Michigan Football: Spartans coaching search reminds of Rich Rod fiasco

Michigan State football is in a world of hurt right now, just like Michigan football was in its coaching search before it hired Rich Rodriguez.

Just typing the name Rich Rodriguez gives me the heeby-jeebies as a Michigan football fan, thinking about just how awful a time that was for the Wolverines.

The coaching search that led to Michigan hiring Rodriguez to replace a retiring Lloyd Carr proved to be a disaster and the selection of Rich Rod sent Michigan football back nearly a decade.

And right now, it feels Michigan State is going through something similar as the Spartans try to find a replacement for Mark Dantonio.

Of course, the circumstances are much different. Carr’s retirement was actually a retirement. Dantonio is walking away to avoid more scandal and is leaving a program fraught with allegations of wrongdoing, including that Dantonio knew and looked the other way.

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So trouble could be brewing and some possible violations or sanctions could be down the road. Is that enough to dissuade a coach from going to Michigan State? No. But it certainly doesn’t help.

It also doesn’t help that Michigan State has been on a downward spiral since winning the Big Ten in 2015. MSU never found a quarterback that could replace Connor Cook and the vaunted defense started to lose its luster.

At the same time, under the direction of Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines started to take back the state of Michigan. Double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons have cemented Michigan football’s place at the top of the hierarchy and in the last two losses, the Wolverines have made the Spartans look foolish, especially on offense.

The gap between the two programs is only going to grow. The recruiting trail shows us that and Michigan isn’t the only program running away from the Spartans in the Big Ten. Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin are too. In fact, Iowa and Minnesota are in better spots than Sparty right now and honestly, Indiana and Purdue might be too.

So, no wonder Luke Fickell turned down the chance to replace Dantonio. I’m sure he saw the job for what it is, a chance to routinely finish no better than fourth in the Big Ten East, while consistently losing out on recruits to Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and the like.

Mel Tucker from Colorado wanted no part of it and who could blame him? Robert Saleh, the 49ers defensive coordinator didn’t even think it was worth the conversation but he seems on track to be an NFL head coach, so who could blame him?

The Detroit News, which confirmed that Fickell turned down the job, listed the following guys as potential candidates:

"“Interim head coach and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel could now get a formal interview while Beekman and his team likely will start reaching out to more candidates, including Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton, Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain, Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry, current Alabama analyst Butch Jones and Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur.”"

That can’t be a list that Michigan State people are excited about. However, it reflects the Spartans standing in the world right now and if they aren’t careful, this hire could doom their program for years, just as the Wolverines did with Rich Rod.