Michigan State Football: 5 takeaways from 2017 season

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SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 28: Head coach Mark Dantonio looks on after defeating the Washington State Cougars 42-17 in the SDCCU Holiday Bowl at SDCCU Stadium on December 28, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

2. Mark Dantonio is still an elite coach

There was doubt creeping into the fan base before the season about the future of Mark Dantonio. Was the 11th-year head coach nearing retirement after a 3-9 season and off-field issues in the offseason? He seemed to have lost control of some of the young players and he wasn’t recruiting at a high level like many expected.

Three months later and here we are, talking about just how good of a coach Dantonio really is. We would learn a lot about Michigan State following a 3-9 season and how they would respond, but we learned even more about Dantonio — he’s an elite coach.

There’s no more doubting his ability to lead this program, even when he doesn’t get the top recruits year in and year out. He gets players who he believes fits the system, no matter where they are rated. Take a look at Joe Bachie, for example. He was a low three-star recruit and he’s not an All-Big Ten linebacker as a sophomore. That’s just one of dozens of examples.

Dantonio feels the need to keep proving himself worthy of “elite” talk, but he doesn’t need to anymore. Turning a 3-9 team into a 10-win one is all the proof we need. He’s the best coach in the state of Michigan and top-two in the Big Ten.

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