January 1st, 2014 at 10:56 AM ^
FWIW, Tony Brown hurt his shoulder and is out for the rest of the week (including the game).
January 1st, 2014 at 10:44 AM ^
Dantonio may only take the interview as leverage for a new contract, but I doubt he needs it. Truth is, he is probably their best coach in the last 60 years and is close to legendary status at MSU already.
He doesn't strike me as the type of guy that would walk away from that for another million or two.
January 1st, 2014 at 10:54 AM ^
I would say Nick Saban is their best coach in the last 60 years, but Dantonio clearly cares more about MSU than he did.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:02 AM ^
Nick Saban: 34-24-1
Mark Dantonio: 63-29
I would say that Saban turned out to be the best HC they ever had after he left. But clearly Dantonio has done better while he was there.
Sort of like Bill Belichick with the Browns vs Bill Belichick with the Patriots.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:28 AM ^
But I think it's a bit unfair to just compare overall records since Dantonio has been at MSU longer than Saban. Also, the Big Ten was stronger when Saban was here so even comparing records over an equivalent time period could be problematic.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:37 AM ^
We should note that MSU was on probation for Saban's first four years. They got a full scholarship limit for his fifth year and he went 10-2.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:02 AM ^
cared more about MSU than all of them.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:51 AM ^
MSU's best coach in history is clearly Biggie Munn, who went 54-9-2 from '47 to '53, with a national title in '52. In terms of overall record, I think Dantonio has surpassed the legendary Duffy Daugherty. The only achievement of Daugherty's that Dantonion hasn't gotten yet is a national title.
January 1st, 2014 at 1:33 PM ^
Common Don.....he said best in past 60 years. Biggie left 61 years ago.
January 1st, 2014 at 10:54 AM ^
The Dantonio Center (Dantonio Hall, etc) is going to be built someday if he stays
January 1st, 2014 at 10:56 AM ^
I kind of doubt he'll interview at Texas. He's a good coach, but his roots are in this region and I don't think he'd find it a lot of fun dealing with the boosters and that ilk in Texas. Brown wasn't a great X's and O's guy, but he handled the diplomatic parts of his job very well.
Also, Dantonio has proven to be a good coach with a certain level of talent, but it is a major logic leap to presume he's going to suddenly become unbeatable with better talent. His run at MSU has been impressive, and as we saw with Saban it can be a nice launching point, but he is still a guy who has only had sustained work at one school (MSU), and outside of this 4-year run has been pretty mediocre. This may be a sign that he's trending upward, but I'm not sure Texas is going to take that chance if it turns out Mark just got lucky with a couple of recruiting classes. The history of teams remaining elite with top-35 classes isn't very long.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:18 AM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 12:47 PM ^
I think he'd leave if given a great opportunity, and unlike Arkansas Texas is a huge one. But the recruiting backbone of that region is completely foreign to him, and I agree that at his age it might not be time to seek out something new. But who knows.
January 1st, 2014 at 1:07 PM ^
So he is a good coach with OK talent, but would be a worse coach with better talent?
I can see how it would be a mistake to assume he would be better with better players.
Of course, the only reason we are where we are is a lack of talent , right?
We hired a coach with a mediocre record with mediocre talent and assumed he would be better.
When do you think hoke gets his interview?
January 1st, 2014 at 11:01 AM ^
these things become public with the sole purpose of getting the coach in question a raise and extension.
Dantonio isn't going to Texas
January 1st, 2014 at 11:05 AM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 12:54 PM ^
Just stop it already. There is a reason it was called the Big Two and little 8 for so many years.
UM has fattened its winning percentage on the starving carcass of conference members for decades.
The legend of Bo was built upon the Little 8. Would you care to share his record against legitimate competition? OSU? Bowl games?
Bo beat who he should have beaten. Dantonio is doing the same.
January 1st, 2014 at 12:54 PM ^
Just stop it already. There is a reason it was called the Big Two and little 8 for so many years.
