Michigan State football: 5 realistic outside head coaching candidates if Mel Tucker is fired

Probably my favorite realistic hire, Chris Klieman is a proven winner.

Don’t believe me? Just look at his resume. He took over at North Dakota State in 2014 and won the FCS national title in his first year. He then won the national title again in his second season. Unfortunately, he finished No. 3 in the FCS in his third year, but he responded by winning two more national titles in a row to end his tenure in Fargo.

Kansas State made the splash hire of the FCS legend in 2019 and he’s had plenty of success (not counting 2020) ever since. He went 8-5 in his first year and then won the Big 12 title in 2022.

To start the 2023 season, Klieman is 2-0 and has one of the Top 25 teams in college football. There’s a legitimate chance that the Wildcats could repeat as conference champs.

The only caveat I have here is the fact that Klieman is 55 years old. That’s a little older than I would like for a Michigan State coaching candidate. He still has plenty of time left in him, but college football is moving toward younger coaches in the hopes that they become the face of programs.

Klieman is a winner, though, and he would undoubtedly find success in East Lansing. Michigan State would be able to pay more than the $5.5 million he makes at Kansas State.