By Mike Huesmann
In the wake of Mel Tucker’s suspension, the search will immediately begin for the next head coach of the Spartans’ program.
Michigan State AD Alan Haller says he has suspended football coach Mel Tucker without pay.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) September 10, 2023
Here are 10 names who could be that permanent choice.
Pat Narduzzi
Head Coach, Pittsburgh
Veteran coach Narduzzi might be a long shot, but he’s worth approaching. He’s in a good situation that he may not want to leave. The former Spartan DC led a turnaround at Pitt and has won an ACC title. He is 63-41 at Pitt, only having 1 losing season out of 8. His stability and attitude could do well to take over in the wake of a scandal. The fact that he’s a familiar face would also go over well. I think if he wants the job, he’s the guy.
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Jim Leonhard
Defensive Analyst, Illinois
Leonhard checks every box you could want here, with the exception of prior head coaching experience. The longtime Badger assistant and 2022 interim head coach knows the Big Ten better than most. He went 5-3 last year in his 8 games as boss after Paul Chryst was let go. He is working with Bret Bielema at Illinois this year. His time to become a head coach will come soon.
Mike Tressel
Defensive Coordinator, Wisconsin
Tressel’s name may sound familiar; he is the nephew of Jim and son of Dick. The Badgers’ DC spent the last two seasons with Luke Fickell at Cincinnati, but prior to that, he was a Spartan assistant from 2007-2020. Tressel would bring experience, defensive knowledge, a vast network of contacts, and more familiarity in East Lansing than anyone.
Jason Candle
Head Coach, Toledo
Candle is a guy who’s been at his job for a while. Currently, in year 8 in Toledo, he has an impressive 53-32 record and will play in bowl game #7 this year. He has kept things running nicely since taking over for Matt Campbell. His team are the odds-on favorites to repeat as MAC champions this year. Candle’s consistency, high floor, and ability to get to the postseason could be his ticket to a P5 job.
Bill O’Brien
Offensive Coordinator, New England Patriots
O’Brien took over at Penn State after a much worse scandal and did a fantastic job. He then went to the NFL with Houston, where he was good as a coach, but poor as a GM. His record as a head coach at both levels is impressive. His reputation took a bit of a hit last year at Alabama, he has since moved back to the Patriots, but this could be a very solid, if uninspiring, hire.
Sean Lewis
Colorado, Offensive Coordinator
Former Kent State head coach Sean Lewis knows that part of the country well. The Flashes were below average this year, but Lewis remains a guy who gets mentioned in these conversations, especially with what we are seeing from the Colorado offense so far this year. His experience in the MAC, as well as Syracuse, combined with the offensive outburst his team has shown, make a him a guy who could be on the radar for a P5 program like Michigan State, who are in need of a new boss.
Joe Moorhead
Akron, Head Coach
The former Mississippi State and Fordham head coach is currently in year 2 with the Zips. The 2-10 campaign in 2022 was one to forget, but Moorhead has led some top-notch offenses all over the country, and he remains a man with a good reputation. He’ll know the Big Ten well from his time at Penn State when he was James Franklin’s first OC with the Nittany Lions. Other stops at Oregon and UConn highlight his impressive resume.
Jonathan Smith
Head Coach, Oregon State
This is the most interesting one on the list to talk about. On one hand, Oregon State is in Smith’s blood. He played there and has been an assistant and head coach there. On the other hand, that’s basically all the Beavers have going for them. They pay him a pittance, relatively speaking, for a P5 head coach at $2.4 million a year, they face conference and future insecurity, and they aren’t the attraction he may warrant. Michigan State would triple his salary and offer a better recruiting base.
P.J. Fleck
Head Coach, Minnesota
Could we be rowing the boat in East Lansing? I’d put Fleck on the list, anyway. He led Western Michigan to a 13-1 season in his final year at Western Michigan. Since coming to Minnesota, he has brought stability, culture, and a consistent run game to a team that needed all three. He is 46-27 since coming to Minneapolis with 4 bowl appearances, winning each of them. The Spartans could certainly offer a higher salary than Minnesota currently pays him; I think that would be enough to pull him.
Matt Campbell
Head Coach, Iowa State
Campbell has an impressive 82-58 record as a head coach at Toledo and Iowa State. He had been mentioned as a possibility for other jobs before. After the Cyclones regressed in 2022, his name cooled a bit. Before that, Iowa State had been very consistent with a high ceiling before the 4-8 season this past year, in which they had to replace many longtime contributors. They had been winning between 7 and 9 games a year for a good stretch while playing the brand of football that only a Midwesterner could love.
