Max Bullough, the oldest of the Bulloughs, is remembered fondly by the MSU fanbase not only for his name but also for his play as an All-American linebacker. Twelve years after his senior day, he will run out of the Spartan Stadium tunnel once again — this time as a coach. Bullough is expected to return to East Lansing as linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator on head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s staff, according to multiple reports.

Bullough will look to help restore a winning culture at MSU, one he helped build as a player under former head coach Mark Dantonio. He finished his career with a 42-12 record from 2010-13. Those seasons included Big Ten titles in 2010 and 2013, along with another championship appearance in 2011, when the Spartans fell to Wisconsin.

The peak of the run came in 2013 — Bullough’s senior year — when the Spartans finished the regular season 11-1 with a perfect 8-0 record in Big Ten play. They then beat undefeated No. 2 Ohio State 34-24 in the Big Ten Championship, earning a trip to the 100th Rose Bowl. MSU capped the year with a 24-20 win over Stanford, giving Dantonio arguably his best season in East Lansing at 13-1.

After his college career, Bullough spent five years in the NFL after going undrafted before finding his calling in coaching. He started as a graduate assistant at Cincinnati in 2019 before joining Alabama from 2020-22 in the same role under legendary coach Nick Saban, winning a national championship in 2020.

In 2023, Bullough moved from one historic program to another when he joined Notre Dame as a graduate assistant. He was later promoted to linebackers coach just one season later.

After three seasons at Notre Dame, Bullough could not resist the opportunity to return home and coach for the program where it all began. Despite being only 33, he brings experience from multiple top-tier programs — and, more importantly, a deep understanding of what it means to be a Spartan.

Bullough would be the third coaching hire on Fitzgerald’s staff, following reports on Dec. 6 that defensive coordinator Joe Rossi and safeties coach James Adams are expected to be retained.

Rossi has become a familiar name in the Big Ten, having spent 13 seasons in the conference. His Big Ten career began in 2012 as a special teams coordinator at Rutgers.

He has spent the last two seasons with the Spartans as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach after being hired by former head coach Jonathan Smith. Rossi was also named the interim head coach for a little more than 24 hours between Smith’s firing and Fitzgerald’s hiring.

Rossi quickly became a fan favorite in the second half of the season when he moved from the press box to the sideline. His emotion on the field provided a spark for the defense, which improved over the final five games.

The unit allowed an average of 26 points in that stretch, compared to 32.7 through the first seven games. That late-season surge helped solidify his case to stay on staff.

Adams will enter just his second season at MSU after being hired away from Wake Forest in January 2025, following a three-year stint at his alma mater.

With the defensive coaching staff taking shape, attention now turns to the offense — most notably, who will be named offensive coordinator.