Michigan State Football

The Michigan State Spartans have agreed to hire Mel Tucker as their 17th head coach in program history.

On Wednesday, Michigan State made the hiring official.

Colorado also confirmed Tucker's exit from the program in a release stating he resigned, effective immediately:

"We are disappointed to see Coach Tucker leave," Colorado athletic director Rick George said. "We are excited about the upward trajectory of our football program and we'll get to work immediately hiring the next head coach to build on our momentum and lead our young men. We're confident this program is on the verge of competing at the highest level and has the resources and support in place to do so for a long time."

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman first reported the hiring on Tuesday.

The Spartans began their coaching search after Mark Dantonio announced he was stepping down as head coach on Feb. 4 in a lengthy letter, saying it was "one of the most difficult decisions that I have ever made here at Michigan State":

To all Spartans: Thank you for everything. You have truly helped my dreams come true. pic.twitter.com/uKkubvp1cW

— Mark Dantonio (@DantonioMark) February 4, 2020

Dantonio served as Michigan State's head coach from 2007 to 2019 and went 114-57 overall. The Spartans won six bowls during that span, including the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl in 2014 and '15, respectively. However, MSU went 7-6 in back-to-back seasons after going 10-3 in the 2017 campaign.

Tucker joins the Spartans after one season with the University of Colorado, where he went 5-7 with victories over No. 25 Nebraska, No. 24 Arizona State, Stanford and Washington.

The former Wisconsin defensive back started his coaching career as a grad assistant at Michigan State under Nick Saban in 1997 before moving on to stints with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, University of Alabama and University of Georgia. The Cleveland native went 2-3 as the Jaguars' interim head coach in 2011.

Michigan State tried to pry him away from Colorado earlier in its coaching search, but Tucker wouldn't budge, tweeting that he had "#UnfinishedBusiness" in Boulder.

https://twitter.com/Coach_mtucker/status/1226230203451465728

According to Feldman, MSU came back with an offer that doubled the coaching salary pool, as well as agreed to invest more in strength and conditioning and doubled the 48-year-old's salary at CU, which was around $2.7 million per year.

Former Wisconsin and Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema reportedly is mulling a return to the Big Ten, and to the Michigan State Spartans in particular. 

According to Rainer Sabin of the Detroit Free Press, "Bielema has 'definite' interest in succeeding Mark Dantonio."

Dantonio retired last week after 13 years as the Spartans head coach. Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell reportedly interviewed with Michigan State, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, but ultimately chose to remain with the Bearcats.

Per that report, "Fickell was never formally offered the job. But when State officials left the meeting near noontime on Sunday, there was an understanding that if Fickell wanted the job, it was his."

As for Bielema, he was hired by the New York Giants this offseason to serve as the team's outside linebackers coach. He spent the past two seasons working for the New England Patriots, as a consultant in 2018 and the defensive line coach in 2019.

Previously, he spent seven seasons as the Wisconsin Badgers head coach (2006-12), going 68-24 in his time in Madison. He led the team to three Big Ten titles, six bowl games and two Rose Bowl appearances. 

He then took over as the Arkansas Razorbacks head coach (2013-17), though he had less success in the SEC, going 29-34 with three bowl game appearances. 

It's unclear if the interest is mutual. According to Sabin, "MSU's search committee met Monday morning to discuss next steps, sources said, and the board of trustees will be briefed Monday night as previously scheduled. The board of trustees is responsible for voting to approve any hire."

Nailing this hire will be key for a Michigan State football program that has gone just 27-24 in the past four seasons.

First, it was Pat Narduzzi declining to meet with Michigan State about taking over the head coaching gig. Now, it's San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh turning down an opportunity to speak with the Spartans. 

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Saleh informed MSU officials he wouldn't be leaving the Niners at this time. 

Saleh transformed San Francisco's defense into one of the fiercest units in football last season. The Niners gave up the second-fewest yards per game in the league (281.8) with an NFL-best 23 forced fumbles. Along the way, San Francisco won the NFC West and advanced to the Super Bowl before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs. 

