Dantonio out at Michigan State

[NolePride]

"The Return to Mediocrity."

 

[7Samurai13]

"The Return to Mediocrity."

We’ve been there the last two years.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

that’s two options down. If Fickell turns them down MSU is screwed.

 

[fredsdeadfriend]

Honestly, if I was Fickell, I'd rather stay where I am at. Seriously. Wait for a better situation.

Nothing against MSU in general, but the situation at this moment, that the new coach would be going into, you need a builder, you need a Glen Mason/Jerry Kill kind of guy. Willing to come in and not win right away, start from scratch almost, and build it back up over 3-4 years.

 

[Deep Creek]

Honestly, if I was Fickell, I'd rather stay where I am at. Seriously. Wait for a better situation.

Nothing against MSU in general, but the situation at this moment, that the new coach would be going into, you need a builder, you need a Glen Mason/Jerry Kill kind of guy. Willing to come in and not win right away, start from scratch almost, and build it back up over 3-4 years.

I agree. Jim Grobe doesn't get enough credit for the job he did at Baylor for that one year. He kept that place from sinking all the way to the bottom of the ocean. Steadying influence is what MSU needs if they can't make the hire they want right now.

 

[NolePride]

Honestly, if I was Fickell, I'd rather stay where I am at. Seriously. Wait for a better situation.

Nothing against MSU in general, but the situation at this moment, that the new coach would be going into, you need a builder, you need a Glen Mason/Jerry Kill kind of guy. Willing to come in and not win right away, start from scratch almost, and build it back up over 3-4 years.

Plus you need to weather the storm. Who knows what that program could be hit with from the NCAA. Their recruiting
is in decline already. They've always played second-fiddle to Michigan on the National Scene.

Luke Fickell failed at Ohio State. I would suggest following the "Will Muschamp Story" for further proof.

They need a builder and the builder will need to be guaranteed time

 

[fredsdeadfriend]

How old is Missouri's former coach? He was a builder. lol

 

[Rolltide94]

Well, IF Frost can get NU back to winning more than it loses, and if Fleck continues kicking tail like I believe he will, this could balance out the Divisions quite a bit with the West having MORE good teams than the East, now.

Minny, UW, Iowa, Nebby & the others taking turns having a good year would give the West 5 teams that could regularly be getting votes in the polls.

The East just has OSU, PSU and Michigan with a crappy Harbaugh as coach now? Oh, maybe Indiana?

Better hope the development pans out, the only West team in the top 20 recruiting rankings was Nebraska at #20.

 

[fredsdeadfriend]

Better hope the development pans out, the only West team in the top 20 recruiting rankings was Nebraska at #20.

Neither Iowa, nor Wisconsin, has needed Top 20 recruiting classes to end up in the Top 20. Now we see that Fleck and Minnesota doesn't need that, either.

Iowa's best recruiting class since 2012 has been #39, well, until 2020, they are #33 so far. But from 2012 to 2016 they only once cracked the Top 55. Their last 3 classes in contrast have ALL cracked the Top 41

Wisco's best recruiting class since 2012 has been #29, in 2019, well, until 2020, they are #25 so far. They seemed to average over 35, until recently, of course.



And Minnesota? They averaged over 60 from 2012 to 2015. Then they averaged 47 from 2016 to 2019. They are #35 so far for 2020.


Nebraska averaged 30 from 2012 to 2016. They averaged 24 from 2016 to 2018. They were #18 in 2019. They are #33 so far in 2020.


So ALL FOUR of the Top West teams' recruiting has slowly progressed and gotten better over the last 9-10 seasons. Look out East, her we come!!!

 

[Innermind]

that’s two options down. If Fickell turns them down MSU is screwed.

At this point I think it might be current interim head coach Mike Tressel for the next season. Or possibly Eastern Michigan head coach Chris Creighton or Central Michigan head coach Jim McElwain, with a slight possibility of Bret Bielema.

It needs to be someone with decent/established recruiting connections in the Great Lakes area, especially Michigan and Ohio.

 

[Innermind]

......or.......


perhaps this guy is still pissed Michigan fired him, so he will lobby for the Michigan State job and get it.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

At this point I think it might be current interim head coach Mike Tressel for the next season. Or possibly Eastern Michigan head coach Chris Creighton or Central Michigan head coach Jim McElwain, with a slight possibility of Bret Bielema.

It needs to be someone with decent/established recruiting connections in the Great Lakes area, especially Michigan and Ohio.

I still think the plan from Dantonio was Tressel the entire time; the timing of Dantonio's departure is too weird not to be motivated by something. No coach spends 13 years at a program and then retires in February. Dantonio stayed loyal to his staff, even when everyone wanted them fired. Dantonio wanted to pick a successor, maybe MSU didn't want to do that, so Dantonio picked a time where no one else would want to come, or no one else made sense, other than the guys currently there and the "interim" head coach Mike Tressel. MSU might make a swipe at Fickell but I think this was the plan all along.

