Serious question: Why hasn't Narduzzi and/or Dantonio been poached to a bigger program?
You have an MSU program playing some consistently elite defense, and doing so at a program not able to attract consistently elite prospects. They've been on a pretty impressive run the past 4 years - 11-2, 11-3, 7-6 (6 losses by a combined 30 points) and now sitting at 7-1 with the top ranked defense in the country.
Seems to me like Narduzzi should be a prime head coaching candidate at a major conference team, or a DC at a top 10-15 type team and Dantonio could probably be able to climb the ladder to a traditional top 25 type team where he could recruit better and further build his resume.
I for one hope this happens sooner rather than later. What say you?
October 31st, 2013 at 8:33 AM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:08 PM ^
last 4 years and currently 7-1. By your logic Hoke never should have been hired.
October 30th, 2013 at 11:08 PM ^
On neutral site games? Road game, or no?
I'll hang up and listen.
October 31st, 2013 at 1:01 AM ^
October 31st, 2013 at 9:40 PM ^
MSU has won more in-conference game than any other Big Ten team in the last 5 years. I'd say that's something. and can we really cast stones like "4-11" when we're 2-10 vs. tOSU in the last 12?
The simple fact is that he's done an incredible job turning that program around - and has done so with largely "inferior" talent. Leveon Bell was a 2 star, Dennard was a 2 star...hell, the vast majority of that crazy good D is made up of 2 and 3 stars. Sadly, he realized that both MSU and u of M being good aren't mutually exclusive and we have a situation where both programs are rising. While it makes it harder to beat them, overall i think it's great for the rivalry and great for the State of Michigan. I don't see why we have to result to making stuff up to disparage them....there's plenty of reasons to do that. They DID play OSU the 4 out of the last 6 years before getting them off the schedule this year. How easily we forget that we got the benefit of not having to face Wisconsin when they were going to Rose Bowls.
October 30th, 2013 at 9:57 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:58 PM ^
That explains why Narduzzi is not being hired. EMU is giving up more than 44 points a game
October 31st, 2013 at 9:09 AM ^
That's because it's EMU.
Ron English should've done a million things before he did EMU.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:01 PM ^
Narduzzi, on the other hand, I think will be fielding quite a few phone calls come season's end. I don't think he's necessarily worthy of a place like USC, but definitely a major BCS school in need of a new coach. Or hell, maybe the NFL comes calling and someone needs a new DC up there. Either way, I don't think he's a lifer at MSU.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:02 PM ^
My guess would be opportunity. There aren't that many top-tier job openings, and very often in those cases they have a successor picked out in-house or virtually so. For instance:
- David Shaw at Stanford
- Mark Helfrich at Oregon
- Gus Malzahn at Auburn
Let's turn this around: in the past couple of years, have there been jobs that have opened up that Dantonio would have wanted but didn't get?
It's slightly different for Narduzzi, but if I were him I would wait for a very good situation rather than jumping into an unstable and uncertain situation. I mean, if you were Narduzzi and UConn came calling, would you jump? Narduzzi makes half a million at State and has reportedly turned down head coaching offers, including Texas A&M. Even if that's not true, he's making good money and he's in a good situation.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:06 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:15 PM ^
Yeah, I can't remember the exact details of the story, but I've heard that TAMU rumor many times.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:24 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:08 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:17 PM ^
Probably because Dantonio has said he's going to be a coach there a long time and preaches about loyalty. He's got it made there, why would he leave? Spartan fans worship the ground he walks on because he's changed the tide in the rivalry and basically changed the culture in East Lansing.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:28 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:54 PM ^
(Not in a million years would I expect jerseys to sell like hot cakes)
October 31st, 2013 at 2:05 AM ^
October 31st, 2013 at 11:46 AM ^
Chrome helmets selling like hotcakes in Kalamazoo! Theyv'e almost doubled the WMU row-the-boat sales.
October 31st, 2013 at 3:24 PM ^
The Broncos are so just terrible. I still root for them, being my hometown team and all. But they suck.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:17 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:28 PM ^
other year, other than the 4 most recent? Or were you talking about us?
October 30th, 2013 at 10:19 PM ^
somebody in that program is doing some serious player development with unheralded defensive recruits. You have to be a homer of the highest order not to recognize that they've been doing more with less for an impressive string here, which is totally against the tide of the program's historical pattern of one up, one down and such.
I think Narduzzi knows this offseason is the year to leave. He's losing serious talent next year, so now's the time to take the best available offer. Dantonio will be around for a while, maybe until he nabs that elusive BCS bowl. I wonder how much having the personality of an average disgruntled postal worker has reduced his opportunities to move up to something better.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:20 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:22 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:50 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 11:51 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 11:24 PM ^
It certainly held up against Georgia in their bowl game 2 years ago. And also in their bowl game last year. I highly doubt that even Bama's defense, for that matter, could stand up to Oregon or Florida State or Bama's offense.
