OT - CBS Sports, Rivals, and Scout name Mark Dantonio "National Coach of the Year"
December 9th, 2010 at 12:57 PM ^
I just looked up the word "best," and I think these people might be reading a different dictionary than I am.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:16 PM ^
Is it acceptable to give him the award after he missed 17% of the team's games this year?
December 9th, 2010 at 2:06 PM ^
Waaay funny. I've seen this guy's picture juxtaposed with a potato shaped like male junk (the genetically engineered "Dantonio Potato") but I wasn't aware that he had ascended to the apex of the d-bag masses. This is great news for him.
I'll look forward to the freep fluff piece to follow.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:00 PM ^
Sorry, but...ew
December 9th, 2010 at 1:02 PM ^
I really hate the taste of vomit in my mouth.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:02 PM ^
How? Was it his ignoring of the 2010 Dorm Beatdown? Letting Rucker play after getting his personals back from the prison on the same day? Was it because they were blessed with a soft schedule and took opportunity of it? If they were that great I would think they would be in a BCS game.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:04 PM ^
their SOS was one of, if not the, strongest in the Big Ten. they were a team of good players who excelled and played exceptional. they beat Wisconsin and went 11-1 when most would say they were dark horse at best pre-season. he got named coach of the year, not the second coming. jeez.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:09 PM ^
+1
And he did it with a bunch of 3-star players (with a couple of 4-stars sprinkled in)
December 9th, 2010 at 1:10 PM ^
That seems inaccurate to me. They didn't play OSU. They played a new D-I team and a bad I-AA team. I thought their SOS was pretty weak. Do you have any links to those ratings? Would be interesting...
December 9th, 2010 at 1:19 PM ^
http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/current_congrove_rankings.html
5. OSU, 7. Wisconsin, 14. MSU, 34. Iowa, 45. PSU, 52. UM
December 9th, 2010 at 1:27 PM ^
Those numbers aren't even accurate based on the link you provided! Those are their "rankings", not "SOS rankings". MSU had one of the easiest schedules in the Big Ten.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:31 PM ^
I think you're reading that wrong.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:35 PM ^
that was tRCMB rallying cry - unfortunately i believe they meant "tougher than Wisconsin."
December 9th, 2010 at 1:23 PM ^
Ok. I did some digging. GeauxBlue, your statement about MSU's SOS is wrong.
Their SOS was #8 in the Big Ten. Only Northwestern, Indiana and Wisconsin played weaker schedules than MSU.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:39 PM ^
don't know where my head was. still think Dantonio getting it isn't absurd but you are definitely right and i am 110% wrong
fwiw, blame Hollis
http://twitter.com/#!/MSUAD/status/8905230771032065
MSU has the 39th-most difficult schedule (per NCAA) – 59-50 (.541) vs. Bowl Subdivision teams, most difficult of Big Ten Championship teams
December 9th, 2010 at 3:13 PM ^
+1 for you on the correction. And what is Hollis talking about?
December 9th, 2010 at 1:11 PM ^
I looked at their schedule.
W. Mich
FAU
N. Colorado
ND (ot)
Wisconsin (only win over a now ranked team that hadn't hit their 5th gear yet)
Illinois
Iowa (nosedive)
Northwestern (had to come back to win)
Michigan (err)
Minnehaha
Pudue (almost lost)
PSU
I'm not saying it is the second coming, I just don't see how having that schedule and as a coach, letting all that off field crap go on justifies him COtY. Winning is good. But I also think off the field development is a indicator of a good coach as well.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:18 PM ^
"All that off field crap" this year (Rather Hall was in 2009) refers to only 2 things: Chris Rucker and Dion Sims.
Rucker was charged with OWI but was reduced to reckless driving. He was suspended for 1 game and missed another one while in jail.
Dion Sims was suspended for the entire season before even going to trial for his alleged crime.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^
Personally, I doubt they'd be 11-1 had they played OSU.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^
They were eighth in the Big Ten in front of Wiscy, NW, and IN. Bottom half nationally.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^
My glasses are off. They had a good season, no doubt. But don't you think the National Coach of the Year should honor the coach that got it done and how he got it done.
He made some very questionable decisions with his roster and punishment for transgressions.
If we went 11-1 and RR was up for the coach of the year, but let a player play the game after he spent 8 days in jail (or whatever it was) I would not want him winning anything of the sort. I would also want him held somehow accountable for that decision.
No coach who made a decision like that deserves to be honored for their excellent season with a distinction like this.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:05 PM ^
It's college football. No one cares as long as you're winning right now. Cam Newton shouldn't be playing football, but hey, he plays real nice like and we definitely need to take away some more USC records.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:08 PM ^
Rather Hall happened in 2009, and during last season.
I didn't agree with how the Rucker thing was handled, but he was suspended for 1 game before he ever went to jail (not prison), and missed another game while in jail.
As for the soft schedule... they did miss OSU, but they faced 8 bowl teams (Wisconsin only faced 6, and OSU only faced 5), had a better SOS than any of the other Co-BT Champions, and were the only team to beat Wisconsin.
