Mark Dantonio steps down from MSU

[London 'Cat]

Not knowing what's actually happening in this period of time where we "know" everything immediately is tough, but some of the folks here need to pump the brakes, let this thing play out, and stop making statements they may later regret.

I could not agree more. Fickell has been an outstanding coach at UC and fans of the program should be grateful for the job he and his staff have done. It does seem odd that he will be interviewed in Cincinnati instead of East Lansing. But for anyone to say anything definite when it seems to be based on unnamed “sources with knowledge of the search” is jumping to conclusions without evidence to support those conclusions.

[Geaux Juan]

Not knowing what's actually happening in this period of time where we "know" everything immediately is tough, but some of the folks here need to pump the brakes, let this thing play out, and stop making statements they may later regret.

[red_n_black_attack]

Interviewing today, or having a discussion. Either way you look at it, Luke is talking the MSU head football coaching job directly with the MSU Athetic Director.maybe it's a good sign Luke didn't travel there: not seeing their facilities firsthand or meeting players. Make AD Beekman come to Cincinnati is also good, makes MSU look as desperate as they are.



https://flipboard.com/article/https%...uke-fickell%2F

[Cliftonite]

I’m with you. Not moving to East Lansing, Michigan for ANY reason. But this is about being able to run a program that has the benefit of cashing Big Ten checks versus UC where we’re barely scraping by financially. Also D1 coaches as a group tend to have very inflated egos (there are a couple in my family). I never bought the narrative that Fickell was different despite the carefully crafted image that he and his wife have put out there. If he doesn’t take the MSU job it’s just delaying the inevitable by a year or two. Ryan Day reportedly has NFL ambitions. So does Harbaugh. James Franklin’s name has been associated with several high profile openings. At some point Brian Kelly is going to get fired if he doesn’t win a NC.

MSU is the pinnacle for him I think, like it was for Dantonio - just get to a major Bowl game every year and come in 3rd or 4th place, make a lot more $$ and coach for a highly visible program, then retire. Am guessing he'll take some Cincy players/coaches with him.

I'm not sure Fickell is in this position again for any other opening, the timing and connections suck for UC in this case. The positive is that there's talent coming in here either way and I'm not convinced Fickell is even that great of a HC, and isn't highly replaceable, provided they can pull local talent like he did.

UC has some great facilities, they are top notch, better than the Bengals', plenty of reason to think things will be fine. That said, the momentum and the class that's coming in this year, the timing is awful.

[Jeff Burk]

i wonder if LF had advance knowledge of this from Dantonio and maybe that is why Freeman stayed put.

[Cliftonite]

Fickell interview is later today (Sunday) in Cincy:

https://twitter.com/BrandonSaho/stat...980770304?s=20

[longtimefan]

Multiple reports that the MSU AD landed at Lunken this evening. It's time to lock up Marcus Freeman.

[CroninCrazy]

I think he should stay "home" in Ohio.

I would get it if it's a big name school with a deeper tradition, but it's just another P5 school.

[CroninCrazy]

It's ironic that CLF can recruit and say stay in Cincy with a smaller conference/school while he is possibly doing the opposite.

[Bearcats84]

LF has asked his recruits to stay home and go to a smaller program like UC instead of going to bigger programs yet, he is about to take off to a bigger program.

[blackattack]

If I were him, I would stick around at UC for one more year. He will have an opportunity for a better opening come December. MSU is a shitshow right now.

I’m with you. Not moving to East Lansing, Michigan for ANY reason. But this is about being able to run a program that has the benefit of cashing Big Ten checks versus UC where we’re barely scraping by financially. Also D1 coaches as a group tend to have very inflated egos (there are a couple in my family). I never bought the narrative that Fickell was different despite the carefully crafted image that he and his wife have put out there. If he doesn’t take the MSU job it’s just delaying the inevitable by a year or two. Ryan Day reportedly has NFL ambitions. So does Harbaugh. James Franklin’s name has been associated with several high profile openings. At some point Brian Kelly is going to get fired if he doesn’t win a NC.

[London 'Cat]

If I were him, I would stick around at UC for one more year. He will have an opportunity for a better opening come December. MSU is a shitshow right now.

[swilsonsp4]

The Detroit Free Press reported that MSU's other top candidate, Mel Tucker, tweeted that he's staying at Colorado and will not interview.

[blackattack]

Interesting quote from a couple years ago: “We actually made some pacts and I said, 'I promise you I’m not going to run ourselves and our family around the country chasing titles and money and different things.”

https://www.wcpo.com/sports/college-...-football-team

apparently the Dantonio Family and Fickell family are very close. You know Mark Dantonio is putting the hard sell on Fickell. I think if he’s offered he’s gone. If he eventually wants to be the head coach at O$U or even ND then this is a logical progression. Much better conference, facilities, and budget to work with. The part that will sting the most for me is that you know Fickell will set his sights on this area as prime recruiting territory especially the GCL.
A couple thoughts about his chances of being successful up there: when Dantonio went up there in 2007 both Michigan and Penn State were a mess. Dantonio peaked in 2015 with an appearance in the CFP and really never did much after that. Not coincidentally it was about that same time MSU’s chief rivals hired new coaches; Harbaugh at Michigan in 2015 and James Franklin at Penn State (2014). Both Harbaugh and Franklin quickly turned things around by recruiting at much higher level than Dantonio.
In other words Fickell won’t have the luxury that Dantonio had with Michigan and Penn State being a mess. We all know Luke is a great recruiter. Can he beat Ryan Day, Harbaugh, and Franklin for the talent necessary to get MSU at an elite level again?? I think we’re going to find out soon enough

[steveedwards]

Interesting quote from a couple years ago: “We actually made some pacts and I said, 'I promise you I’m not going to run ourselves and our family around the country chasing titles and money and different things.”

https://www.wcpo.com/sports/college-...-football-team