by Mike Huesmann
Pat Narduzzi
Pittsburgh, Head Coach
Veteran coach Narduzzi might be a long shot but he’s worth approaching. 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.
Jim Leonhard
Illinois, Defensive Analyst
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.
Ed Orgeron
Former Head Coach, LSU and Ole Miss
Coach O is an interesting one here. He coached what is arguably the best team in college football history in 2019. This was followed by two .500 teams and an unceremonious ending to his time in Baton Rouge. He could recruit well, he could add through the portal, he has charisma. The X’s and O’s depend on him hiring the right guy. Could we see a Joe Brady reunion? If you win a national title you almost certainly get another job. Will this be it for Coach O?
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Mike Tressel
Wisconsin, Defensive Coordinator
Tressel’s name may sound familiar, he is the nephew of Jim and son of Dick. The Badger DC spent the last two seasons with 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.
Sean Lewis
Colorado, Offensive Coordinator
Former Kent State head coach, 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 have shown make a him a guy who could be on the radar for a P5 program, like Michigan State, who needs a new boss.
Bill O’Brien
New England Patriots, Offensive Coordinator
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, 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.
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
Oregon State, Head Coach
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
Minnesota, Head Coach
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.
Brian Hartline
Ohio State, Offensive Coordinator
I was, and remain, skeptical of Hartline getting the promotion to OC at Ohio State but he’d be a home run for Michigan State. He’s one of the elite recruiters in the nation and won’t want to take a job with a limited potential to recruit top players, MSU shouldn’t be a problem there. He’s close to getting a good head coaching job, if the Buckeyes offense performs to expectation this year, he’ll get one.
