Who Will be sparty's Next Coach?
Mates,
With Tucker officially gone, sparty is in the market for a coach. Other than our coaches, I don't pay much attention to who is hot/not hot, and who would be a legitimate candidate for other jobs. With the idiotic behavior that Tucker engaged in, looking for the next sparty coach is like looking for the next person in line for the outhouse at deer camp, and the guy in front of you just destroyed it. The usual response is, 'That's okay, I'll wait, I'll let it air out a bit...'
And the pay issue. Since they gave that idiot $95MM, they have artificially raised the minimum bar for any replacement - has to be many millions inflated.
I think the sparty faithful are wanting big name guys, but unless they about doubled Tucker's salary that isn't happening. Some candidates suggested by an SI article are:
Elko - Duke; Stoops - Kentucky; Both Kansas and KSU guys; Huff - Marshall; Fritz - Tulane;
They had a few others and some coordinators including our own Sherrone Moore and ohio's Hartline. I get that money talks, but I just can't imagine many big name guys who want to move laterally to that outhouse in EL, or that want to step up to be the HC there, either. I think many will say, 'That's okay, I'll wait, I'll let it air out a bit..."
So let's have some fun speculating: Who will be sparty's next coach?
XM
Link to SI article here for those who might be curious: https://www.si.com/college/2023/09/27/mel-tucker-michigan-state-replacement-candidates-coaching-carousel
September 28th, 2023 at 8:02 AM ^
I just hope hope it’s a long, painful and embarrassing process with lots of rejections and ultimately ending up with a mid coach making 10 million a year selling NFTs of himself.
September 28th, 2023 at 8:12 AM ^
Mork is going to come back for a year "to let it air out a bit" and have a little success on the field to make it look a little less.....unattractive.
They'd be smart to go after Leonhard, Tressel, or some other coordinator who has been on the cusp of a HC position, but hasn't yet gotten one.
Narduzzi turned them down when it was less putrid than it is now, as did the rest of their top 5 candidates. They aren't getting a quality HC from any other program and there's little chance the trustees agree to another idiotic contract offer, after having just narrowly escaped their last nuclear brain fart..
September 28th, 2023 at 8:27 AM ^
The one coach listed that I do not want them to get is Stoops from UK.
September 28th, 2023 at 8:30 AM ^
agreed, but since at best that's a lateral move from a solid program to a program in the septic tank, they would have to back up the bank truck to get him. unlikely given what transpired with tuck.
add to that the now-existing uncertainty about how much they might have to pay tuck to leave and that gums things up, too.
September 28th, 2023 at 8:53 AM ^
I don't see msu as a better opportunity than Kentucky at this point. Years ago, yes, but UK has overtaken them.
September 28th, 2023 at 8:59 AM ^
What's really going to hurt MSU right now is this might be the worst possible time for a scandal and coaching change. MSU was a top 5ish big ten program, now with Oregon, USC, UCLA and Washington coming in,they might not even be a top 10 program in their own conference
September 28th, 2023 at 8:28 AM ^
Don't really care, but I do have one requirement. That they suck.
September 28th, 2023 at 8:32 AM ^
Guaranteed
September 28th, 2023 at 8:43 AM ^
Super Bowl champion. Multiple national championship winner. Master of the triple option. By all accounts a great recruiter with the ability to connect with kids and families.
Barry Switzer.
Sure he's 85, but he's tanned, rested, and ready.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:26 AM ^
As an octogenarian it would set up an instant rivalry with Day and OSU.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:43 AM ^
I don't see why they shouldn't hire Duffy Daugherty. Kids will want to see the original successful MSU football coach.
September 28th, 2023 at 10:29 AM ^
"Kids will want to see the original successful MSU football coach."
The original successful MSU football coach was Biggie Munn. Duffy was his assistant.
September 28th, 2023 at 8:46 AM ^
Historically their best success has been when they had a recruit foothold in Ohio, but that was because they got plan B guys from Tressel. Going further back, was when they poached our guys Munn and Daugherty. Lesser success was with the Perles steroid sophistry.
Therefore, I will venture to guess, Dantonio will either hire a Ohio guy.....or.... will try to poach one of ours. To the mgoblog lawyers here, do you think we have in our coaches contracts, they cannot go to MSU, and/or have a massive buyout to prevent it? Mattison traitored out so I'll assume that there legally are no restrictions.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:21 AM ^
Do you think any current Michigan coach would go to EL or Columbus?
