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Dantonio Retires

Hate to see him go... they were trending in the right direction - down. Looks like social media is picking Pat Narduzzi (Pitt) or Luke Fickell (Cincy) to replace.
Fickell has done a right fine job at Cincy . . . that wouldn't surprise me.

The question I have is whether MSU's taint will cause guys like Fickell and Narduzzi to stay where they are. D'Antonio might be leaving . . . but significant problems remain at MSU. Based on his experience at MSU, Narduzzi might think he can handle those . . . rightly or wrongly, I don't know.
 
Dantonio received his bonus on January 15 per his contract. Reports are now coming out that he informed the administration of his intent. Jim Comparoni from SpartanMag is now saying that the coaching search has been ongoing since Dantonio made his intentions known. He also indicated that Fickell is the candidate and he is currently negotiating his contract.

Can't say I'm sad about his decision to retire. The game has passed him by. His offense was unimaginative and lacked innovation. He was adverse to firing his staff so he decided to retire and not have to deal with having to let his inept and incompetent staff.
 
The timing of it all is very suspect,obviously more to this story.
Sounds like the deposition in the Blackwell case didn't go well for him. Stacking perjury on top of NCAA violations and wrongful termination is not a good look. Maybe MSU finally decided he was too big a liability, or maybe Dantonio realized he finally had a situation he couldn't lie himself out from under.
 
Sounds like the deposition in the Blackwell case didn't go well for him. Stacking perjury on top of NCAA violations and wrongful termination is not a good look. Maybe MSU finally decided he was too big a liability, or maybe Dantonio realized he finally had a situation he couldn't lie himself out from under.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
 
Strange timing with letter of intent signing day straight ahead. Sounds like he's leaving town two steps ahead of the posse (Whether that is NCAA Investigation or Criminal Probe). Here's one for you Mark. one for your horse, and a lovely parting gift for your saddle bag.
 
Strange timing with letter of intent signing day straight ahead. Sounds like he's leaving town two steps ahead of the posse (Whether that is NCAA Investigation or Criminal Probe). Here's one for you Mark. one for your horse, and a lovely parting gift for your saddle bag.
Not leaving town. Staying on payroll in an unnamed position at $1,000,000 per year.
 
Narduzzi would crawl back to EL to take that job. Fickell seems logical choice. Hopefully the interim AD (and Izzo, Dantonio puppet) F's things up though. Hard to believe a new coach's players could more out of control as MD's in recent years, but...
Just beat OSU and UM and all will be okay.
 
Dantonio received his bonus on January 15 per his contract. Reports are now coming out that he informed the administration of his intent. Jim Comparoni from SpartanMag is now saying that the coaching search has been ongoing since Dantonio made his intentions known. He also indicated that Fickell is the candidate and he is currently negotiating his contract.

Can't say I'm sad about his decision to retire. The game has passed him by. His offense was unimaginative and lacked innovation. He was adverse to firing his staff so he decided to retire and not have to deal with having to let his inept and incompetent staff.
Um..., when I 1st read this, I was thinking, "that's an awfully rosey interpretation of this situation", then I saw the author of the post, "Spartan4ever", then of course it makes sense. The rosiness of the post makes sense, I mean.
 
Sounds like the deposition in the Blackwell case didn't go well for him. Stacking perjury on top of NCAA violations and wrongful termination is not a good look. Maybe MSU finally decided he was too big a liability, or maybe Dantonio realized he finally had a situation he couldn't lie himself out from under.
We will see what the NCAA does with the violations. Is there any unsigned recruits we might be calling?
 
Not leaving town. Staying on payroll in an unnamed position at $1,000,000 per year.
In the event the NCAA comes calling, MSU would have been better off cutting all ties with him and paying him a severance package rather than keeping him on payroll. It shows me that MSU isn't serious about this. if we just re arrange the deck chairs and rebury the bodies, nobody will notice.
 
Luke Ficknell is the odds on favorite to be the next MSU coach,at 300, followed closely by Narduzzi of Pitt. Matt Campbell, Iowa State supposedly turned down the offer! --Tom Allen is at 900.
 
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Luke Ficknell is the odds on favorite to be the next MSU coach,at 300, followed closely by Narduzzi of Pitt. Matt Campbell, Iowa State supposedly turned down the offer! --Tom Allen is at 900.

I get that MSU is a step up from Cincy, but Fickell just had the best recruiting class out of all of the G5 programs. He's had back to back 11 win seasons there as well. MSU will pay him better, but now he's gotta compete with the big boys.

Also, when Dantonio had his unparalleled success up there, O$U, P$U, and UM were all going through all sorts of issues. Tressel getting canned. P$U getting sanctions. UM burning through coaches like Hoke and Rich Rod. That's not the case now. All of those programs are trending upwards and have been for the last few seasons, while Sparty has been trending downwards. Add in that they're most likely to get some NCAA sanctions and I just can't see why more money makes this the P5 option that he wants to take?

If I were him I'd win 11 or 12 games again next year and then see who comes calling. USC might be looking. Texas might be looking. Of course there will be other high profile teams that I'm not thinking of as well. When the stars aligned, Sparty made hay. Now that the traditional powers are traditionally powerful again and they're looking at sanctions, I just don't get why he'd leave Cincy.
 
I get that MSU is a step up from Cincy, but Fickell just had the best recruiting class out of all of the G5 programs. He's had back to back 11 win seasons there as well. MSU will pay him better, but now he's gotta compete with the big boys.
People seem to think it's all about the money, and most times they're right. I'm with you -- if I'm Fickell I'm staying far, far away from E. Lansing. The money will come.
 
I get that MSU is a step up from Cincy, but Fickell just had the best recruiting class out of all of the G5 programs. He's had back to back 11 win seasons there as well. MSU will pay him better, but now he's gotta compete with the big boys.

Also, when Dantonio had his unparalleled success up there, O$U, P$U, and UM were all going through all sorts of issues. Tressel getting canned. P$U getting sanctions. UM burning through coaches like Hoke and Rich Rod. That's not the case now. All of those programs are trending upwards and have been for the last few seasons, while Sparty has been trending downwards. Add in that they're most likely to get some NCAA sanctions and I just can't see why more money makes this the P5 option that he wants to take?

If I were him I'd win 11 or 12 games again next year and then see who comes calling. USC might be looking. Texas might be looking. Of course there will be other high profile teams that I'm not thinking of as well. When the stars aligned, Sparty made hay. Now that the traditional powers are traditionally powerful again and they're looking at sanctions, I just don't get why he'd leave Cincy.
Fickell is the next PJ Fleck, and he's going to get paid.
 
Fickell is the next PJ Fleck, and he's going to get paid.

I agree that he's going to get paid. I just wouldn't go to Sparty right now for that payday with sanctions looming and them trending down while O$U, P$U, and UM are all trending up. He'll win another 11 or 12 games at Cincy this year and I would expect him to be at the top of many coaching searches. Helton out at USC is on very shaky ground for example, and I see USC as a much better job than this. The money will come whenever he makes the leap to a P5 school. I just wouldn't make this leap. We'll see what he decides fairly soon I'd bet.
 
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