21 IL OL Pat Coogan Talks Spartan Offer & Michigan State Football
As Michigan State has hit the recruiting trail under Mel Tucker, the new coaching staff is reaching out to several players who received offers from Mark Dantonio’s staff and recently re-offered Chicago (IL) Marist 2021 3-star offensive lineman Pat Coogan.
Spartan Nation caught up with Coogan to talk about his recruitment and being re-offered by the Spartans and Coogan said that when he was offered by Michigan State back in October, it was a big offer for him that helped open up his recruitment and said that despite the coaching change, he remains high on the Spartans.
“That was a big offer for me, that was earlier in my recruiting process and I feel like that really opened things up for my recruiting process, so I was really happy about that one,” he said. “They stayed in constant contact with me and I really liked them a lot even before they all left. I visited like three days before the whole situation went down (Dantonio retiring), so I really liked them. I do like them still. The facilities were great and the people were great, so I’m going to have to meet the new staff, but I know they’ll be great. I know Coach Kap is a great coach and all of that stuff, so I’m excited.”
Along with his offer from Michigan State, Coogan holds offers from Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Purdue, Arizona, Iowa State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Stanford and several other Division 1 programs.
“It’s really a blessing, I’m extremely thankful for all of these opportunities,” Coogan said of the recruiting process. “It’s just a nod to all of my teammates and my coaches, they’ve helped me through this process and my parents and everyone who’s on my side. It’s awesome to have people who are that good of people to help me so much, it’s nice to have them on my side. It’s crazy, I never would have thought that I’d be in this position, but it feels awesome. It gets busy at times and it’s a little overwhelming at some points, but I just step back and let everything play out, so it’s been great.”
Coogan said that he found out about Michigan State re-offering him from new Spartan offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic during a phone call where the two discussed the coaching staff and the staff’s plans for the spring and summer.
“It was a quick conversation,” he said. “He was giving me some background on him and Coach Tucker and what their plan is going into spring ball. He was talking about how it’s going to be kind of harder for them because he needs to learn the playbook still and everyone’s getting accustomed to the new changes, but they’re still going to get after it during summer ball. It was quick, but it was a great conversation.”
Considering the new Michigan State staff is still in its early stages of recruiting, Coogan told Spartan Nation that he was excited to hear from Kapilovic and the Spartans and added that he feels like there is a new energy at Michigan State.
“That means a great deal to me, I’m very excited to have the opportunity again,” he said. “As I said before, I like the university as a whole, so I’m excited. I know they’ve offered some really great talent and I feel like there’s a certain energy, a new energy at Michigan State and it’s very exciting.”
After originally receiving an offer from the Spartans back in October, Coogan was on campus for a visit just before Dantonio announced his retirement and said that he came away impressed with the people around the program as well as the facilities.
“The campus as a whole was very nice, it was big,” he said. “We didn’t get to see much of the academic part, it was more just the junior day football for a couple of hours. If I do get back there, I’d like to see the campus as a whole. Besides that, the facilities were great, the people were great, I met some of the players and they were awesome. I know they have two starting offensive linemen are kind of from my area, so I talked to them and they gave me their take on Michigan State football, so that was really cool.”
Coogan said while nothing is planned, a possible return visit to East Lansing is something that “is on my mind.”
A 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive tackle that has shown the ability to be an elite run blocker and pass blocker, Coogan already holds more than 20 Division 1 offers with several more coming in the near future.
While he is a physical and imposing presence on the offensive line, Coogan said that he feels it’s his athleticism and quickness that helps separate him as an offensive lineman.
“I would describe myself as an athlete,” he said. “I think I can do more things as a 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman that most others cannot. I think I’m quick on my feet and I can bend really well. I would really just say that my athleticism is what would separate me in my opinion.”
Remember to stay tuned to Spartan Nation for all of the latest news on Coogan and the Spartans!
The Spartans open the season September 5, 2020, at home against the Northwestern Wildcats. Not only is it the season opener, but also the Big Ten opener.
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