Spartan Nation Sentiment Growing for Kelly

Spartan Nation Sentiment Growing for Kelly

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It’s said, but true—The Spartan Nation’s interest in CMU head coach and two-time national champion Brian Kelly is growing, but MSU is not even listening…yet! Is that not sad? We are talking about a guy who was able to win TWO D-II national titles; not only did he win them, but he did so with Division 1 players…That’s how well this guy recruits! After his success at GVSU, he moves on to CMU to attempt to revive a program driven to the ground by future UofM savior Mike DeBord. Two years into his tenure, CMU is bowl eligible and this year they are poised to win the MAC and finish with double digit wins. This guy does not sound too shabby to me.

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While at Central, Kelly can boast that he was able to out recruit MSU; while that might not be such a hard feat to accomplish, he did it and he has now developed those players into NFL talent. One potential first rounder of his, Dan Bazuin, was not even on the radar when he arrived. Joe Staley arrived at CMU as an undersized and underachieving TE, four years later he is ready for the NFL as an offensive lineman. Kelly’s development of his players is astonishing. One of the most respected personnel directors in the NFL told me this morning that “I can think of no reason but ego why MSU wouldn’t even talk to Kelly. That guy produces great kids that play hard. Having come from a Kelly system, those kids aren’t spoiled and coddled; they are ready to play some football.”

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At the start of the search I raved and ranted over the praise that MSU was receiving nationally. Yet, one person who was giving me that very praise all but retracted his statement this morning. He stated to me that “I think we all hoped, for the MSU fans sake that they were going to do it right and that was all that we heard. They said they were going to go around and interview the best and I know they were really disappointed that they didn’t get Mariucci, Saban or Davis. But it appears now that those interviews are nothing more than ruse and they already have there guy…you know great guys want the job and I hope you don’t, like my granddaughter calls (it), get punked.” Are you scared yet? I am.

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I can tell you that I hope, and I am not saying that it has, but I hope this process does not get hijacked. If MSU had one or two guys that they really wanted after their big three, they should not waste time interviewing others. But, if they are unsure or just interviewing the field, it is a travesty to ignore Kelly.

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In fairness, I love Hollis and I truly support him. I cannot imagine this process, or Mark for that matter, to exclude him altogether. If anything, Hollis is one of the most brilliant men I know and I hope this search reflects that. I want him to provethat he knows how to conduct the search. Just get it right; pick up the phone and call Kelly. Spartan Nation at least deserves that.Â

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