If Dantono retires soon, what can MSU reasonably expect in a replacement?
I don't think Dantoneo will ever be fired, but it seems like he's probably not going to be around in East Lansing much longer (for all the reasons that don't need to be articulated here). He was, by all accounts, an excellent coach for them, resurrecting their program from the abysmal days of Bobby Williams and John L. Smith, and even taking them to the playoff one year. Of course some of his success can be attributed to the down years of Michigan and Penn State during his tenure, but he brought a sense of toughness and pride to that team that they hadn't had since Saban was their coach. I absolutely hate the guy, but that fact alone says something about his stewardship of that program. I didn't really hate John L. Smith.
So my question is, how attractive a job is MSU if Dantoneo leaves? Could they, for example, make a run at someone like PJ Fleck, or would that be a lateral move for Fleck? MSU doesn't seem to care a ton about ethics, so would they go after someone like Sarkesian, who I think is (despite his checkered past) a solid football mind? Or does MSU need to find a diamond in the rough sort of coach -- an up-and-comer mid-major sort of guy?
Right now Dantonoe makes about 4.5 million, give or take a few hundred thousand for bonuses etc. How much coach could that kind of money buy, and would it be possible to make MSU an attractive destination for 4 and 5-star recruits? Obviously they would need to commit some money to facilities upgrades and so on, but it could be done.
November 11th, 2019 at 9:05 AM ^
Remember Glen Mason? He had played under Woody Hayes, and he interviewed for the Ohio State job while he was at Minnesota. OSU realized that Mason was a decent but not great coach, and hired Tressel instead. Mason certainly would have taken the job if they'd offered it to him.
There's no hard and fast rule about this; it's just something that doesn't make sense all that often. Lateral moves aren't going to make a lot of sense (especially for Fleck to MSU, which is in a tougher division). You need an attractive coaching prospect at a lower tier school like Fleck at Minnesota or Brohm last year at Purdue, and you need an upper tier school who wants to fire their coach.
If Penn State or Ohio State were limping along at 3-6 at this point in the year, don't think that Fleck wouldn't get a serious look.
(Didn't Bill Martin want to interview Kirk Ferentz? I don't think my liver could have taken that.)
November 11th, 2019 at 7:19 AM ^
Fleck isnt leaving Minny for MSU.
MSU is going to have a hard time getting someone who wants to face UM, OSU, PSU, and even 9windiana every year.
Narduzzi or Fickell might be their best options.
November 11th, 2019 at 7:45 AM ^
Jon Gruden.
Seriously, though, M Tressel makes sense, as does Pat Narduzzi. msu is a step up in profile from Pitt, and he's an msu guy. However, the Big Ten East is very tough and he might be happier in the much easier, almost joke-like ACC Coastal (kinda near the coast of Lake Erie, I guess?).
Note: ACC Coastal is Pitt, UVA, VT, Duke, Miami, UNC, GT.
November 11th, 2019 at 7:47 AM ^
Luke Fickell from Cincinnati or Jason Candle from Toledo. I mean we know MSU love for the MAC why not take one of they coaches
November 11th, 2019 at 7:52 AM ^
This really isn't necessary at this point, and will only anger the football gods.
November 11th, 2019 at 8:01 AM ^
They can expect an empty can of Pringles or an equivalent there of.
November 11th, 2019 at 8:18 AM ^
Tony Annese. Ferris State Coach. The guy can coach and wins wherever he’s been.
November 11th, 2019 at 8:50 AM ^
It will be Narduzzi. And he will be incredibly meh and it will be great.
November 11th, 2019 at 9:01 AM ^
Probably Pat Narduzzi
November 11th, 2019 at 9:04 AM ^
Can we maybe wait until after the game is over and make sure that Michigan actually won it before we start this shit?
Feels like we're tempting fate or have we forgotten the last 12 years?
November 11th, 2019 at 2:16 PM ^
Posters on Mgoblog have surprisingly little influence over what happens on Saturdays.
November 11th, 2019 at 9:08 AM ^
If Annesse could clear the vetting process (big if but it's MSU) he would be a perfect fit for MSU. Guy is getting up there though and his window for getting his first D1 gig is closing.
November 11th, 2019 at 9:33 AM ^
If they're looking for a replacement, Luke Fickell at Cincinnati would probably be their best best. Can't go wrong with another Tressel disciple from Cincy.
November 11th, 2019 at 9:58 AM ^
I do not give a fuck.
November 11th, 2019 at 10:00 AM ^
The best idea would be Fickell, as he’s an OSU guy tearing it up at Cincinnati - basically the same profile as Dantonio, only Fickell is doing better at Cincy than Mork did.
But they’ll probably hire an insider, like Mike Tressel.
November 11th, 2019 at 10:03 AM ^
Well, considering Mork is due a $4M bonus in January, don't expect him to step aside anytime soon.
November 11th, 2019 at 10:06 AM ^
I'm expecting either Jim Tressel or Urban Meyer to replace him.
November 11th, 2019 at 10:10 AM ^
All signs are pointing to Fickel.
If that is what actually happens, I am not sure how to feel. The only attention I have paid to the guy is in his one season where he seemed to be the only guy in the country who couldn't win big at OSU.
I mean, how big of a fucking idiot do you have to be to not win at OSU?
He seems to have found some level of success at Cincinnati though. I don't know - I guess he is probably a slight upgrade from whatever is currently coaching at MSU.
