Mike Tressel on Staying at Michigan State

After coaching under Mark Dantonio for 16 seasons, new safeties coach Mike Tressel talks about what it means to him to remain a Spartan.

Mike Tressel was the linebackers' coach under Mark Dantonio for the 16 seasons he was a head coach, including three years at Cincinnati. Once Pat Narduzzi left following the 2014 season, Tressel was promoted alongside defensive backs coach Harlon Barnett too co-defensive coordinators.

When Barnett left to become the defensive coordinator at Florida State three years later, Tressel officially became the defensive coordinator. He was named assistant head coach before the 2019 season and acting head coach when Dantonio retired in February.

So, when the possibility of staying at Michigan State became an option after the school hired Mel Tucker, Tressel talked about what it meant to him and the relationship he had already developed with his new head coach.

"Well, first, how I was fortunate enough to remain a Spartan. I actually worked with Coach (Mel) Tucker at Ohio State and was his graduate assistant," said Tressel. "I was a defensive back graduate assistant at Ohio State. Coach Tuck (Tucker) coached the defensive backs, Coach Dantonio was actually the defensive coordinator at that time, so I was with him for two years, and we worked directly together. So that relationship was already there, visited him a couple times throughout, certainly with the Chicago Bears was one I remember, so we stayed in touch. Fortunately, I'm a Spartan; I bleed Green, so I'm glad he wanted me to stick around."

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