Michigan State officially fired head coach Mel Tucker earlier this week. The program went 20-14 under his watch, and just 7-7 after a fantastic 2021 season led to a record 10-year, $95 million contract extension.
The Spartans now move forward to find their next head coach. Just last season both Wisconsin and Nebraska were able to successfully land big names in the coaching world in Luke Fickell and Matt Rhule respectively. The question now is where Michigan State stands as a program, and whether the top candidates across the country consider it an attractive opening.
The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy did report an initial list of candidates for the job. Included in that list is Wisconsin first-year DC Mike Tressel.
Michigan State candidates, source told @ActionNetworkHQ.
Mike Elko, Duke
Dan Enos, Arkansas OC
Matt House, LSU DC
Charles Huff, Marshall
Pat Narduzzi, Pitt
Mike Tressel, Wisconsin DCAll of them played or coached at MSU, except Elko & Huff
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 28, 2023
Tressel played his college football at Cornell before his coaching journey brought him to East Lansing from 2007-2014 as its linebackers coach, 2015-17 as co-defensive coordinator and 2020 as safeties coach. The Wisconsin DC then left to join Luke Fickell at Cincinnati in 2021. He isn’t far removed from being a highly successful coordinator at Michigan State.
Tressell replaced star DC Jim Leonhard at Wisconsin and is still working to install his system. The jury is still out on whether his defense can be great this season. But regardless, he isn’t the hot name in the coaching world that Michigan State fans will want.