Mark Dantonio Hometown: El Paso, Texas High School: Zanesville High School Position: Head Coach Birthdate: 03/09/1956 Experience: First Year College: South Carolina , Master's at Ohio Univ.

Mark Dantonio, who has coached Cincinnati for the past three seasons and was a former assistant coach at Michigan State for six years, has been named Michigan State University's 24th head football coach. Dantonio was formally introduced at a noon press conference on Monday, Nov. 27 in the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center auditorium.

The 50-year old Dantonio established himself as one of the nation's up-and-coming coaches during his three-year tenure at Cincinnati. This season, Dantonio led the Bearcats to a 7-5 overall record and a 4-3 BIG EAST mark, making Cincinnati bowl eligible for the second time in three years. Dantonio accomplished the feat against the second-toughest schedule in the country, as UC's opponents compiled a 69-42 record. His Bearcats upset then-No. 7 Rutgers, 30-11, on Nov. 18, handing the Scarlet Knights their first loss of the season and marking the highest-ranked opponent ever defeated by UC.

Highly respected as one of the top defensive coaches in the country, Dantonio's Bearcats rank 21st nationally in tackles for loss, 23rd in pass efficiency defense, 27th in rushing defense and 36th in total defense in the latest NCAA statistics.

Dantonio compiled an 18-17 overall record in his three years at Cincinnati and led the program in its transition to the BIG EAST Conference. He became the first head coach in 23 years to direct a team to a winning season in his first year at UC. The Bearcats' went 7-5 in 2004, including a 5-3 mark in Conference USA to finish second in the league standings, and defeated Marshall in the Fort Worth Bowl.

In his first two seasons at Cincinnati, 15 of Dantonio's players earned all-conference honors and 25 received academic all-conference recognition.

Prior to his appointment at Cincinnati, Dantonio served as the defensive coordinator at Ohio State for three seasons, where his defensive unit became known as one of the stingiest in the country. During the Buckeyes' 2002 National Championship season, OSU ranked second nationally in scoring defense and third in rushing defense, and the following year, his unit ranked No. 1 in the country in rushing defense and ninth in total defense, sparking the Buckeyes to an 11-2 mark and a No. 4 national ranking.

Dantonio is familiar with East Lansing, as he spent six seasons (1995-2000) as Michigan State's secondary coach, including associate head coach duties in 2000. He contributed to Michigan State's successful 1999 season, during which the Spartans went 10-2, won the Florida Citrus Bowl, led the Big Ten in total defense and ranked No. 7 in the final polls.

A Zanesville, Ohio, native with Midwest ties, Dantonio has 24 years of collegiate coaching experience, and has coached in 10 bowl games. He has worked for some of the top coaches in the game, including Nick Saban, Jim Tressel and Earle Bruce.

THE DANTONIO FILE

PERSONAL DATA:
Born Mark Dantonio in El Paso, Texas, on March 9, 1956. Family: wife Becky and two daughters, Kristen (13) and Lauren (11).

PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College - Graduate assistant at Ohio U. (1980); graduate assistant at Purdue (1981); defensive coordinator at Butler (Kan.) Junior College (1982); graduate assistant at Ohio State (1983-84); defensive secondary coach at Akron (1985); defensive secondary coach and defensive coordinator at Youngstown State (1986-90); defensive secondary coach at Kansas (1991-94); defensive secondary coach (1995-2000) and associate head coach (2000) at Michigan State; defensive coordinator at Ohio State (2001-03); head coach at Cincinnati (2004-06).

COACHING RECORD:
18-17 (.514) in three years as a college head coach at Cincinnati (2004-06).

EDUCATION:
Bachelor's degree in education from South Carolina in 1979; master's degree in education from Ohio U. in 1980.

PLAYING EXPERIENCE:
College - Three-year letterman as a defensive back at South Carolina (1976-78).

BOWL/POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE:
Coach - 1987 NCAA I-AA playoffs, 1989 NCAA I-AA playoffs, 1990 NCAA I-AA playoffs, 1983 Fiesta Bowl, 1984 Rose Bowl, 1992 Aloha Bowl, 1995 Independence Bowl, 1996 Sun Bowl, 1997 Aloha Bowl, 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl, 2002 Outback Bowl, 2003 Fiesta Bowl, 2004 Fiesta Bowl, 2004 Fort Worth Bowl.

Dantonio's Career Record - Head Coach

			Overall			Conference
Year	School		W	L	Pct.	W	L	Pct.	Finish	Bowl/Postseason (Final Rank)
2004	Cincinnati	7	5	.583	5	3	.625	T-2nd	Fort Worth Bowl
2005	Cincinnati	4	7	.364	2	5	.286	T-6th 	-
2006	Cincinnati	7	5	.583	4	3	.571	TBD
Totals			18	17	.514	11	11	.500