Goodbye

As noted by the ES earlier this year, and as it came true, coach Dantonio thankfully gave the Spartan Nation relief and retired from coaching MSU football.  Thanks for the memories, but the last four years were particularly painful.  While expected eventually (sooner than later), the timing was odd with national recruiting signing day today (Feb 5).  Although coach D never had a "stellar" recruiting class, in his best years at MSU it seemed he always coached players up.... yet, 

...the last several years saw no improvement from beginning to end of the year, injuries mounting  consistently, and his recruiting has him into significant legal trouble with his role in recruiting "bad" folk (one of whom is still in prison)...  and recent allegations of NCAA violations - which may have been the final straw for him to call it quits.  But, from a football fan's perspective, Coach D served longer than necessary, and was incapable of making the tough decisions to improve the football team above average: coach D's inability to fire his staff who put Spartan footballers in bad positions, terrible play calls time and again, strange personnel substitutions of inexperienced players at critical times in games, and publicly supporting his staff's poor decisions.  He looked tired and lost his edge.

But, hanging the Spartan nation out to dry for a $4.3 million bonus  is really not the best way to leave.  Most of us in life would love a multi-million dollar bonus for our 10+ years of work, but to take it and then walk away two weeks later really is thankless.

Loved your goodbye message at the Spartan men's basketball game:  15 seconds was as much as the ES could bear to hear.  Kind of interesting, your appearance was vicissitudinous: MSU lost the game.

Thanks for the first 10 years and goodbye.

Coach Dantonio's mood since 2016