UM has fattened its winning percentage on the starving carcass of conference members for decades.
The legend of Bo was built upon the Little 8. Would you care to share his record against legitimate competition? OSU? Bowl games?
Bo beat who he should have beaten. Dantonio is doing the same.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:13 AM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 11:17 AM ^
"One high-level source said..."
"Another source close to the situation said..."
"...a source said."
"...a source said."
"...a source close to Schiano said Tuesday."
"Another source said..."
This is basically a slightly more adult and Texan version of Ace Williams.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^
rich boosters and a lot of glad-handing ans SMILING! Dantonio is a very good coach, but he's not an ass-kisser and he only smiles twice a season.
Texas will hire Fisher, Malzohn or Briles. That job is probably the best in the country and requires a coach that can adapt to that way of life and the style of football that Texas highschools runs, which is predominantly a spread attack. Is it any wonder that virtually every school (college) in that state and most of the ones around run a spread attack?
Texas may find that Mack Brown was the perfect Texas coach and they might hire/fire a few coaches before they get their 'Saban'.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:30 AM ^
All he has to do is immediately send a text or email to Texas politely but firmly declining any interest in Texas or any other location, and reassert his view that MSU is a destination, then read his message to his team right before game time. This will be a significant psychological lift to his squad, reaffirming their collective view (wish?) that MSU has "arrived" on the national scene as an equal of the big boys.
January 1st, 2014 at 2:49 PM ^
He might as well get an extension and/or more money out of the interest (whether or not it is real). After all, Saban, Sumlin, Fisher and Briles (at least) have already done so based on real or rumored interest.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:31 AM ^
is likely to get an interview along with Schiano and Golden for the PSU job.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:56 AM ^
100% agree. If they don't interview him they're crazy. The only mark against Narduzzi is that he doesn't have any HC experience at any level, but his father was HC at Youngstown State for ten years so he has a direct personal experience with the life and demands of head coaching.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:38 AM ^
They were also putting out feelers for David Shaw earlier in the week. This is just Texas throwing every name at the wall and hoping one sticks.
If I had to put money on it I'd say it ends up being Art Briles. Also maybe put a sneaky bet down on absurdly photogenic GQ model Kliff Kingsbury
January 1st, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 11:42 AM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 12:01 PM ^
He's such a perfect fit for MSU. Aside from obviously winning a lot, he's also a grouch who's a bit boring and can't stand Michigan. He's like if MSU football gained consciousness and turned itself into a man.
I bet he stays there till he retires and they name it "Dantonio Field" or something when he does
January 1st, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 12:05 PM ^
for HC. It's the prospect of running a successful program. Dantonio has it now because he is one of the better coaches in the B1G and feeds off weak opponents. His program in its present state is almost assured of success year and year out.
Going to Texas is a whole new world with football demands second in pressure to only Alabama. He will not get the time to build like he did at MSU. Auburn fired their coach after winning a NC two years earlier. They did not see progression in the program and took action. That is the way it is for football coaches in the south.
The Texas job IS NOT a coveted job.
January 1st, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 1:20 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 12:27 PM ^
MSU agreed to make Narduzzi the HC at MSU when he does so. It would be a way for Dantonio to ensure that the program he has developed is continued and forms the basis of his legacy there.
January 1st, 2014 at 2:00 PM ^
The Texas coaching search is starting to resemble Michigan's 2007 search. How many weeks has it been since Mack Brown announced his retirement?
January 1st, 2014 at 2:01 PM ^
It's weird enough to see Texas A&M being a successful offensive program that lights up scoreboards and highlights. But seeing the most Texas A&M-like coach in the country go to Austin would just break my brain irrevocably.
January 1st, 2014 at 5:39 PM ^
Dantonio is just angling to get to ride on a zamboni with a blackened tooth.
January 1st, 2014 at 8:03 PM ^