At 41 years old, Saleh has become one of the game's rising stars on the sidelines and has been mentioned among the next crop of NFL head coach candidates. Before landing with the 49ers in 2017, Saleh was the linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2014-2016, spending three years before then as a quality coach with the Seattle Seahawks.

Yet it's the college game where Saleh rose to prominence.  The Dearborn, Michigan, native spent two years with Michigan State as a defensive assistant from 2002-2003. 

Whatever pull MSU officials were hoping they had given his background wasn't strong enough. Saleh is close to either winning a Super Bowl with the Niners or being named a head coach elsewhere in the league. Michigan State will have to continue looking for Mark Dantonio's replacement elsewhere.

Mark Dantonio is stepping down as the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans football program.

He announced his decision on Tuesday with a lengthy letter thanking the fans, alumni and administration and explained he will "stay on within the university and athletic department in a role involving special projects, especially transitioning our players, both current and incoming, to their next challenges."

To all Spartans: Thank you for everything. You have truly helped my dreams come true. pic.twitter.com/uKkubvp1cW

— Mark Dantonio (@DantonioMark) February 4, 2020

According to David Jesse of the Detroit Free Press, Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell is considered the "frontrunner" to take over the Spartans program. Cincinnati won 11 games in each of the last two seasons under his direction.

Colton Pouncy of The Athletic noted defensive coordinator Mike Tressel will be the acting head coach while the school looks for a replacement.

Dantonio was the defensive coordinator for Ohio State (2001-03) and head coach for Cincinnati (2004-06) prior to accepting the head coaching position for the Spartans going into the 2007 campaign. 

The team was coming off three straight losing seasons under John Smith at the time and won double-digit games just once since the 1965 season. It was a Big Ten afterthought that was nowhere ready to compete with the likes of Ohio State and Michigan.

Dantonio quickly changed that.

Michigan State went to bowl games in 12 of his 13 seasons as head coach and capped off a 2013 campaign that featured a Big Ten Championship Game win over Ohio State with a Rose Bowl win over Stanford. The Spartans also reached the 2015 College Football Playoff as conference champions in a season that featured a Big Ten Championship Game win over Iowa.

The program won double-digit games six times during his tenure and became a bigger player on the national stage than it had been for some time prior to his arrival.

However, it went just 7-6 in each of the last two years following a 10-3 mark in 2017 and is a mere 42nd in the country in the 2020 recruiting rankings, per 247Sports' composite. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic and Tom VanHaaren of ESPN pointed to the timing of this departure as well:

Why did he wait so long to decide this, you ask? pic.twitter.com/xAXETFWnvD

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) February 4, 2020

Mark Dantonio stepped down as head coach seven weeks after the early signing period, one day before signing day and two weeks after accepting a $4.3 million bonus

— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) February 4, 2020

Dantonio's tenure was not without controversy.

In January 2018, Paula Lavigne and Nicole Noren of ESPN's Outside the Lines reported there was "a pattern of widespread denial, inaction and information suppression" of sexual assault allegations against Spartan football and basketball players, as well as against former athletics physician Larry Nassar, "by officials ranging from campus police to the Spartan athletic department."

"Since Dantonio's tenure began in 2007, at least 16 MSU football players have been accused of sexual assault or violence against women, according to interviews and public records obtained by Outside the Lines," Lavigne and Noren wrote. "Even more, Dantonio was said to be involved in handling the discipline in at least one of the cases several years ago."

Lavigne and Noren reported in one case Dantonio's punishment for a player accused of sexual assault was to "talk to his mother about what he had done." Dantonio denied all accusations that he or his staff had mishandled allegations against his players.

Tony Paul of the Detroit News reported lawyers for Curtis Blackwell, who was on the Michigan State football staff from 2013 until May 2017, alleged Dantonio committed multiple NCAA violations during his time as head coach.

Dantonio's defense called the allegations a "sham" in court documents, but one of Blackwell's lawyers detailed them in a filed response on Monday night—hours before Tuesday's announcement that the coach was stepping down.

Blackwell's lawyers alleged Dantonio had Blackwell attend a home visit for a highly regarded recruit, which was against the rules because he was not authorized for in-home visits as the director of college advancement and performance.

