Dantonio-Hecklinski incident at MHSFCA clinic today

Submitted by SpreadGuru on
This morning at the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association clinic, there was a session on recruiting. Dantonio, Michigan Recruiting Coordinator Keff Hecklinski, Wayne State's coach and a few D3 coaches were on the speaking list. The session was to help high school coaches understand how colleges recruit and what to expect.

Dantonio got up and spoke about their season, Cousins, BK Cunningham and MSU. Hecklinski got up and presented how Michigan sets up their recruiting-recruit the state of Michigan first, then the Midwest, and then nationally.

Dantonio then burst in, interrupts Hecklinski and yells, "We're not here to listen to this. Move on!"

Many coaches in the room were stunned and many lost respect for State and Dantonio because of the incident. To Hecklinski's credit, he didn't add to the childish behavior and represented Michigan with class and honor.

Most coaches were stunned but the jealous, anger-filled behavior turned a lot of people off. Other coaches on the panel were visibly bothered by this unprofessional behavior.

M-Wolverine

January 20th, 2012 at 1:53 PM ^

The OP is at the conference, and posting on his mobile using the App. And App posts don't appear on the Board, just the sidebar, because there's no drawndown to designate it for "MGoBoard".  So while it never hurts to look at the side first page, it's understandable.

profitgoblue

January 20th, 2012 at 1:45 PM ^

I've spoken at several conferences and I've never heard of anyone going in without knowing the topic/forum.  So Dantonio saying it was a misunderstanding about the forum is just as damning as him simply admitting that he was out of line, if you ask me.  It shows that he came unprepared to speak to many people in authority positions with respect to recruiting.  Inexcusable.

I will never understand why people can't just take responsibility for their actions.  It looks so much better if you just own up to things!  Spin is never good - people can see right through it.

TheTruth41

January 20th, 2012 at 1:47 PM ^

Not sure how Dantonio could have told Helsinki to move on and not talk about Michigan recruiting, esp after he had just finished talking solely about MSU!  Seems very one sided and dictatoral.

 

I'm sure any coach there could easily have substituted any other school when/if Helsinki said "Michigan" and had it resonate to how any school would go about recruiting.  Michigan would have been the prime canditate to listen to as far as recruiting systems work since they recruit the most nationally.  The other D1 coaches that would want to recruit nationally could have gained from their experience, the D2 and D3 coaches would have been interested to see how they go about recruiting regionally as well as state wide since this is where most of their kids come from.  If I'm a coach in the room and I'm listening to another guy at a school I don't necessarily like, I'm still listening.  I'm probably not hearing, "This is how it's done at MSU," but more hearing "This is how it's typically done on a Division 1 level." (I use 'typical' loosly when associated with MSU as well so bare with me for my example).

 

No way Dantonio does this if Hoke was there, esp if Hoke was speaking.  Why do it when he's not there?

 

If I'm Helsinki I would have tried to ask Dantonio more questions as to why he was cut off when he had just finished his spew on his own school.  Definitely room to keep it professional there and make Dantonio even more foolish by fielding questions in the heat of the moment.  Even if I was a coach in the room I would have pleaded to let the guy speak since Dantonio had his turn on his school and Helsinki is at least talking about recruiting (something I'd be able to take and apply to the school I'm coaching for - I can't apply what a swell season MSU had this past year or how nice Cousins is).

Section 1

January 20th, 2012 at 3:08 PM ^

The Red Cedar Message Board reaction is enough to snap your neck, like a Tom Gholston personal foul.

The first reaction was to deny the story as a fabrication by MGoBlog.  Dantonio would not have done such a thing.  Followed by confirmation of the story from multiple sources, then publication on MLive.com and then... The new spin, which is that of course it is what Dantonio should have done -- give it right back to Hecklinski, who was clearly out of line and who provoked the whole thing.

