Top 3 Michigan State Football Head Coach Candidates in the 'Power Five'
It is only September, but the college football coaching carousel has already begun. Michigan State has issued head coach Mel Tucker notice of termination of his contract, and the Spartans’ safeties coach, Harlon Barnett, will act as the interim head coach for the remainder of MSU’s season.
At this point, the biggest question that Spartan Nation wants answered is, who will replace Tucker in East Lansing?
Michigan State is one of the better jobs in the country, and has the resources and influence to poach a head coach from a current ‘Power Five’ school, like former athletic director Bill Beekman did in 2020 when he pulled Tucker from Colorado.
So, who could we see as potential hires this time around? Here are my Top 3 candidates:
Chris Klieman (Kansas State)
Klieman, in my opinion, is the most compelling candidate for the Spartans. He’s a coach with a proven track record, a defensive background and has won at multiple schools. It’s no surprise Klieman has been successful at Kansas State, after winning four FCS national championships at North Dakota State.
Excluding the current season, Klieman’s career record as a head coach is 102-33. In his fourth year at Kansas State, he led the Wildcats to a Big 12 championship over then-unbeaten TCU. In 2023, Kansas State has an established identity and is looking to defend their Big 12 conference title.
There are various reasons Klieman could be intrigued by Michigan State – more money, better facilities, better recruiting potential, the opportunity to compete against some of the best programs in America, etc.
One overlooked factor could be that Klieman has crossed paths with one of the Spartans’ current coaches. MSU defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton has coached with Klieman at two stops – they worked together on the defensive staff at North Dakota State in 2011, and Hazelton was Klieman’s defensive coordinator in his first season at Kansas State in 2019. Learning that could make some (most?) Spartan fans cringe, but that prior relationship may help MSU land the current K-State coach.
On the other hand, Klieman may have some apprehensions concerning the Michigan State job. At 55, he may not want to be tasked with rebuilding a program when he currently has a stable situation in Manhattan, Kan. Perhaps Klieman comfortable where he’s at and doesn’t want to make any more stops in his coaching career. His contract currently pays him $4.5 million a year, and the Spartans may have to make him an offer he can’t refuse.
Mike Elko (Duke)
Elko is only in his second season as a head coach, but has taken the Duke football program to another level, going 9-4 with a bowl victory in Year 1 and leading the Blue Devils to the No. 18 ranking in the Associated Press so far in Year 2. At 46 years old, Elko is a younger head coach that could be at Michigan State for years to come.
Prior to coaching the Blue Devils, Elko held many prestigious roles as a defensive coordinator at Texas A&M, Notre Dame and Wake Forest, as well as Bowling Green. In four seasons at Texas A&M, he led the Aggies defense to No. 2 in the country in rush defense, and to ninth in total defense during his third season in 2020. Elko’s defenses have a reputation of being fierce and disciplined against the run, which fits the culture Michigan State wants.
With prior experience coaching at major programs, Elko understands the importance of recruiting and is familiar with the midwest landscape. Michigan State is a larger program than Duke, with more resources and fan support. Concerns may be that Elko has never coached in the Big Ten before, and he only has two years of head coaching experience. But, from the small sample size, he looks like he belongs in a CEO role.
Jonathan Smith (Oregon State)
Smith is in his sixth year as Oregon State’s head coach. When he inherited the Beavers, they were coming off a 1-11 season and needed a massive overhaul. Smith has flipped this program completely, and the Beavers are currently one of many contenders for the Pac-12 Conference title. Oregon State has made two consecutive bowl games, including a 10-win season in 2022.
Smith has done more with less in Corvallis, competing against programs like Oregon, Washington and USC. While Michigan State objectively has more resources than Oregon State, Smith would still be competing against programs with more resources in the Big Ten if he joins the Spartans.
At 44, Smith has built a program from scratch into being a contender in their respective conference. He is an offensive coach, who once played quarterback at Oregon State. He has always been on the West Coast, so moving to the midwest would put him in an unfamiliar landscape, but he’s uniquely suited to recruit against USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington – who will join the Big Ten next year.
Poaching Smith from his alma mater will not be easy, but conference realignment could benefit Michigan State here. Oregon State has not found a new conference with the Pac-12 likely dissolving next season. This could influence Smith into looking for a new job, and the Spartans could be the first to call him.
Michigan State is an appealing job, all things considered, and finding candidates shouldn’t be hard. With MSU being the first job open for the 2023-24 cycle, athletic director Alan Haller should jump on these candidates early.
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