Perhaps the no. 1 reason for such tremendous success in recruiting

Submitted by Wolfman on

Who among us has ever witnessed a coach that seemingly hates their job more than any other person than one Mark Dantonio who resides in a city somewhere in Michigan. It appears, based on the words of an MSU alum, he approaches recruiting in the same manner he does gamedays. Following are his words:

¨Brady Hoke walks into the school and acts like he's your buddy,¨ a high school coach recently told us.¨He will put his arm around you, act like he's known you forever: he's just a very personable guy. When Mark Dantonio walks into your school, on the other hand, it feels like your players are being recruited by a graphic calculator.¨

-Unnamed MSU Alum/athlete, current high school football coach-

I can name two other coaches who recruited in the manner Brady does and their names are Bo and Woody. The separation has, obviously, begun in earnest and the results will mirror those after the MSU timekeeper gave Smoker an opportunity to go into overtime without the benefit of a time game and not allowing UM to do the same.

 

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TheGhostofYost

January 27th, 2013 at 2:15 AM ^

Greg Mattison recruits players on both sides of the ball.  For example, he recruited Dunn last year. Also, I was not speaking specifically of Green, but of the recruiting class in general.

Even Meyer said that Mattison was the best recruiter he had ever seen, so I'm not sure how it's trolling to acknowledge this fact.

 

Joined: 04/20/2011

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pbmd

January 27th, 2013 at 10:14 AM ^

of course, limited number of recruiters lead to coaches being assigned geography (not position) for travel reasons .  Dunn seems like a poor example to illustrate to prowess of M football recruiting. any other examples?

Joined: 04/24/2010

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WFBlue

January 27th, 2013 at 8:11 AM ^

and concise explanations I have seen in a while.  In about 15 seconds, he says it all:

  1. relationship with coaches
  2. Earlier contribution as a freshman
  3. Hoke is a great coach, but even a better man and father figure
  4. Michigan feels like home.

 

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bluesouth

January 27th, 2013 at 1:12 PM ^

stated consise and to the point. I would imagine everyone of these kids that sign in Feb will have some variation of what you just wrote as their reason for coming to Michigan.

early playing time

great class/great teamates

love for the coaches/admiration/great guys/father figures

tradition

fandom/dream school

Joined: 11/02/2008

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Shakey Jake

January 27th, 2013 at 9:19 AM ^

I want UM to dominate and win a NC (and more) like you but come one man, nothing is for sure!

Individual talent doesn't mean squat if you a team doesn't execute. A great recruiting class is just one piece of the puzzle. Let's see how the coaches and the kids come together as a team and go from there.

Joined: 05/12/2012

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HelloHeisman91

January 27th, 2013 at 1:53 AM ^

My girlfriend and I met Dantonio at the Susan G. Komen 5k in Lansing last year and she got a picture with him for her dad who likes the Spartans. When we asked to get a picture he nodded and after we thanked him and wished him luck and he didn't say a word to us. Not a single word in our interaction.

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Decatur Jack

January 27th, 2013 at 4:26 AM ^

Did you ever read what Bacon wrote about him in 3 and Out?

Dantonio gets off the bus for a game in Ann Arbor and one of the non-coach M football employees (I think it was Jon Falk) welcomes him, and Dantonio says "Get the fuck out of here."

Dude's a massive douche. It has been proven.

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Gitback

January 27th, 2013 at 10:35 AM ^

It was just one of the usher type guys who is assigned to keep that area clear and credential people and what not.  Falk is WAY too busy before games to be out greeting the other team.  Besides, Jon Falk probably wouldn't be treated that way by any opposing coaches.  He's well known throughout the country and is pretty much buddies with everyone (even though, or maybe because, he's the dirtiest, and funniest, old man you've ever met).  

I've never met Dantonio myself, but the anecdotal evidence which supports his doucheholery is pretty substantial.

Joined: 04/12/2011

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Section 1

January 27th, 2013 at 12:27 PM ^

The correct quote (yes, it was Dantonio talking to a Michigan Stadium volunteer) was "Get the hell outta here."

And yes, Dantonio is just enough of a douchebag to taunt Jon Falk.  Also from Three and Out, Dantonio saw Falk at halftime of the 2008 game and told Falk to make sure that he put the Paul Bunyan Trophy in the Spartans locker roome so that it would be there as soon as the game was over. 

Joined: 06/29/2009

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Felix.M.Blue

January 27th, 2013 at 3:11 AM ^

Up till now Hoke has been able to sell early playing time to the recruits.

That's not the #1 reason for the sucess but it is a reason.

Another reason is the relationships these coaches have made with the HS coaches around the country. I think they have earned their trust, they do it the right way and they know they will be treated well.

 

Joined: 10/22/2011

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Decatur Jack

January 27th, 2013 at 4:22 AM ^

I don't know if I'd say Dantonio hates his job. Like any die hard buckeye, he took it for the sole reason of wanting to beat us.

So while it's not fair to say that he hates his job (or that there is no one who hates their job more), it is fair to say that recruits might not respond to him because he's a tool and a douche.

Joined: 09/20/2011

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Maizenblueball

January 27th, 2013 at 4:33 AM ^

Exactly, Dantonio just seems like a grumpy old bastard.  I can handle being around grumpy people for short periods of time, but if given the choice, I'd much rather be around someone like Hoke who is friendly and funny...and apparently the proof is in the recruiting pudding. 

Attitude is everything in life.

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Alumnus93

January 27th, 2013 at 9:55 AM ^

You fucking idiots.....   obviously you don't realize that 

1. love and hate are the same emotion.

and

2.  WHY  Dantonio behaves like this...

Dantonio was spurned by Michigan, after Tressel began to beat us on a regular basis.  Our history has been that we took a rib from OSU to beat OSU,  like taking Bo, to beat Woody.

Dantonio was at Cincinnati waiting for the call, but Bo and Lloyd thought Tressel was "a snake in the grass" and didn't want anything from that tree.  But the fact is that Dantonio couldve kept up/beat Tressel, as he was his DC and knew him well, just like Bo and Woody...  This IS why Dantonio is so bitter.  And part of me wishes he was hired, because I like the way his teams play, right or wrong, and we'd have avoided this entire meltdown this past 7 years.

This is not to say I don't like Hoke... I do... though I did prefer Harbaugh, and I would not have minded having Dantonio.

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