What’s Next for the Michigan State Defensive Coordinator Position?

What’s Next for the Michigan State Defensive Coordinator Position? Michigan State is fortunate to have Mark Dantonio as the head coach. There is no doubt

What’s Next for the Michigan State Defensive Coordinator Position?

Michigan State is fortunate to have Mark Dantonio as the head coach. There is no doubt that what he has done is worthy of a statue and will be talked about decades after his death like people still pontificate Biggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty. So, with the loss of Pat Narduzzi to Pitt as their new head coach an amazing vacuum has been caused inside MSU football.

Hiring Narduzzi and OC Jim Bollman are the two best things Mark Dantonio has done bringing MSU to the next level. So, what does Dantonio do to hire the next head man of his precious defense? To get answers you have to dig deeper on what Pat Narduzzi really did.

Recruiter

Very few coaches embrace recruiting and even less love it or live for it. It is consuming. Narduzzi is one of those rare people. He is willing to jump the next plane or moped to go anywhere in America to sell what he thinks is the best players regardless of stars or hype. For all the idiot Pitt haters who say Western PA doesn’t have the talent it once did, just look at all the two, three and no stars Narduzzi developed.

While other coaches on staff may have been primary recruiters, it was never too far for Narduzzi to “Close the deal.” One MSU assistant currently on the staff described Narduzzi to me as a recruiter last year, “That last jolt of energy, a second wind, a closer to bring the deal home. He does an amazing job.”

Those sentiments have been echoed time and time again by recruits and families alike. MSU is NOT just filling the vacuum from the loss of a great DC, but from their best recruiter. How does that void get filled?

Technician

Before the arrival of Jim Bollman to save the MSU offense, Dantonio wasn’t shy and admitted the vast amounts of time he spent with the offense. Dantonio is a defensive genius, but because he had the same in Narduzzi he was able to focus so much attention on the other side of the ball. Dantonio was so trusting of Narduzzi that he took over play calling in one 2012 game (a Spartan Nation EXCLUSIVE previously unreported fact) because he wanted things different. Dantonio never worried about his D when his offense or head coaching duties needed him.

Dantonio is a defensive genius, but with a head coach being more of a CEO and with the attention his offense needed previously, the technician in Narduzzi was revolutionary. His ability to watch game tape and see what others had done and pick, choose, and implement is legendary. It is very difficult. Narduzzi was committed (as was Dantonio) to the frame of the defense, but the flooring, paint, and wallpaper were all subject to change. Not one to change the framework, Narduzzi was legendary for small adjustments and tweaks that sent opposing coaches through the roof.

It was Narduzzi watching countless hours of film on his IPad last year that gave him slight edges and adjustments for the OSU B1G Championship game and Rose Bowl vs. Stanford. When he would get a nugget, he and his staff ran with it. Free from a meddling head coach afraid of risk, Narduzzi and his staff were able to work with little ego of telling each other they didn’t like something and had a commitment to results. That is hard to replace. Tressel and Barnett were just as comfortable with telling their boss they disagreed as he was. It was a room of ideas committed to winning. Not who got the credit.

Passion

SOME and I want to emphasize some, on the offensive staff were rubbed the wrong way by Narduzzi with this element of his personality. When he got a large raise to turn down Texas A & M, some on the offense staff were quick to criticize. This prompted one member of MSU athletics to say, “Well, if they performed like Pat they would get the raises too.” He was all in; emotion, heart, and soul. He worked hard and didn’t mind calling himself out or others in meetings. Narduzzi was quick to blast himself for mistakes first over players or coaches so when he tore into people he had credibility.

His running to the sideline in the fourth quarter to inspire all sides of the ball was legendary on game broadcasts. Dantonio has the respect and admiration of the team, but Narduzzi knew the way to their heart. And fast. Not the most popular coach on staff because he would tear into anyone he didn’t think was getting the most out of his talents, Narduzzi was certainly, along with Bollman, the most respected of Dantonio’s assistants.

Replacing that passion will not be easy. In fact, it will be VERY difficult. I have zero doubts that Dantonio can do it, but the task will be tough.

So, who will be next?

Dantonio is holding his cards close to his chest. I will mention three names that I have never discussed publicly, but first the two that I have.

Mike Tressel is the MSU LB coach and Harlon Barnett is a Spartan Nation legend and DB Coach. Talking among the MSU athletics and football people, most think since Narduzzi would like both to accompany him to Pittsburgh as his CO DC choice, it will take Dantonio matching that to keep them at MSU.

I talked with one prominent head coach this morning who told me, “MSU is already a top five program. How much farther up can they go? Even if Pat stayed, OSU is back and UM may get it right making the MSU job much harder going farther. If they stay and MSU does take even a slight step backward all the credit goes to Pat. If they go to Pitt with Pat where their bar is so low it can’t be seen and they get to eight wins, they are getting offers to bring that D to a myriad of other schools. If emotion isn’t part of it, Pitt is very attractive, they would both get a DC title and in a place of lower fruit. I also hear that Pitt will open the check book to get them both.”

Tressel and Barnett are great coaches and would do well as CO DCs in the Spartan Nation or at Pitt. Dantonio LOVES continuity, but I also know there are others at MSU who witnessed the Saban way of constant turnover avoiding complacency. I don’t know anyone that wants Tressel and Barnett to leave, but I know several that think MSU and more importantly Dantonio would be better off having to set aside his continuity of staff doctrine and make some adjustments like Saban.

Chuck Bullough current DC at Syracuse: A great coach with a fiery attitude that has made many jokingly call him “Mini Narduzzi.” He is a Spartan great, a super coach, and his bloodlines run deep in the Spartan Nation. Hiring Bullough is an absolute no brainer. Although not tied to Dantonio per say on the field, there is enough connection that this is a simple fit. The question must be asked, if he is hired as the DC, would that cost MSU Mike Tressel and Harlon Barnett or could one of them share CO DC titles with him? Adding him to the staff is also a possibility and not as the DC, but as one MSU athletics administrator told me last night, “Most underrated thing about Pat was his passion and fire. He changed games in the 4th quarter coming out of the box and down to the field inspiring both sides of the ball. I would love to see Chuck back. Should have been back before this, but if not as the DC can you have your fire and emotion guy being an assistant? How would that work with Mike and Harlon?” Bringing Chuck home is a no brainer. http://cuse.com/coaches.aspx?rc=919&path=football

Luke Fickell current DC at OSU: Many inside MSU athletics thought Fickell coming to MSU was a “No brainer” when Urban was hired at OSU and MSU thought they were going to lose Narduzzi before. They kept him obviously. I know for a fact, Meyer’s staff struggles with lack of any personal life and his “Suffocating obsession with winning discombobulating” their lives makes him viable. Fickell is a tremendous father with four children and the way Dantonio embraces the coaches’ families on his staff would be VERY APPEALING. Dantonio loves Fickell, as a person and a coach. No way he would make the move to NOT be the DC, but from people who know both Dantonio and Fickell personally, they think he would be “Very interested” in being the DC in East Lansing. http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/luke_fickell_757652.html

Mel Tucker current DC of the Chicago Bears: Former GA at MSU with Nick Saban and coached with Dantonio at OSU. http://www.chicagobears.com/team/coaches/Mel-Tucker/cfc190b7-b520-4afb-9eb2-6da9d7bfac63

Other information will emerge and Spartan Nation will have it for you.