Ohio State Football: Spartans need Luke Fickell to compete in the Big Ten
Michigan State suffered its 5th loss of the season 44-10 to Michigan Saturday. Is it time for another former Ohio State assistant to replace Mark Dantonio?
Since 2016, Michigan State is 24-24 which includes a 15-19 record in conference play and a 1-5 record against Michigan and Ohio State. It may be time to make a head coaching change in East Lansing and I know just the right candidate for the job: Cincinnati head coach and former Buckeye Luke Fickell.
Many probably do not know the many similarities Dantonio and Fickell have with one another. Dantonio was the Ohio State defensive coordinator from 2001-2003. Fickell was alongside him as the Ohio State special teams coach from 2002-2003.
Dantonio left to take his first head coaching job at the University of Cincinnati in 2004. For three seasons he led the Bearcats to a combined 18-17 record.
Dantonio was the first head coach in 23 years to lead the Bearcats to a winning record his first season. His success with the Bearcats also led to the team’s transition into the Big East Conference from Conference USA.
Dantonio was hired by Michigan State in 2006 and has achieved tremendous success for the Spartans. Under his tenure, Michigan State has won three Big Ten Championships and earned a College Football Playoff berth in 2015.
The two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year is 111-57 as the Spartans Head Coach.
Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell became the Ohio State linebackers coach in 2004 and was named co-defensive coordinator in 2005, holding that position until 2010. Then of course he was named the head coach after Jim Tressel’s departure.
After Urban Meyer was hired in 2012, Fickell went back to the co-defensive coordinator position before he was named the head coach at Cincinnati in 2017.
Despite a 4-8 record his first season as the Bearcats coach, Fickell has brought the football program back to where it belongs. He was named the 2018 AAC Coach of the Year after a historic 2018 season leading Cincinnati to a 11-2 record and a victory in the Military Bowl.
It was only the third 11-win season in UC history.
This season, Fickell has the Bearcats ranked 17th in the College Football Rankings with a 9-1 record. If they win out, coach Fickell and his team will be playing in the Cotton Bowl.
Looking ahead to 2020, he has the AAC’s top ranked recruiting class as well.
Mark Dantonio has had a tremendous run at Michigan State but it’s time for a change. Luke Fickell needs to be hired as the next Spartans head coach.
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A product of the Jim Tressel coaching tree, like Dantonio, Fickell will bring a fresh defensive mind to the table. His ability to recruit will allow the Spartans to compete for the best players in the states of Michigan and Ohio. His familiarity with the Big Ten and his coaching ability will ultimately restore the Michigan State program back to being one of the best in the country.