“Stability” hasn’t been synonymous with Michigan State football in some time.
There hasn’t been stability since Mark Dantonio retired. MSU has only made a bowl game once in the six seasons since and has fired two head coaches. The hope for fans is that Pat Fitzgerald can mirror the stability and the success Dantonio had during his tenure. Fitzgerald feels the same way.
Interview with BTN
“Toughness was born in East Lansing, and Coach D embodied it, and so did his teams,” Fitzgerald said during an interview with the Big Ten Network that was released Friday. That’s not only physically, but also mentally. I mean, those teams were resilient; they fought, they battled…
“He’s been in the building multiple times. He’s gonna be every bit a part of what we’re trying to build, and he’s got the blueprint. He had us in the Final Four not too long ago [during the 2015 season]. As long as he wants to come around, he’s always welcome. It’s his house, and we’re just here to make sure he’s proud of it.”
Dantonio is the winningest coach in Spartan history with an 114-57 record. He made a bowl game in every season but one, won Big Ten titles in 2010, 2013, and 2015, and also had MSU finish in the AP Top 25 seven times. Michigan State’s No. 3 finish in 2013 after winning the Rose Bowl was the best since 1966…