Another Head Coach Candidate Denies Interest In Michigan State Job Opening
The search for Michigan State football's next head coach continues, and reports indicate that athletic director Alan Haller is in the process of scheduling and conducting interviews with candidates for the job.
Last Wednesday, MSU alum and radio talk show host Justin Spiro tweeted that Kansas head coach Lance Leipold had interviewed for the Michigan State job opening on Tuesday of last week. However, Spiro's tweet was refuted by multiple news outlets who are covering the Spartans' coaching search.
The claim that Leipold had interviewed with Michigan State last week was also refuted by Leipold himself in his weekly radio show last Thursday. In addition to denying he had interviewed with MSU, Leipold stated his desire was to remain at Kansas for the remainder of his coaching career.
"This [radio show] is the only interview and that's the way it's going to be," Leipold said. "The one thing that happens this time of year, is there's a lot of speculation and things that are happening that are not accurate. As I've said for a long time, [Kansas athletic director] Travis Goff and Chancellor [Douglas] Girod have treated Kelly and I extremely well and our family. It is our plan and our expectation that we want to be here and this is going to be the last job that we have."
Michigan State has reportedly finalized its shortlist of candidates for its job opening, and is expected to begin conducting interviews soon, if they have not already begun. Among those reported candidates, Leipold is the third to deny interest in MSU's job opening. Washington State's Jake Dickert shot down rumors of being connected to the job in mid-October, while Kansas State's Chris Klieman did the same in late September.
It's not uncommon, and is in fact the expectation, for head coaches to deny interest in other job openings in the midst of their seasons. Other candidates that Michigan State has reportedly zeroed in on are Oregon State's Jonathan Smith, Duke's Mike Elko and Wake Forest's Dave Clawson. Another name which has emerged with more fervor in the last week-plus is Toledo's Jason Candle, who has led the Rockets to a 9-1 record in 2023. Toledo is the favorite to win the Mid-American Conference this season. Other potential candidates include Iowa State's Matt Campbell and UCLA's Chip Kelly, among others.
It's been reported that Michigan State's prefers to have its next head football coach announced shortly after the Spartans finish their 2023 season on Nov. 24 against Penn State.
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