Dantonio Going Nowhere and Will Get a New Deal After the Season!

Inside the Coach Dantonio Contract and Other Jobs Situation

First of all, anyone should want a coach that is wanted. How many times have the Spartans been stuck with coaches that we couldn’t have gotten EMU to take? Dantonio is wanted. He has made it clear that that he wasn’t interested at all in the Tennessee job.

If Spurrier were to retire, there is absolutely NO DOUBT that they (South Carolina) would want to talk to Mark. He is not interested. He would listen to South Carolina and even offer advice (they are his alma mater), and he would feel a sense of duty to at least listen. He WILL NOT take the job. I can tell you for a fact that I know there is no chance he would leave MSU at this point for there.

I can only see Mark seriously talking to two schools, and it is my opinion that he wouldn’t be sure what he would do if either of them called.

The issue at hand is that MSU has a coach that isn’t going to play them. MSU has the obligation to take care of him and his staff and not take them for granted. The burden here rests on MSU taking care of them. Dantonio has made it clear this is where he wants to be. If they fail to do so, then with time I am sure his attitude may change and listening to other schools would be a possibility. For people that think a contract should be a contract, remember that MSU negotiated a buy out also. You may not like it, but it is a contract structure that they agreed to.

Dantonio is not and won’t hold a gun to their head. In my opinion, that makes it even more important that MSU get a deal done right away.

I know of two recruits that have been told by other schools that Dantonio is wanted elsewhere. According to one recruit for the 2010 class I spoke with last night, a rival school told him, “Sure Coach Dantonio is a great guy, but he ain’t going to be there your entire four years.”

Here is what I know:

1.MSU has made it clear to Dantonio that they are going to rework his contract.
2.Dantonio made it clear that he wouldn’t interview with them FOR the job before the season ended at Cincinnati and that he WILL NOT renegotiate during it.
3.He has also made it clear that he will not accept a deal that doesn’t offer SIGNIFICANT increases to his staff.

To be very frank, in a new contract situation Dantonio is much more concerned with what his staff would get as increases rather than himself. MSU has been made aware of the pay of his staff and where that falls nationally and in the Big Ten. It will be addressed. Dantonio believes that he can retain a significant part of his staff if their pay is taken care of. He sees the staff continuity as a huge reason that programs sustain success.

Please, Spartan Nation lose your inferiority complex. Relax. We have our Coach. He wants to be here. Hollis wants him. If he were to leave one day it wouldn’t be over money. Everything is fine. You can’t stop people from speculating; you can however choose not to participate. All is well and MD will be back. His name will be thrown about all over. That is a great thing. Knowing that he isn’t going anywhere is also.

It's time to trust Spartan Nation. Our Coach wants to be here and our AD is competent and skilled. To quote a great hymn of the faith, "It is well with my soul."