They're not in the BCS because the system is dumb: a) it doesn't allow more than 2 teams from one conference to go (and a bowl will always choose OSU and the $$$ before MSU), and b) awards the awful Big East and ACC conferences with an auto-bid.
December 9th, 2010 at 2:14 PM ^
for the same reason they did not go in 1999. They had a couple nice wins, but their loss was a disaster (like their 2 loses in 99). If Sparty wants to get more respect than they should not lose games by 30. Sparty also had to know by week 8 or 9 that getting into the BCS was going to be a beauty pageant, so they immediately went out and played like total garbage against Purdue.
Also, fuck you Sparty.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:02 PM ^
Zero Tolerance.
What a prick.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:02 PM ^
taking that team to 11-1 required some creative coaching. might not agree with his management but he did a damn good job of taking a B/B+ team to an A/A+ record. all the credit to him for that.
December 9th, 2010 at 4:54 PM ^
Dude, giving credit is one thing but you are definding the enemy like it's your job.
December 9th, 2010 at 6:57 PM ^
and that arguments against him aren't really more than partisan swings. he might have made some crappy personnel decisions (on which i was extremely vocal on this board) but he's deserving on the basis of on-field performance.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:03 PM ^
You know who has to be really pissed? Wisconsin. Play up to your potential in that early conference game and you're looking at an undefeated season right now.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:22 AM ^
You can turn around and make that statement about any team really: if Alabama had played to their potential they would be in the national title game; if Boise State had played to their potential, they wouldn't be playing in a Bowl on December 23rd; if OSU played to their potential, they would be undefeated; heck if Iowa played to their potential, they would be in a BCS game;
December 9th, 2010 at 1:04 PM ^
that award to a coach who let Rucker play two days after being released from jail? I know he had a good year on the field and the heart attack, etc... but I just don't see how you can do that.
What about Chip Kelly? Kicks Masoli off the team and still has a dominant year.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:11 PM ^
Yeah, but he's the Dean of Discipline! The angry face means "good coach" even if your assistant ran the show for your big wins (sans ND) and your program makes the Fulmer Cup look like a Dixie Cup.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:29 PM ^
Kelly kicked Masoli off but let LaMichael James, who beat his girlfriend, back on the team with only a suspension from NM.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:04 PM ^
Most wins for a MSU football team in a single season ever, gutsy play call vs. rival Notre Dame that wins game on national TV in dramatic fashion, mid-season health scare, beat cross-strate rival Michigan a record 3rd straight years - twice decisively, beat the Big Ten's best team Wisconsin, and didn't have to face Ohio State.
I think the stars aligned really well for Dantonio to win the award.
I don't like him. I think he's a douchebag, endorses negative recruiting tactics, and is a lousy displinarian cloaked in religious dogmatism. But 2010 was probably one of MSU's more glorious football seasons ever.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:07 PM ^
Couldn't have said it better.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:09 PM ^
This response is pretty much perfect.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:56 PM ^
Well said, but j/w what the negative recruiting tactics are that he endorses? I thought Ed Davis made it clear that the negative recruiter in the B10 was coming from the Iowa program?
December 9th, 2010 at 1:05 PM ^
Maybe coach of the year in the state of Michigan. Although there might be a few high school coaches in the state I would give to before Constipation face.
December 9th, 2010 at 2:18 PM ^
for "Constipation face"
December 9th, 2010 at 1:07 PM ^
I just cannot believe that a coach with that many arrests on a team can be in line for anything other than a Fulmer Award. There were many coaches that had winning records and players not filling up a police blotter. I understand MSU can't afford to actually suspend players, winning is that important for the program, but to see a coach rewarded for that is just crazy.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:14 PM ^
I know that online message boards aren't the place to let facts get in the way of a good rant, but Chris L. Rucker was suspended for 1 game, and missed another one while in jail. Also, the crime was a OWI which got reduced to reckless driving.
Dion Sims wasn't allowed to play this season, despite him not being arrested or anything yet.
December 9th, 2010 at 2:26 PM ^
for the second time in two years a MSU football player has gone from in jail one day to practice with the team the next day. Is that better for you?
December 9th, 2010 at 1:10 PM ^
Give at least some credit. MSU had a good year. Remember also that Dantonio suffered a heart attack during the season, iirc. And I don't think Tressel deserves it, and really dislike Bielema a lot more than I do Dantonio.
Regardless, I look forward to next year, and Michigan returning to prominence and dominance of little brother.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:11 PM ^
Chip Kelly has decided to drop 75 points on Auburn.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:13 PM ^
I hate MSU, the one in Michigan, but he went 11-1, overcame serious health issues and is from the Big Ten.
So congrats and enjoy it this year, cause next year you are getting your ass kicked.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:17 PM ^
Given the fact he almost died, and still coached his team to an 11-1 season, you can't deny the guy had a hell of a year.
Let him have his due.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:17 PM ^
Until they did well against Penn State, I thought they did their best work when he wasn't coaching the games.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:23 PM ^
will lead to a smile.