September 28th, 2023 at 9:37 AM ^
I don't think so, but I think there are a lot worse options from a UM fan perspective. Hopefully, they clean it up there and make it respectable. I get that's unlikely, since you've got Dantonio in the AD and a mess for a board/administration, but hey. At least they make sure tunnel shit doesn't happen again and decrease the uncontrolled violence in the game.
September 28th, 2023 at 10:19 AM ^
Our own coach Harbaugh, tried to get the MSU job waybackwhen. So yes.
September 28th, 2023 at 10:57 AM ^
Wait what? I tried searching for this and all I got was a ton of recent results about his suspension.
September 28th, 2023 at 4:51 PM ^
Harbaugh was pissed at Lloyd and Bo for not hiring him for the QB job over loeffler and tried to get the MSU job.
September 28th, 2023 at 10:35 AM ^
Going further back, was when they poached our guys Munn and Daugherty.
Biggie Munn was an assistant to Crisler for 8 seasons, but Duffy Daugherty was never one of "our guys."
Daugherty played for Syracuse, was an assistant to Munn there for one season, and then followed Daugherty to MSU.
Crisler should have chosen Munn to succeed him instead of Oosterbaan.
September 28th, 2023 at 8:51 AM ^
Mike Dantoni...BOOK IT!
September 28th, 2023 at 8:56 AM ^
Nah, he doesn't have the gravy train funnel from Jim Tressel any longer. Once that ended, he couldn't compete. We should thank Urban Meyer for that....seriously.
September 28th, 2023 at 10:54 AM ^
I was actually referring to the NBA coach.
September 28th, 2023 at 11:26 AM ^
I cant see him coming back full time. They ran him out the door as soon as Harbaugh started getting the best of him. He wouldn't be coaching msu of 2010.
September 28th, 2023 at 8:56 AM ^
I hear Brian Ferentz might be available next year.
September 28th, 2023 at 8:59 AM ^
Brian Hartline
September 28th, 2023 at 10:30 AM ^
If I'm Brian Hartline (and I'm not), I would take this job. There's nowhere to go but up. Even if you suck for a couple years, you get HC experience and your reputation is still intact, especially if you recruit well, and you take over OSU when the time comes.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:01 AM ^
I’d go stoops if I was them. He’s recruited the state well from Kentucky, already 56 and unlikely to ever be a hot coaching candidate at this stage, and he’s likely as sure of a bet to finish in the 7-9 win per season range for as long as he’s there.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:26 AM ^
Stoops would actually be a very smart choice. He has ties to the SEC and Big 12 - and, IIRC - “old” family ties to the B1G / Iowa.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:46 AM ^
Kentucky to MSU seems like a lateral move (indeed, I think Kentucky’s getting a lot of the kind of players out of Ohio that State used to get). It’s not like Stoops is from Michigan or is pet of a coaching tree. I think if he’s likely to go anywhere it’s to Iowa if Ferenz retires/ is pressured out for Brian related reasons.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:52 AM ^
Great perspective about Iowa and Stoops. His, and the family, connection to Iowa would make it a much more logical and cultural fit - and, Iowa City is a much more attractive location for a number of reasons than East Lansing is today.
Regarding Iowa - I wonder who Ferentz has been grooming as his successor.
September 28th, 2023 at 10:20 AM ^
I think Ferentz's defense of Brian has torpedoed any chance that he can name a successor, assuming that Phil Parker, their d-coordinator, doesn't want the job (he's always said he's not interested in being a head coach).
September 28th, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^
Parker's defenses have been notably strong . I know it's early in the season - and, the only Iowa game I've seen is last Saturday against PSU.
If he's not interested in the head coach position - there are probably a few options - and, he could possibly stay on for a season (at Iowa) to provide some continuity on the defensive side of the ball.
It will be interesting to see how much longer Ferentz is the head coach. Kirk is 68 years old and I believe this is his 24th season leading the Hawkeyes. Maybe he'll stay through next ('24) season - but, the Iowa fans have to be getting a bit restless with their offense, and perceived nepotism.
