Mark Dantonio holds a special place in every Michigan State fan's heart.
The Hall of Famer led the Spartans to their most successful era of football since the 1960s and that included multiple Big Ten titles, a College Football Playoff appearance, a Rose Bowl win, a Cotton Bowl win, and six 10-plus win seasons throughout his tenure.
While he did end his career at Michigan State on a sour note with back-to-back seven-win seasons in 2018 and 2019, he did finish with a program-best 114 career wins. He was one of the main reasons the Spartans earned respect on a national level and it was because he was one of the best talent developers in college football.
Countless two and three-star recruits came through East Lansing and made it to the NFL after successful Michigan State careers. Guys like Connor Cook, Kirk Cousins, Trae Waynes, Jack Conklin, Le'Veon Bell, and Darqueze Dennard went from nobodies to NFL talents and program legends.
Having this kind of success usually earns you some recognition nationally and that's why his Hall of Fame induction in 2024 was just that. He earned that recognition.
But where does he rank against other successful head coaches from the past two decades?
The Athletic just posted its list of the top 25 college football coaches since 2000 and Mark Dantonio made the cut with some big names. He came in at No. 21 on the list.
Former Michigan State head coach Nick Saban was obviously No. 1 followed by who many fans wanted to be the next coach after Mel Tucker, Urban Meyer, at No. 2.
I have somewhat of a gripe with other guys ahead of him like Mark Richt, James Franklin, Brian Kelly, Kyle Whittingham, and Lincoln Riley, but those would be hotly-contested debates. This spot feels fair, but I have a hard time naming 15 head coaches better over the past 25 years.