Michigan State football: Power ranking head coach candidates, Week 4

Michigan State football: Power ranking head coaching candidates after Week 4

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 04: Head coach Mike Elko of the Duke Blue Devils congratulates Todd Pelino #29 following his field goal against the Clemson Tigers during the first half of the game at Wallace Wade Stadium on September 4, 2023 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

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With Michigan State football officially moving on from Mel Tucker, the head coaching search is going to take center stage for the next couple of months, especially if the Spartans keep losing.

I thought it would be fun to do weekly power rankings for the coaching candidates based on how they fared at their current programs over the weekend.

So, without further ado, here’s your first edition of the MSU head coaching candidate power rankings after Week 4.

Just missed the cut: Lance Leipold, Alex Atkins, Sean Lewis

You may be wondering why Jonathan Smith is so low on this list and it’s because his Beavers lost against Washington State on the road. Not a bad loss, but that’s why these are weekly candidate power rankings. Losses will hurt their positioning on this list.

I still believe that Smith is a legit top-five coaching candidate for Michigan State, but he starts at No. 5 this week after a tough loss to Cam Ward and the Cougars.

Lance Leipold also made a push for this spot as his Kansas Jayhawks are now ranked in the AP Top 25, but it’s going to take a serious Big 12 title push for me to be higher on him since he’s already 59 years old. I think Michigan State goes for a younger coach with a history of success.

Smith fits that bill.

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