Now let's say we're comparing conference no. 4s... I would say that Michigan State would wreck Arizona State, Texas Tech, Syracuse, and Cincinnati. They would mop the floor with those teams. A game against Auburn/LSU would be close, and I think Auburn/LSU would prevail, but just barely. The point is: the reason why their defense is statistically bolstered is because of SOS and not conference.. They've played Indiana, Purdue, AND Illinois. They've got one of the easiest SOS in all of the Big 10! If they played Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Ohio, their defense would defintely be statistically worse.
October 31st, 2013 at 12:26 AM ^
October 31st, 2013 at 7:35 AM ^
October 31st, 2013 at 6:52 PM ^
First, let me say the MSU defense of the past 3 years has been good, very good. Second, the style suits the Midwest best where the QB play has been AWFUL for the past half decade - very few NFL QBs exist in the Big 10 anymore so playing "RUN stop" and "isolate CBs" works better here than a conference that feeds NFL QBs like the SEC or even ACC or Pac 12. So yes their stats are inflated but so are EVERYONE's in the Big 10 on defense.
As for Georgia - that team was not good. They only beat a few teams with a winning record and I believe Florida was 7-5 that year - that was their signature win. They lose to LSU something like 42-10 a month before playing MSU. It was not a vintage Georgia team so that specific game I am not hanging anything on for the MSU defense despite my other positive comments. They gave up 30 to an average Georgia team. We did similar stuff to USC last year with an average UM defense.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:30 PM ^
me man. Been lurking since 2009 waiting to create this thread to troll you.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:52 PM ^
October 31st, 2013 at 12:21 PM ^
Very nice work. I didn't see it coming.
October 31st, 2013 at 5:32 PM ^
More a mole than a troll, if I have my spy lingo down.
Of course, I live 8 blocks from Spartan Stadium and hold a degree from Indiana University. We could be in the same cell!
October 30th, 2013 at 10:47 PM ^
I don't get the negs, the OP's question is something a lot of us have asked ourselves at one time or another.
October 31st, 2013 at 12:27 PM ^
Because for some folks on here, Rule #1 of MGoBlog is don't talk about MSU. Rule #2 is don't talk about MSU. Which seems kind of stupid the week you play MSU.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:24 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:25 PM ^
I read it on a State fan blog, so take if for what it's worth, but the claim was that Narduzzi didn't like to schmooze and was uncomfortable / awkward at social gatherings, which would make it difficult for him to succeed in all the off-field crap HCs are expected to do.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:28 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:29 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:29 PM ^
He has likely had offers to interview. I'd be surprised if he's still at MSU next year (Narduzzi).
October 30th, 2013 at 10:46 PM ^
Dantonio's not going anywhere. He's got a good gig at State. Also, I think that his age and the lack of consistency in State's results are detriments to him getting a better job. I mean, he had those two outstanding years, but his overall head coaching record is 76-46, which is good but not great.
I think that the other thing to keep in mind is that there aren't a ton of jobs better than the one that he's got now. If you look at the BCS, there's only about four to six jobs in each conference that would either a lateral or an outright improvement over State. Those jobs don't turn over very often and when they do, they're often looking in-house or for the next big thing.
My guess is Narduzzi gets a HC job sometime. I bet he would have gotten the Cincy job had they not hired Tuberville.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:46 PM ^
Dantonio's not going anywhere. He's got a good gig at State. Also, I think that his age and the lack of consistency in State's results are detriments to him getting a better job. I mean, he had those two outstanding years, but his overall head coaching record is 76-46, which is good but not great.
I think that the other thing to keep in mind is that there aren't a ton of jobs better than the one that he's got now. If you look at the BCS, there's only about four to six jobs in each conference that would either a lateral or an outright improvement over State. Those jobs don't turn over very often and when they do, they're often looking in-house or for the next big thing.
My guess is Narduzzi gets a HC job sometime. I bet he would have gotten the Cincy job had they not hired Tuberville.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:47 PM ^
October 30th, 2013 at 10:57 PM ^
Now I guess I figured it out. People some times don't want to be in charge.
October 31st, 2013 at 8:17 AM ^
It's bad form to even hint at equating Jerry Sandusky and his reasons for staying at PSU with Bud Foster or Narduzzi and their reasons for staying at their respective positions.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:56 PM ^
Nard dog is an intercepted half back pass from being the man in charge. Why would a coach want to leave State? Not like they could go to a better school and win multiple championships.