Dantonio also allegedly set up employment for two players' parents with donor Bob Skandalaris.

Dantonio enjoyed plenty of success on the field at Michigan State with a 114-57 record, but the off-field headlines were a featured part of his tenure as well.

The Michigan State Spartans likely won't remember the 2019 season fondly, but they ended on a high note with a bowl victory.

Michigan State defeated the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 27-21 on Friday at the 2019 Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium. Brian Lewerke and the defense helped give the 7-6 Big Ten squad some momentum heading into 2020 after it needed wins over hapless Rutgers and Maryland just to reach a bowl.

As for the ACC's Wake Forest (8-5), this loss concludes a disappointing finish that included defeats in three of its final four regular-season games following a promising start.

VICTORY FOR MSU!! #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/peATxBtGyB

— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) December 27, 2019

              

Notable Player Stats

• MSU QB Brian Lewerke: 26-of-37 passing for 320 yards, one touchdown and one interception; 11 carries for 46 yards and one touchdown
• MSU RB Elijah Collins: 21 carries for 96 yards
• MSU WR Cody White: eight catches for 97 yards and one touchdown
• WF QB Jamie Newman: 12-of-27 passing for 175 yards, three touchdowns and one interception; 17 carries for 87 yards
• WF WR Kendall Hinton: three catches for 48 yards and one touchdown 
• WF WR Donavon Greene: three catches for 29 yards and one touchdown
• WF TE Jack Freudenthal: one catch for 44 yards and one touchdown

          

Michigan State's Defense Bails Out Rest of Team in Second Half

Despite a disappointing season, Michigan State was solid on the defensive side and finished tied for 15th in the country in sacks and 18th in total defense.

That unit's matchup against dual-threat quarterback Jamie Newman, who threw for 2,963 yards and 23 touchdowns and ran for 487 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season, was key even though star wide receiver Sage Surratt was sidelined by injury.

The first half belonged to Newman, who threw a touchdown to Kendall Hinton to cap a seven-play, 65-yard march on Wake Forest's opening possession and found the end zone three times before intermission. 

His ability to break free from the pocket and pick up yardage on the ground meant Michigan State's pass rush couldn't just attack the pocket, and the secondary couldn't creep into the box because of the presence of Hinton, Donavon Greene and tight end Jack Freudenthal.

The first half wasn't a complete lost cause for the Spartans defense seeing how Mike Panasiuk notched a pick-six, but they shined in the second half.

Just what Sparty (-3.5) bettors ordered 😤https://t.co/oc5pECdzYy

— br_betting (@br_betting) December 27, 2019

SPARTAN DEFENSE #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/ACTLBYk7ta

— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) December 27, 2019

Holding Wake Forest scoreless after halftime was all the more impressive because Michigan State turned it over multiple times, missed a chip-shot field goal to put the game away and put the outcome entirely on the defense's shoulders.

That defense responded by forcing a turnover on downs in the fourth quarter from inside its own territory, bottling up Newman's early running lanes and preventing the receivers from breaking free of tight coverage.

It passed its final test with a turnover on downs in the waning minutes with the game on the line and bailed out the other units.

           

Brian Lewerke Finishes Roller-Coaster Career with Win

Lewerke looked like a star in the making as a sophomore when he led Michigan State to a 10-3 record and Holiday Bowl win by throwing for 20 touchdowns and seven picks.

However, he has struggled to replicate that production since with 24 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions the last two seasons. He also hasn't been the same runner he was in 2017 when he posted 559 yards and five scores on the ground, but he had the opportunity to cap his career with a win against an ACC school.

That was Lewerke's 17th TD pass of the season . . . it was his 47th career TD pass, moving to No. 4 on MSU's career passing TDs list . . . Lewerke has also become just the 2nd MSU QB w/ 700 career completions & 4th MSU QB to reach 8,000 career passing yards. #PinstripeBowl pic.twitter.com/LNY7qmh0YV

— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) December 27, 2019

Lewerke was under pressure to keep up with Newman, and he responded with a rushing touchdown in the first half and touchdown pass to Cody White on the first possession of the second half to take the lead for good.