 

[7Samurai13]

I still think the plan from Dantonio was Tressel the entire time; the timing of Dantonio's departure is too weird not to be motivated by something. No coach spends 13 years at a program and then retires in February. Dantonio stayed loyal to his staff, even when everyone wanted them fired. Dantonio wanted to pick a successor, maybe MSU didn't want to do that, so Dantonio picked a time where no one else would want to come, or no one else made sense, other than the guys currently there and the "interim" head coach Mike Tressel. MSU might make a swipe at Fickell but I think this was the plan all along.

 

[Across The Field]

I still think the plan from Dantonio was Tressel the entire time; the timing of Dantonio's departure is too weird not to be motivated by something. No coach spends 13 years at a program and then retires in February. Dantonio stayed loyal to his staff, even when everyone wanted them fired. Dantonio wanted to pick a successor, maybe MSU didn't want to do that, so Dantonio picked a time where no one else would want to come, or no one else made sense, other than the guys currently there and the "interim" head coach Mike Tressel. MSU might make a swipe at Fickell but I think this was the plan all along.

I think they might not have a choice but to make it Tressel for now. Unless they go something like 9-3 next year, I think they're cleaning house. They need to rid themselves of the stench from the last few years under Dantonio and completely start fresh.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

I think they might not have a choice but to make it Tressel for now. Unless they go something like 9-3 next year, I think they're cleaning house. They need to rid themselves of the stench from the last few years under Dantonio and completely start fresh.

But that's where I think Dantonio gets involved. Many forget, they have an AD who was appointed by Engler who almost certainly has less power than Dantonio at MSU. Dantonio is staying on in the AD in some capacity. IDK, but I don't get the feeling that MSU is cleaning house any time soon and I feel like this is all in Dantonio's master plan to keep his buddies employed and anoint a successor of his choosing without specifically doing so. Again, the surprise retirement in Feb. that no one knew about within the AD has to have some other motivation. And even if they get a new HC, will that person have the power to clean house right away or will it be a Detroit Lions situation where they have to keep a bunch of guys because Dantonio wants them?

 

[Deep Creek]

Neither Iowa, nor Wisconsin, has needed Top 20 recruiting classes to end up in the Top 20. Now we see that Fleck and Minnesota doesn't need that, either.

Iowa's best recruiting class since 2012 has been #39, well, until 2020, they are #33 so far. But from 2012 to 2016 they only once cracked the Top 55. Their last 3 classes in contrast have ALL cracked the Top 41

Wisco's best recruiting class since 2012 has been #29, in 2019, well, until 2020, they are #25 so far. They seemed to average over 35, until recently, of course.



And Minnesota? They averaged over 60 from 2012 to 2015. Then they averaged 47 from 2016 to 2019. They are #35 so far for 2020.


Nebraska averaged 30 from 2012 to 2016. They averaged 24 from 2016 to 2018. They were #18 in 2019. They are #33 so far in 2020.


So ALL FOUR of the Top West teams' recruiting has slowly progressed and gotten better over the last 9-10 seasons. Look out East, her we come!!!

True. There is ample proof that a team doesn't need to be in the top 20 recruiting wise to finish ranked in the top 20.

But, if the goal is the CFP, there isn't ample proof. Quite the opposite.

 

[Across The Field]

But that's where I think Dantonio gets involved. Many forget, they have an AD who was appointed by Engler who almost certainly has less power than Dantonio at MSU. Dantonio is staying on in the AD in some capacity. IDK, but I don't get the feeling that MSU is cleaning house any time soon and I feel like this is all in Dantonio's master plan to keep his buddies employed and anoint a successor of his choosing without specifically doing so. Again, the surprise retirement in Feb. that no one knew about within the AD has to have some other motivation. And even if they get a new HC, will that person have the power to clean house right away or will it be a Detroit Lions situation where they have to keep a bunch of guys because Dantonio wants them?

Problem is, Dantonio's power doesn't mean shit if the boosters are pissed. NFL teams don't rely on boosters the way college football teams do. If they have something like a 3-9/4-8 season in 2020 (which is very likely), I doubt highly that they keep the leftovers around.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

True. There is ample proof that a team doesn't need to be in the top 20 recruiting wise to finish ranked in the top 20.

But, if the goal is the CFP, there isn't ample proof. Quite the opposite.

The problem Michigan State has is being in one of the toughest divisions in CFB. It's kinda hard to finish top 20 when you don't have top 20 recruiting classes (or close to it). It's especially hard if you finish almost last in the B10 in recruiting.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Problem is, Dantonio's power doesn't mean shit if the boosters are pissed. NFL teams don't rely on boosters the way college football teams do. If they have something like a 3-9/4-8 season in 2020 (which is very likely), I doubt highly that they keep the leftovers around.

Does MSU have boosters? I'm not aware of the MSU booster game being that influential.

 

[Deep Creek]

The problem Michigan State has is being in one of the toughest divisions in CFB. It's kinda hard to finish top 20 when you don't have top 20 recruiting classes (or close to it). It's especially hard if you finish almost last in the B10 in recruiting.

But that is also true with teams in the SEC West..and maybe even the East because of crossover games.

I was just making the point that if the goal of a team is to finish ranked in the top 20, it is possible without top 20 recruiting classes. Certainly not easy if you are in a tough division/conference.

But, if a team's goal is to make the CFP, it needs to have top recruiting classes. If it wants to win the CFP, it better be way at the top. At least that is what the first few years of the CFP have shown.