Former Spartans Coach Holds Strong Belief On College Football

Former Michigan State football head coach Mark Dantonio, the all-time winningest head coach in program history, was confident that he would be able to handle all of the changes that have happened to college football since he retired, most notably the transfer portal.

"I would have adapted," Dantonio said Friday evening after his MSU Athletics Hall of Fame induction. "I would have adapted, but I do look at things --- for example, when I came here in '07, if you look at that '07 football team, we did not have one player leave.

"And then you look at the fact that I think in my 13 years we had maybe five, I think, five players transfer here in the course of that. So, it's quite unusual, the change, but I think you just naturally keep up with things that change and it's part of it."

Dantonio's Success in East Lansing

Former Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio speaks to the media after he was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 12, 2025. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on S

There's no reason to really doubt Dantonio. His 114 victories in 13 seasons speak for themselves.

Dantonio presided over the most successful stretch of football in modern history for Michigan State. He won three Big Ten titles in a six-season span (2010, 2013, 2015), had six double-digit win seasons, had seven teams ranked in the final AP Top 25, and got the team to a bowl contest a dozen times.

Continued Involvement in CFB

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Former Michigan State Spartans football coach Mark Dantonio stands on the sidelines during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Dantonio is also keeping an active role in college sports. He's one of just 13 members on this year's College Football Playoff Committee.

"You have to be nominated," Dantonio said about how he got on the committee. "I think (former MSU athletic director) Alan Haller had something to do with maybe initiating it, but also you have to be nominated by somebody in the management committee, which would be (Big Ten commissioner) Tony Pettiti nominated me, and (then you) go through a pretty thorough vetting process and then you get voted on and all that kind of stuff.

"I made the cut," Dantonio then said with a smirk.

"I've watched more coaching film and I watch a lot of TV games to sort of get the start of the season; who's who and things of that nature," Dantonio said about how much football he's watching. "I've always watched a lot of football, but probably pushing a little bit more now."

Still Watching MSU

Dantonio will be in attendance for Saturday's game against Youngstown State, as he and the other inductees to the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame will all be recognized during halftime.

But MSU's former coach still keeps a close eye on his former program.

"I thought that we kept handling adversity throughout the football game," Dantonio said about last week's win over Boston College. "When you start doing that and you can do that on a continuing basis, you're going to be successful. But you saw that and you didn't see people flinching."

"It's got a ways to go still," he added. "It's a continuing basis; always will be."

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