Coach Mark Dantonio (official thread)

[spadukins]

Thankfully MSU grabbed him before scUM finally gets fed up with Llllloyd and is looking for a replacement. I like JT's chances against Dantonio better as the Spartans coach than I would if he were in AA. Can you imagine that?

Hopefully MSU can start coming out on the winning end against scUM a little more often. After all, MSU is scUM's biggest rival . I'm sure I've heard that from U of M fans about a million or so times.

Best of luck to Dantonio in East Lansing. Llllloyd Carr, go [censored] yourself.

Oh and as always...Go Buckeyes!!!!

[Kal-El]

It has been reported that Tom Izzo tells some recruits to take a serious look at scum just so they stay instate and because he likes amaker.

Think JT will send some Ohio recruits our way so they don't end up at scum? Or does that whole carr being his bitch thing work against us there.

[JCOSU86]

This story sounds familar....hmmmmm....where have I read something like this before?

Oh yeah! Here:

Commentary: Michigan State hire is substance over style
By Larry Lage
AP Sports Writer
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State needs steak, not sizzle.
While John L. Smith is not a big-name coach, the man hired Thursday to lead the Spartans may be just the person to turn around a program that hasn't sustained success or coaching stability for more than 30 years.
Athletic director Ron Mason wanted to hire a head coach with a proven track record, and he found one after a six-week search following his firing of Bobby Williams.
In 14 seasons as a head coach at three schools, Smith ranks 14th among Division I-A coaches in wins, with 110.
The 54-year-old has climbed the coaching ladder with sure-footed moves.
In six seasons at Idaho, he became its winningest coach, made three straight trips to the NCAA I-AA playoffs and won two Big Sky titles.
In three seasons at Utah State, he won two Big West championships with a program that had just two winning seasons in the previous 15 years.
During his five years at Louisville, he led the Cardinals to unprecedented success with two Conference USA titles and five straight bowl appearances, including Wednesday's loss in the GMAC Bowl.
The jump to the Big Ten represents the most-daunting step Smith has made, especially since he will have to compete on the recruiting trail and on the field with conference powers Michigan and Ohio State along with independent Notre Dame.
But Smith's proven track record explains why Mason is comfortable putting his reputation at stake with this decision.
The first-year director knows if Smith proves not to be the right coach -- and nobody will be able to answer that for at least a couple of years -- this move will be remembered more vividly than any of the decisions he made as college hockey's winningest coach.
While other schools fired coaches after Michigan State did, and found replacements quicker, Mason said he wouldn't be rushed. Mason wasn't worried about losing recruits because he said one recruiting class was not worth making a hasty decision.
He conducted his search about as quiet as one can these days with the Internet and sports-talk radio fueling incessant rumors. Redskins defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis was the only other known candidate.
Smith has a better chance of being a long-term fit for a program that desperately needs it.
Lewis and Michigan State officials discussed contract terms during his on-campus interview last week, but Mason insists he was never offered the job. Lewis later said he still wanted to be an NFL head coach. It helped Michigan State that Lewis made that decision now, and not after a year or two in East Lansing.
Lewis would've grabbed national headlines, excited more fans and perhaps even attracted Saginaw High School star linebacker LaMarr Woodley, but it would've been a short-term fix for a long-term problem.
No Big Ten football program has had more turnover with its head coach than Michigan State, which now has its eighth coach in 30 years.
That's a big reason the Spartans have been unable to sustain success since they were a national power in the mid-1960s under coach Duffy Daugherty.
Despite consistently sending players to the NFL, Michigan State has gone to just one Rose Bowl, won three Big Ten titles and won eight or more games in consecutive seasons once since 1966.
Since Daugherty's 19 seasons ended in 1972, Michigan State has had Denny Stolz, Darryl Rogers, Muddy Waters, George Perles, Nick Saban, Williams and Morris Watts, who served on an interim basis.
Despite its lack of stability or success, Michigan State has not done enough to keep its loyal fans away. Spartan Stadium usually packs 70,000-plus fans whether the home team -- or head coach -- is doing well.
That's another reason why Mason didn't need to hire the most-popular coach, he needed the find the right one.
Originally published Friday, December 20, 2002

[CleveBucks]

MSU officials made a detour to Baton Rouge on Sunday... I'd say Pelini was an interviewee.

[scarletandgrey]

I know that this will probably never become a rivalry as big as scUM. But does this not remind you of when Bo coached under Woody just a little?