Still, he and the offense couldn't get out of its own way in crunch time in a metaphorical performance for his entire career. 

Red zone turnovers, a missed FG, defensive line penalties, a refusal by the offense to put the game away, defensive backs beat deep, jet sweeps, Lewerke somehow throwing for 300 yards and an ugly win that makes you wonder if changes will not be made. The MSU season in one game.

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) December 27, 2019

Update:

53 possessions
26 touchdowns https://t.co/XrSxewoqlC

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) December 27, 2019

He threw an interception to Ryan Smenda Jr., and Trenton Gillison fumbled inside the 10-yard line. The Spartans couldn't even build a two-score lead when Lewerke drove them inside the red zone to set up a chip-shot Matt Coghlin on their final meaningful drive.

Fortunately for the senior quarterback, his defense was up to the task with a dominant second half.

Michigan State head football coach Mark Dantonio said Tuesday he plans to remain the team's coach next season.

According to Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic, Dantonio said, "Yes," when asked if he expects to continue leading the program in 2020. He added, "Complete the circle, that's what I'm trying to do."

Per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic, the 63-year-old Dantonio also said, "I don't think I'm finished."

At 4-6, the Spartans are in danger of missing out on a bowl game for the first time since 2016 and just the second time since 2007.

MSU is coming off a 44-10 drubbing at the hands of rival Michigan last week. It has lost five games in a row, including big defeats to Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State.

The Spartans will be favored against Rutgers and Maryland in their final two games, but a loss to either team would mean no bowl game and would likely warm Dantonio's seat considerably more.

Michigan State isn't far removed from its best run in school history under Dantonio. From 2010 to 2015, the Spartans won at least 11 games in five of six seasons. The highlight was a 13-1 campaign in 2013 that culminated in a Rose Bowl victory.

Dantonio took over as Michigan State's head coach in 2007, and his Spartans have failed to reach a bowl game just once after missing out in three consecutive years before his tenure began.

Overall, he is 111-57 at Michigan State with a pair of victories in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Over the past two seasons, however, Michigan State has become a middling team in the Big Ten. The likes of Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan have surpassed the Spartans as conference title contenders.

Michigan State is still a big-time school with some cachet attached to its name. However, given that 247Sports ranks MSU's 2020 recruiting class just 44th in the nation, a quick turnaround may not be forthcoming.

Michigan State linebacker Joe Bachie has been ruled ineligible by the Big Ten after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

Bachie and head coach Mark Dantonio provided statements on the manner Thursday:

Big #MSU news...”Joe Bachie has been declared ineligible by the Big Ten...In random drug testing conducted by the Big Ten, Bachie tested positive for a supplement that is classified as a performance-enhancing substance banned by the league. An appeal will be filed immediately” pic.twitter.com/dnEmcXBcfb

— FOX 2 Sports (@FOX2Sports) October 31, 2019

The senior has been a key player for the Spartans defensively, leading the team with 71 tackles through eight games in 2019.

He also has 8.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and one interception on the season.

This comes after he reached 100 tackles in each of the last two years, earning All Big-Ten honors in each season.

Losing him will be a significant blow to Michigan State, which had already lost three straight games to fall to 4-4. The brutal schedule lightens up for the final month of the season, but the No. 35 scoring defense in the country won't be quite as sharp without its leader in the middle.

Junior Antjuan Simmons will have to take on a bigger role for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, the suspension could hurt Bachie's future as an NFL prospect:

Sounds like an inharmonious end for Bachie's college career.

Considered a mid-round NFL prospect, we might not see him play again until January (should receive a Senior Bowl invite, but we'll see). https://t.co/h4Ie7Lal2p

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 31, 2019

An impressive college career seemingly now has an unceremonious end. 

Michigan State's offense gained just 149 yards from scrimmage in a 38-0 loss at No. 8 Wisconsin on Saturday.

After the game, Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio didn't take kindly to a question from Hondo Carpenter of SpartanNation.com about whether he should have replaced his offensive coaching staff in the offseason and how he can fix the scoring attack.

Reporter: Was it a mistake not to bring in a new offensive staff?

