--The big news from the day is that Dantonio said his assistants will be getting a pay raise in February, putting them top three in the Big Ten with "a substantial amount of money." That's a huge step for a program that has a coach in the middle of the pack and athletic director near the bottom in terms of pay. MSU doesn't have the revenue of programs that fit 100,000 into their stadiums, like Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, so this is a big commitment.
--The money news might affect defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, who is becoming a hot commodity for possible head coaching possibilites. Dantonio said the hope is that all of his assistants will have a chance to be a head coach — that's the sign of a strong program (see Izzo tree). Dantonio said Narduzzi is all-in and has a great relationship with MSU players right now, but as tough as it may be, it's important for coaches to make decisions that benefit their family. Dantonio used the analogy of when he left MSU in 2000 to be defensive coordinator at Ohio State.
--Speaking of that, Dantonio was asked about the goals of a national championship. As Dantonio put it: "I've been there before (with OSU in 2002). Once you've been there before, you want to return."
--As for this week's game against Northwestern, Dantonio says the Spartans will be going all out and that he won't plan on resting guys. Northwestern's tempo on offense forces MSU to use a lot of guys on defense anyway, so MSU can't afford to rest anyone.
--Darqueze Dennard is again listed as co-starter with Tony Lippett at cornerback. Dennard didn't play last week while dealing with an ankle injury. No changes on the depth chart.
No comments:
Post a Comment