To bad Carr didn't get fired sooner (pure speculation) and Dantonio was hired there. We might of had ourselves another 10 year war.

[ScriptOhio]

Re: "the man hired Thursday to lead the Spartans may be just the person to turn around a program that hasn't sustained success or coaching stability for more than 30 years."

By the time he gets the Michigan State program "turned around" with his recruits (in 2009 and 2010) we'll have MSU just where we want them, i.e. off the schedule!!!

Needless to say MSU hired a very good man for the job this time.

[jimotis4heisman]

maybe im the only one, through 35games hes one over .500...

[The Man]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

maybe im the only one, through 35games hes one over .500...

your not. UC insiders have said for a year or so that Dantonio is not a good recruiter and comes off as very aloof to parents of recruits. He needs an assistant or two that are very good recruiters to help him until he figures it out. I will be surprised if it goes well there.......

[CookyPuss]

Originally Posted by The Man

your not. UC insiders have said for a year or so that Dantonio is not a good recruiter and comes off as very aloof to parents of recruits. He needs an assistant or two that are very good recruiters to help him until he figures it out. I will be surprised if it goes well there.......

Doesn't sound like he is going to have much of a different staff. Pat Narduzzi who was the DC and now the interim head coach was on the radio here in Cincinnati this morning. He said the entire UC coaching staff was in East Lansing yesterday and he had an offer to join Dantonio as well. He stated that he is the only coach staying behind at UC and is "doing it for the kids." By the sound of his voice, I think he really wanted to be on that plane to EL as well.

[JohnnyCockfight]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

maybe im the only one, through 35games hes one over .500...

But you have to consider the program and circumstances he walked into. He went to a team that was full of kids recruited to play in Conference USA, and a team that was down enough that they fired their previous coach. If Duke University were to hire a new football coach who led them to the same record over the next three years, he could have any open coaching job in the country. It's not like Dantonio walked into a well functioning program, and what he did this year against that schedule should be highly commended.

[Okinawa's#1Buck]

Originally Posted by scarletandgrey

I know that this will probably never become a rivalry as big as scUM. But does this not remind you of when Bo coached under Woody just a little?

To bad Carr didn't get fired sooner (pure speculation) and Dantonio was hired there. We might of had ourselves another 10 year war.

It has a feel, but really it is much different. Dantonio has been gone as a head coach for a few years, he didn't just up and leave unexpectedly for the biggest enemy of the state. Had Bo not just passed (and all that talk of the rivalry all over the tube), I doubt anyone would even be comparing it.

P.S. F*** the 10 year war. I'd take repeats of the last 6 years over and over and over again! It feels damn good to be on the upside every year. I don't want to be splitting these games 50/50.

[Okinawa's#1Buck]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

maybe im the only one, through 35games hes one over .500...

He played 6 teams this season that were in the top 11 at the time of the game. And those were his only 5 loses this year. That team would have been poised for a big season next year with all that big-time game experience. I thought his record there was above expectations and it showed as he was so quickly picked up by a big program.

[BB73]

Picked this up before they fixed the typo in their headline.

sportsline

Dantonio radis Cincy for three offensive and one defensive coach

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Four of Mark Dantonio's assistants at Cincinnati are following him to Michigan State, the Spartans' football coach said Thursday.
Don Treadwell will be offensive coordinator, Ted Gill defensive line coach, Dan Roushar offensive line coach and Mark Staten tight ends/tackles coach and recruiting coordinator.

"Staff continuity is important anytime you change managers," said Dantonio, who took the Michigan State job Sunday. "Obviously, I have a lot of loyalty to my coaches from Cincinnati, but that's not the only reason why those guys are here. These coaches also produced positive results at Cincinnati, both on and off the field."

[Bestbuck36]

D's going to get much better players at MSU than he had at Cincy. The players won't think MSU is a "step down" to play there much as some may have felt at UC. You also have to think that with MSU's lenient admissions he could very well pick up some outstanding football players there in the next 4 or 5 seasons. I shudder to think what MSU could have done with their offense, a good defense, and a coach who doesn't [censored] his pants come gametime. I'm glad coach D is in East Lansing for some of the same reasons others have already mentioned but I would guarantee that our future matches with Sparty will be hotly contested.

[Best Buckeye]

I watched a local (MSU) interviewer talk with Mark. He stated that he has been a Sparty ever since he was an assistant there before and that he still has a set of Sparty sweats.
So all the time he was coaching at tOSU and Cinci he was MSU fan.
That kind of spoils it for me.