Mark Dantonio brought stability to Michigan State and made the Spartans an annual contender for the first time since the mid-1960s. He led MSU to the College Football Playoff in 2015 and set the team's coaching wins record.
But his time has come to an end. Dantonio's post-playoff struggles on the field, and some negative headlines off of it, likely contributed to his decision to retire Tuesday, more than a month after his 13th season in East Lansing. The Spartans fell well short of expectations in 2019. They couldn't sort out their offensive woes and backslid on defense during a five-game losing streak. There is also Dantonio's role in the wrongful termination lawsuit that former staffer Curtis Blackwell filed against the school.
One of the better Big Ten jobs is now open. Dantonio, 63, made obvious upgrades to the program, and MSU will look to recapture the momentum it had from 2010 to 2015, when it averaged 10.8 wins per season and had five top-15 finishes (three top-six finishes). Under Dantonio, the Spartans made bowl appearances in 12 of his 13 seasons, won or shared three Big Ten titles and won the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl in consecutive seasons. Dantonio won six of his first eight games against in-state rival Michigan. He beat Urban Meyer in the 2013 Big Ten championship and again in 2015 at Ohio Stadium.
Although Dantonio is retiring from coaching, he will remain with the university, and his influence in who succeeds him is worth monitoring. Will MSU want someone similar to Dantonio -- even from his coaching tree -- or make a clean break? Although MSU named Bill Beekman as its permanent athletic director in July, many in the industry don't expect him to be in the role for very long.
Here's a look at who could be next to lead the Spartans.
Candidates
Tier 1
Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell: It's rare when a school replacing a successful head coach has a candidate with nearly an identical profile. Dantonio also coached Cincinnati after a stint as Ohio State's defensive coordinator. Fickell, 46, is a little younger than Dantonio was when he came to MSU and also a bit more successful at Cincinnati, which recorded consecutive 11-win seasons. Fickell is very close to Dantonio and likely would get his mentor's blessing to take over at MSU. He's also a very strong recruiter who, despite his roots on defense, provides the fresh approach on offense that MSU desperately needs.
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi: If MSU wants to stay in the Dantonio tree, there's no stronger branch than Narduzzi. He served as Dantonio's defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2015 (Cincinnati and Michigan State) before taking his first head-coaching job at Pitt. Michigan State's struggles since Narduzzi left town are glaring, and he understands the place and how to win there better than almost anyone. Narduzzi, 53, also has proved himself at Pitt with four winning seasons out of five, highlighted by a Coastal Division title in 2018.
Iowa State coach Matt Campbell: Although Campbell doesn't have a direct Dantonio connection, he would be an excellent choice to get MSU back on track. He's a Northeast Ohio native who played at Mount Union and landed his first head-coaching job at Toledo, so he knows the area. Campbell, 40, lacks a true breakthrough season at Iowa State but has several signature wins over Big 12 opponents. He will be very much in demand for Power 5 jobs, so MSU would need a convincing pitch to pluck him from a job he loves.
Tier 2
Cal coach Justin Wilcox: His head-coaching record (20-18) doesn't jump out, but he has dramatically improved Cal's defense and made some important gains in recruiting. Wilcox's résumé includes five defensive coordinator stints, the last at Wisconsin in 2016. The 43-year-old loved his time in Madison and could see the Big Ten as the next logical step after Cal. If MSU can't land one of its first options, Wilcox isn't a bad fallback.
New York Jets coach Adam Gase: Despite the unusual timing for a coaching search, Michigan State likely will take some big swings at candidates. It's not like there's a recruiting class left to salvage. Gase began his coaching career as an undergraduate at Michigan State under Saban and followed him to LSU from 2000 to 2002. He has been in the NFL ever since and might be hesitant to leave a head-coaching job. But he'll be on the hot seat with the Jets this coming season and could see his alma mater as a fresh start.
Colorado coach Mel Tucker: I didn't initially have Tucker on my radar for MSU, but the more I study his profile, the more he makes sense. The Cleveland native played at Wisconsin and started coaching at Michigan State as a graduate assistant for Nick Saban. Tucker, 48, has worked for three NFL teams and at several of college football's premier programs, but he's a Big Ten guy at heart who brings a good mix of recruiting clout and player development experience. He spent only a year at Colorado and might not want to leave his first FBS head-coaching opportunity.
New York Giants outside linebackers coach Bret Bielema: He coached Wisconsin against Dantonio's Michigan State team in the inaugural Big Ten championship game and captured the second of three straight league titles. After a tough end at Arkansas, Bielema, 50, spent two seasons working for Bill Belichick in New England before being hired by the Giants in January and would be interested in returning to college for the right job. Some MSU fans would have to warm up to the idea, but the school likely can't find a candidate with better Big Ten credentials than Bielema brings.
Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain: After a strange ending at Florida, McElwain started to reboot his head-coaching career in 2019, winning MAC Coach of the Year honors in Year 1 at CMU. He worked as an assistant at Michigan State from 2003 to 2005 and also spent the 2018 season as a Michigan assistant before landing the Central Michigan job. McElwain, 57, could reshape Michigan State's offense while building the program around player development. From what I hear about who is leading MSU's search, I wouldn't be surprised if McElwain gets an interview.
Alabama offensive analyst Butch Jones: Look beyond the bad end at Tennessee and some of the laughable lines ("champions of life"). Jones is 30 games above .500 as an FBS coach with four conference championships and only three bowl-less seasons out of 11 (two in Year 1 at both Cincinnati and Tennessee). He's also a Michigander (Saugatuck) who spent all but two seasons coaching in the state between 1995 and 2009, going 27-13 at Central Michigan. Jones, 51, is a proven recruiter ready to reboot his career after two years under Nick Saban at Alabama.
Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch: MSU likely wants Dantonio's successor to have head-coaching experience, but if the school is open to giving an impressive coordinator his first opportunity, Grinch makes a lot of sense. Grinch has Midwest roots (Ohio native, Mount Union alum) but has coached on both coasts and in four power conferences. He spent 2018 in the Big Ten at Ohio State. Grinch is a career defensive coach but also brings a unique view after working alongside offensive-minded head coaches (Mike Leach, Urban Meyer, Lincoln Riley).
Recommendation: Luke Fickell
Fickell makes the most sense for the job if Michigan State can get him. He has strong ties to Dantonio but not to the recent controversies affecting the MSU program. Fickell boasts extensive ties in the state of Ohio and knows what it takes for MSU to compete with Ohio State, Penn State and others. He has proved himself as a program leader and would immediately get MSU's fan base reenergized after some tough years.