Ultimately, I see them screwing around, keeping Mork too long and then settling with some MAC superstar who they end up canning in 4 years.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:10 PM ^
This is an absolutely clueless take.
November 11th, 2019 at 3:41 PM ^
hahahahahahha this will be fun
Enlighten me
hhahahahah i can't wait for this
"Dur - that was a tough year! No one could have won! Duuuurrrr so much turmoil! Anyone else would have gone less than .500. Daahhhuuurrr OSU is the best!"
November 11th, 2019 at 10:10 AM ^
If I was a regional program like MSU, I'd look hard at Annese at Ferris State. He's a Michigan native, can recruit the heck out of his home state, has had success everywhere he goes. Has an offensive mind that borders on genius and, most importantly. They could get him.
November 17th, 2019 at 10:30 PM ^
You say "regional program" as if we have not been a regional program for 15 years now?♂️ Last B1G title 15 years ago, consistently taking L's from that team in Ohio, Dantonio has owned us, can't consistently beat ranked teams.
But hey congrats we beat a 4-6 MSU team. My oh my has our fanbase really fallen. I remember celebrating B1G Titles and beating good teams, not beating 4-6 teams who we sarcasticallt like to claim aren't our rivals?♂️
November 11th, 2019 at 10:18 AM ^
It will be Fickell. It was always Fickell.
November 11th, 2019 at 10:18 AM ^
I don't see D'Antonio retiring in the next few years. And, if Fleck keeps winning he's going to a blue blood for sure. There's no way he goes from Minnesota to MSU. As a Tressel disciple he's never going to go to any of the blue bloods in the B1G other than OSU if Day leaves early for the NFL.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:26 AM ^
Minnesota year 4+ where he has it is at the very least equal to MSU year 1 if he were to take over.
Extracting Minnesota and MSU from their respective divisions and you can compare top 3 and bottom 3.
Minnesota's top 3 opponents (Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa) are much more favorable than MSU's (OSU, PSU, UM). Although MSU's bottom 3 opponents (Indiana, Maryland, Rutgers) are probably more favorable than Minnesota's (Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue).
I don't expect to see Fleck leave Minnesota for MSU. Heck Brohm turned down his alma mater to stay at Purdue. Big Ten Network money has changed the game for those lower tier Big Ten Programs.
November 11th, 2019 at 10:18 AM ^
My guess would be that Pat Narduzzi and Luke Fickell would be at the top of their list. I am not sure either of those guys would take the job though. Given MSU's AD situation and competition within the Big Ten East division, I have a hard time believing top tier candidates like Matt Rhule, Matt Campbell, or PJ Fleck would consider the job. Following Dantonio and the fanbase's higher expectations from the last 10 years make the job less appealing in my opinion.
I think hiring PJ Fleck now would be a pipe dream given his success this year and new extension. Much easier to win from the Big Ten West division, and he is the only in-state FBS school in Minnesota. Similar to Wisconsin, there are advantages that Minnesota's staff can build and take advantage of in-state. If Fleck were to leave Minnesota now, I think it would be for a traditional top-15 program or NFL.
Personally, I don't think Dantonio retires until MSU gets a new AD in place. The current AD is not going to fire him right now.
November 11th, 2019 at 10:22 AM ^
Upvoted for spelling
November 11th, 2019 at 11:03 AM ^
Do a US News comparison between MSU and UMinnesota. Minnesota is the better place across a dozen and more measurables. MSU is an institution not that far from collapse. Until the rot is removed above no reputable coach is going to go near it.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:07 AM ^
Fleck ain't leaving Minnesota for East Landfill and all its skeletons.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:18 AM ^
Fleck just signed an extension worth $36 million. Why would he leave a great up-and-coming situation for a dumpster (and couch) fire?
November 11th, 2019 at 11:30 AM ^
Correct. Fleck might just be the type of guy who ends up staying long term at a school like Minn. First, its a real solid school in a great area. He has a unified fan base in his corner and he has a legitimate shot at the BIG championship game every year with the current divisional alignment. He can build something pretty special there in a place that will appreciate it forever. He is not leaving for the MSU job ever.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:21 AM ^
All signs point to Narduzzi
November 11th, 2019 at 11:24 AM ^
First, we should want him to stay. He is past his prime and the program is a tire fire. Stay the course.
Second, MSU is going to have lots of problems really paying someone top dollar to coach. Their finances are terrible with lots of resources going to settle their various, high profile class action lawsuits. Its a tough time to come up with 5 million bucks for a new football coach.
Whenever, MD leaves the school would be better off finding a young guy with a big chip on his shoulder. They are not getting an established big name.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:47 AM ^
I always thought PJ Fleck should have held on at WMU and waited for the MSU job to open. At the time, MSU was 4-8 and scandal was brewing at MSU so I thought the job was a year from opening. The polar opposite personalities of Harbaugh and Fleck would have been fun. But alas that ship has sailed.
November 11th, 2019 at 2:19 PM ^
He has no coaching tree whatsoever. Unbelievable continuity on his staff, but nobody has left to prove anything elsewhere, so they almost have to go outside the family.
November 11th, 2019 at 8:26 PM ^
If Dantonio leaves... a reasonable list would be:
Fickell and Narduzzi. After that you start looking at someone like Bo Pelini making his return to FBS football. Would Dave Aranda or Jim Leonhard be interested in leaving high profile DC positions to become head coaches?
Guys like Matt Campbell or PJ Fleck don’t make sense. They’d be leaving similar jobs to compete in a tougher division when their program is already established under their image.