Brian

January 20th, 2012 at 1:55 PM ^

FWIW, I checked out the poster's email address and he does appear to be a Michigan high school football coach who would have been in the room for this.

denardogasm

January 20th, 2012 at 2:55 PM ^

 

Who is this Charboneau guy that wrote that? It's pretty subtly proDantonio. Doesn't mention the fact that Dantonio already had a chance to speak before that, and it says it was a forum, as if to suggest that all the coaches were supposed to be involved but Hecklinski was stealing the show.  It was a speech.  If it was an open forum I think the organizers would have probably had all the other coaches onstage already don't you? Dantonio really is the douchiest of them all.

Ps. Does anyone else have a problem clicking on detnews links?  Every time I click them my browser shuts down and I have to reset it... This is actually the first time it didn't happen, but when I clicked the link again a second time it shut down.  Not very tech savvy over here but that seems strange to me.

reshp1

January 20th, 2012 at 3:17 PM ^

Honestly, all the articles are really wishy washy on the details. It doesn't really sound like any of the authors were actually there, just second hand reports and quoting of the MLive article. It really just seems like they don't have a good handle on the specifics of the situation rather than any bias one way or the other.

A2BeerLover

January 20th, 2012 at 3:28 PM ^

Seems like it was a time for all the coaches to briefly introduce themselves and Heck went on to give a presentation/speech before the actual panel started.  Too much biased opinion out there bending this one way or another.  Misunderstanding on all sides is what it seems to boild down to.  An actualy video/audio of this panel would clear this all up for everyone.

Don

January 20th, 2012 at 2:56 PM ^

Mark Dantonio is going to need surgery to re-attach his dick after stepping on it so violently in front of so many people whose good regard he needs. People who are going to be furiously texting, emailing, and talking about his ridiculous little snit for weeks and months.

DrunkOnHiggins

January 20th, 2012 at 3:28 PM ^

I would flat out call Dantonio a douche to his face. I know people always say, "Yeah it would be different if you met the person face to face, blah blah."

Not this situation, I would rip into this guy.

HenneGivenSunday

January 20th, 2012 at 3:59 PM ^

I actually can't wait until we blow them out in the big house next year.  Dantionio might be my least favorite sports figure in the world right now.  The dude actually has a half-way decent team but he's so angry at Mike Hart still that he won't even smile.. no wonder he has health issues.  That isn't healthy!

DenardsThirdHeisman

January 20th, 2012 at 4:03 PM ^

Just like you were looking forward to blowing us out the past four years. Yeah, I've heard that rhetoric before.

Seems like a 300+ response thread that devolved into an orgy of futile hatred and fury toward one man for asking the rest of a panel to join in the presentation is more "butthurt" than the action of the man himself.

LSAClassOf2000

January 20th, 2012 at 4:34 PM ^

Once again, a Michigan coach shows decorum when none is given in kind by a coach for our much-esteemed in-state rival. Scenes like this make me love my alma mater even more, as she taught  me to be a better person than that, among other things. 

Cope

January 20th, 2012 at 4:57 PM ^

The Det news version makes Dantonio look curiously in the right. it at least leaves room for it. Curious how Hecklinski was made to look like he got his hand caught in the cookie jar.

From this account, he appears ridiculously juvenile. I wonder if this verson will appear in the media. I am so sick of spin. I just hope the story comes out and puts Dantonio in him place.

BlueTimesTwo

January 21st, 2012 at 2:02 AM ^

Regardless of how it gets spun by the media, what matters is how it was perceived by those in attendance in that room.  If MD looked like as much of a douche as the OP indicated, then the damage is done, and that could affect recruiting in the only place in the country where at least a few people give a shit about MSU.

Charlie Chunk

January 20th, 2012 at 5:10 PM ^

Immature, but funny none the less.  I never liked the little brother comment when it first came out, but in hind sight, it was genius.

The MSU culture has evolved into a community of insecure people.  It's sad really. 

It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine!

Go Blue!

PM

January 20th, 2012 at 8:09 PM ^

Not only did I grow up in Lansing but I was a State fan until it came time to pick a college.  Then I got serious and turned from green to blue and haven't looked back since.  But yeah, they should have a picture of Sparty as the definition of "inferiority complex."