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Michigan State Football: 5 potential candidates to replace Mark Dantonio

By Connor Muldowney

TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Luke Fickell of the Cincinnati Bearcats looks on during warmups before a game against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Luke Fickell of the Cincinnati Bearcats looks on during warmups before a game against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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Mark Dantonio announced his shocking retirement on Tuesday afternoon and Michigan State football will need to find his replacement quickly.

No one thought this day would come so soon, especially after Mark Dantonio dubbed a victory over Maryland in the season finale a “program win” which got the Spartans to the Pinstripe Bowl against Wake Forest. They finished the season 7-6 and Dantonio vowed to fix things.

While he didn’t do that by retiring on Tuesday afternoon, he may have given the Spartans enough time to find a new coach and get him acclimated before the 2020 season.

The list of candidates to replace him may be long right now, but Bill Beekman and the athletic department need to cut it down in the coming weeks. It should be around 2-3 candidates by the end of the month and a hire should happen before spring practice.

Unfortunately, this news comes just a day before National Signing Day and a handful of potential commits may be in limbo with their decisions. While they have committed to the program and not necessarily the coach, it’s the man in charge who won them over.

Without Dantonio, Michigan State’s 2020 class may see some attrition, but that’s to be expected. His replacement should be all-in on fixing recruiting and turning the program back into what it was from 2010-15.

Who could replace Dantonio in 2020?

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