss how spring practices are going so far and highlights some positives from what he’s seen on the defensive side of the ball. Here are some of the highlights from Rossi’s media availability session this week:
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Rossi stated that he is excited to return for another season at Michigan State and noted that he expects great things with the new coaching staff.
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Rossi said “we will win here, we will have great defenses here.”
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Rossi added that he had some opportunities at other Big Ten schools, but was “adamant” about wanting to return to Michigan State under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald.
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Rossi said he will remain on the sidelines during next season’s games; He went from being in the coach’s box to being on the sidelines midway through last season.
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Rossi praised new co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Max Bullough: “Coach Bullough brings energy, enthusiasm, he has the pedigree, he knows what it’s like to be a Spartan. I wanted to come back here, I was excited.”
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Rossi went on to say that the entire defensive coaching staff is bringing the “juice” now.
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Rossi praised linebacker captain Jordan Hall, saying he loves how he plays and his overall handling of the game.
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Rossi’s full quote about Hall, courtesy of Emmett Matasovsky of Spartan Shadow: “I love the way Jordan Hall plays. He wants to play well, he wants to win, he wants to be coached. He wants to grow, he’s been that way from the beginning. I came in with a list of things he needs to improve on, and it resonated. I like those people.”
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Rossi mentioned a trio of young players as potential playmakers this upcoming season: “Derrick Simmons has great potential, Mikeshun Beeler is the same, he dealt with injuries last year. He adds athleticism and tightness. Brady Pretzlaff has been doing some good things.”
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Rossi said the Spartans landed some “good transfers” this offseason. He specifically called out Michael Richard, Devin Vaught and Kenny Soares Jr.
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Rossi declined the opportunity to compare this year’s team to last year’s, saying: “It’s a different group. We have a lot of new players, new coaches, new culture.”
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Rossi mentioned the importance of getting veteran safety Nikai Martínez back for another season. He added that he could have left for another opportunity, but that he loves Michigan State.
Also, here’s a video of the full press conference, courtesy of SpartanMag:
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: What MSU DC Joe Rossi said about spring practice and the defense’s progression.