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Michigan State football: 5 candidates to replace Mel Tucker as head coach

By Connor Muldowney

Sep 10, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd head coach Charles Huff celebrates as he leaves the field after the Thundering Herd beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 26-21 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd head coach Charles Huff celebrates as he leaves the field after the Thundering Herd beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 26-21 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 9, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko leads his players onto the field before the start of the game against the Lafayette Leopards at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 9, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko leads his players onto the field before the start of the game against the Lafayette Leopards at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /

Give Mike Elko a team of waterboys and he’d probably lead them to a bowl game. Seriously, this guy has the look of an elite program builder and he could be the guy to turn MSU around.

Don’t believe me? Look what he’s done with Duke in just over a year.

Elko took over a program that was dead in the water. The Blue Devils had won a total of 10 games from 2019-2021 and moved on from long-time head coach David Cutcliffe. Many said that Cutcliffe got the most out of Duke and no one would ever be able to replicate that. In came Elko and he won nine games in his first year and led the Blue Devils to their first bowl game since 2018.

Long story short, Elko has been a revelation at Duke.

And to start the 2023 season, he’s 3-0 with a blowout upset win over No. 9 Clemson which launched Duke into the AP Top 25 where it still sits.

If Michigan State wants to retain a good chunk of its roster (and maybe a top-tier assistant or two like Courtney Hawkins), landing Elko would be the right move. This just has all the feel of a guy who could be in East Lansing for a while and have a ton of success here.

Plus, he proved he could recruit at Notre Dame and Texas A&M.

I’d be all-in.

Next. 5 realistic head coaching candidates for MSU. dark

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