Mark Dantonio was having none of it. pic.twitter.com/EeLaUNpSIL

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 12, 2019

"I think that's sort of a dumb-ass question, to be honest with you," Dantonio said per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic.

MSU has finished 108th, 96th and 126th in scoring in Division I-FBS over the past three full seasons, and they entered Saturday ranked 73rd this season. The Spartans have gone 24-20 since the beginning of 2016.

Despite the offensive issues, MSU should coast to a bowl bid. The 4-3 Spartans should be clear favorites over Big Ten rivals Rutgers, Maryland and Illinois.

However, the Spartans have a couple of tough games looming against a few stout defenses in No. 10 Penn State and No. 16 Michigan, who entered Saturday second and 17th in points allowed per game this season, respectively.

Michigan State isn't without a shortage of offensive talent. Darrell Stewart Jr., a 6'2" senior, is a stout No. 1 wideout who has caught 41 passes for 624 yards and four touchdowns. Leading rusher Elijah Collins has run for 5.3 yards per carry.

But the offense simply hasn't clicked at times this season. MSU has scored just 17 points combined against Wisconsin, No. 4 Ohio State and Arizona State, who ranked in the Top 20 earlier this year. The Spartans have fared far better against unranked teams but haven't been able to generate much offense otherwise.

MSU will now enter its bye week before welcoming PSU into East Lansing on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Former Michigan State recruiting director Curtis Blackwell testified that Spartans coach Mark Dantonio ignored signs of troubling behavior from former defensive end Auston Robertson, who sexually assaulted a woman on campus in 2017.

Blackwell said Spartans defensive tackles coach Ron Burton told Dantonio he did not want Robertson on the same campus as his daughter, per a deposition obtained by Dan Murphy of ESPN. According to Blackwell, quarterbacks coach Dave Warner also spoke to people at Robertson's school and "couldn't really find anybody that could say anything good about Auston."

"An innocent young lady was raped because of a decision ... I got blamed," Blackwell said. "It became Curtis Blackwell's decision to bring Auston Robertson to campus, when we all know the head coach made the decision to bring him on. He overrode everyone else to bring him on campus."

Blackwell's testimony came as part of a wrongful termination and unlawful arrest lawsuit he filed against Dantonio, former athletic director Mark Hollis, former university president Lou Anna Simon and two university police officers. The suit says Blackwell was made the scapegoat after an investigation into sexual assaults among football players at Michigan State in 2017.

Blackwell was arrested for obstruction of a police investigation regarding his failure to report sexual assault allegations against Donnie Corley, Demetric Vance and Josh King but was never formally charged. Jones Day law firm found that Blackwell broke school policy by not reporting his knowledge of the alleged sexual assault. The three players later pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

Robertson was arrested during the Jones Day investigation and pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a teammate's girlfriend. He was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

The Jones Day investigation did not include the allegations against Robertson. The firm found no wrongdoing from Dantonio or any other member of the coaching staff, but Murphy notes numerous other police reports were not included in the investigation. Blackwell said Dantonio "had a way of making things disappear."

"If you are a high recruit or you were a good player, he would allow those individuals to get away with different things," Blackwell said. "And so because of that, Coach Dantonio had a way of making things disappear."

Dantonio has denied any improper handling of a sexual assault allegation among his players. 

As the Michigan State Spartans prepared for their spring game, they gave fans a glimpse of things to come in 2019 before Saturday's kickoff ever arrived.

Michigan State unveiled a bold new set of alternate uniforms for this fall. Emphasis on the bold.

Spartans reveal new alternate uniforms for 2019 👀 pic.twitter.com/qlnFWYMK7c

— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) April 13, 2019

The Spartans have experimented with different looks in recent years, as SpartanJerseys.com points out, using both chrome and bronze helmets. However, the use of lime green makes these new threads stand out.

This is not the first time Michigan State athletics have worked "mean green" into their uniforms. The basketball team also debuted an alternate jersey in 2016:

MSU will wear new "Mean Green" Nike Hyper Elite Disruption uniforms Saturday vs. Maryland. pic.twitter.com/h1VTsnwtPT

— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) January 22, 2016

Michigan State signed a 10-year, $34 million deal with Nike in July 2015.