It seems like the Big West is going to be Wisconsin's by default this season.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:02 AM ^
Mike Valenti, come on down. Time for you to put your money where your mouth is.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:04 AM ^
If they're smart, they should go after Creighton from EMU. He's a local and has made EMU a competent program which is incredibly hard to do since EMU is among the worst coaching job in the country. He's a program builder so of course, MSU will ignore him
September 28th, 2023 at 10:03 AM ^
Totally agree. He isn't a retread and has a proven track record as a coach. Who knows if he can recruit at that level.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:12 AM ^
Maybe Staee should be the ones to finally give Eric Bieniemy a shot. He's interviewed for many HC jobs but hasn't gotten over the hump. Maybe there's some character flaw that holds him back, but that's never stopped MSU before.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:49 AM ^
There has to be absolute un-hirable character flaws for him. For an NFL team to not even take a chance on him, based on his success (I know there always are questions as to whether or not it's him or he is a product of Reid's system), there has to be something major that is keeping him from being a HC. People like Adam Gase get two chances to be a HC, so if Bieniemy is not even getting one, there must be a bright neon red flag.
Probably not the chance that is worth taking when you are in MSU's current position.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:50 AM ^
He’s got some links to the sexual assault scandals at Gary Barnett’s Colorado (think he was recruiting coordinator when the program was procuring prostitutes for recruits). I don’t think he faced punishment or that his direct involvement was proven but it’s the kind of thing State probably can’t have its new coach associated with, given the past decade.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:14 AM ^
MSU is still one of the main schools in one of the two big conferences -- I think we are selling the job short a little, guys.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:44 AM ^
And I think you're being quite generous with your use of "main." There are at least 5 schools already ahead of them, plus each of the 4 about to join. They might be barely in the top half right now, but they're almost assuredly in the bottom half post expansion.
September 28th, 2023 at 10:00 AM ^
They have an interim president, so that support could be fleeting. The board allegedly ratted out the most recent head coach in order to get him fired. There's a history of malfeasance at the school that used to get swept under the rug but now is being exposed. Four new teams were just added to the conference, all of which are better programs than Staee. In their best year, they'll be the fighting with WI for the 8th spot in the conference (UM, OSU, PSU, WA, OU, USC, UCLA). As Saban said, they'll always be in Michigan's shadow. If there was relegation in the B1G, they'd be the top of the bottom, the bottom of the top, the cream of the crap.
This is a dead end position.
September 28th, 2023 at 1:55 PM ^
I mean, they are one of the "main schools" in the conference based on undergraduate enrollment (#3 or 4, depending on the year).
But as a football school, they've been historically middle of the pack. Not the best, but not the worst.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:18 AM ^
It's actually a better job now than pre Tucker. When you come after King Mork, the reality is you're likely to fall short of what he did. After Tucker, though, ...
September 28th, 2023 at 9:28 AM ^
not so sure about mork. certainly he flourished during a time of concurring weakness for us and PSU, and with plan B guys from tressel. however, his program had lost a ton of steam by the time he left, and he waited until the worst possible time to leave and under a cloud of investigation, thus giving them...tuck. the luster he had diminished substantially that last few years.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:32 AM ^
The obvious choice is Paul Chryst. He has been successful in the B1G, he runs a clean program, and is very much just a guy who will coach football. Sparty needs a Bill O'Brien to reset their program. I think Chryst can be the guy to get them back to having an identity, recruiting and not relying on the portal, and put them back into a respectable program in all facets.
They will not hire him though because he is not flashy and isn't going to move the needle at all. The sad part is, what MSU needs most right now is someone who will not be flashy.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:54 AM ^
Could also go with the guy who stabbed Chryst in the back, Jim Leonard. Was thought to be the next big thing until stuff went sideways at Wisconsin.
September 28th, 2023 at 10:22 AM ^
What happened to Leonard? I thought he was one of hottest DCs in country for a few years, now I see he is...an analyst at Illinois?
September 28th, 2023 at 10:38 AM ^
Rumors are he's being essentially blackballed by coaching networks for his role in getting Chryst fired.
He's high on the list of the guys I don't want State to hire because they're good young coaches whose teams seem to be no fun to play against. Leonard and Wistert at WSU are probably the top two. (I'm also assuming that they're going to strike out on Elko, Stoops, the Kansas/K. St. coaches, etc).
September 28th, 2023 at 9:44 AM ^
MSU will probably go after Mike Elko hard.
September 28th, 2023 at 9:51 AM ^
Hopefully not Tucker-level hard.