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In just three seasons, Mark Dantonio has restored the pride and tradition of Spartan football. A Zanesville, Ohio, native with Midwest ties, Dantonio has 27 years of collegiate coaching experience and coached in his 14th bowl game as the Spartans faced Texas Tech in the 2010 Valero Alamo Bowl. He has led Michigan State to three-straight bowl appearances - a first for the program since 1995-97 - and has already won 22 games at MSU, the second most by any Spartan head coach in his first three seasons. Dantonio, who served as head coach at Cincinnati for three seasons prior to his arrival in East Lansing and also spent six years as an assistant coach at Michigan State from 1995-2000, became Michigan State University's 24th head football coach on Nov. 27, 2006. He has worked for some of the top coaches in the game, including Nick Saban, Jim Tressel and Earle Bruce. Led by All-American linebacker Greg Jones and one of the most explosive offenses in the Big Ten, the Spartans earned their third consecutive bowl bid in 2009. A consensus first-team All-American, Jones became the first Spartan to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year accolades after collecting 154 tackles, the most in the conference and third nationally. He also led the team and ranked among the national leaders in tackles for loss (14 for 69 yards) and sacks (9 for 53 yards). Jones was rated the No. 1 linebacker in the nation by CollegeFootballNews.com and earned the Linebacker Trophy (Linebacker of the Year) by the College Football Performance Awards. In addition, defensive tackle Jerel Worthy was named a Freshman All-American, marking the third-straight year a Spartan has landed on a Freshman All-America Team.
Offensively, Michigan State featured the No. 2 passing attack in the Big Ten Conference, averaging nearly 270 yards per game. The Spartans were also second in the league in scoring (29.7 points per game) and third in total offense (406.2 ypg.). MSU established a school record with 28 touchdown passes in 2009, and the 3,502 passing yards ranked second in the school record books. Sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins, an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick by the media, finished the regular season ranked among the Top 10 Spartan single-season leaders in passing yards (2,680 - 4th), pass completions (198 - 6th) and touchdown passes (19 - tied for 7th). MSU's passing game was built around wide receiver Blair White, who was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches. White recorded career highs in receptions (70), touchdown catches (9) and receiving yards (990), all of which rank among MSU's Top 10 single-season leaders. He also became the program's first Academic All-America First Team selection since 1993 for his 3.89 GPA in human biology. On special teams, Michigan State featured the school's all-time leading kicker, Brett Swenson. The first-team All-Big Ten honoree became MSU's career leader in field goals, points scored and extra points during the 2009 season. Swenson, who was named a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, finished his career tied for third in Big Ten history with 71 career field goals. Fifth-year center Joel Nitchman earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors from the coaches and five other Spartans received All-Big Ten honorable mention. One of 15 semifinalists for the George Munger Coach of the Year Award, Dantonio had his most successful season as a head coach in 2008. Under his leadership, the Spartans went 9-3 in the regular season and compiled a 6-2 record in the Big Ten, the best league mark for the program since 1999. It also marked just the third time since 1966 and 10th overall that Michigan State had won at least nine games in a season. The Spartans were rewarded with a berth in the 2009 Capital One Bowl against Georgia on New Year's Day. Michigan State defeated five bowl-bound teams, with victories over Florida Atlantic, Notre Dame, Iowa, Northwestern and Wisconsin. The Spartans, who made their eighth New Year's Day Bowl appearance and their first in nine seasons, finished the season ranked No. 24 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Polls. In 2008, three Michigan State players were named first-team All-Big Ten by the league's head coaches: senior running back Javon Ringer, senior safety Otis Wiley and sophomore linebacker Greg Jones. The three first-team all-conference selections were the most for the Spartans since five players received first-team honors in 1999. A total of 15 Spartans received All-Big Ten recognition on the first team, second team or honorable mention. Ringer became MSU's first consensus All-American since 2004, earning first-team accolades from Walter Camp and the Associated Press. The Doak Walker Award finalist had one of the finest seasons in Spartan history, scoring a school-record 22 touchdowns and rushing for 1,637 yards, which ranked second in the school record books. Ringer was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. In his first season as head coach at Michigan State, Dantonio sparked a three-game turnaround as the Spartans finished the 2007 regular season with a 7-5 record, securing the program's first bowl bid in four years with a berth against Boston College in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla. Dantonio became just the third first-year coach in Michigan State history to earn a postseason bowl bid, joining Nick Saban (1995 Independence Bowl vs. LSU) and John L. Smith (2003 Alamo Bowl vs. Nebraska). Michigan State (7-6 overall) produced seven victories despite playing one of the nation's most demanding schedules, as the Spartans' 2007 opponents had a combined record of 75-57 (.568) during the regular season. The Spartans went 4-3 in games played against bowl-bound teams in 2007. Michigan State lost six games by a combined total of 31 points, including two in overtime (Northwestern and Iowa). All six games were decided by seven points or less. Michigan State finished the year strong, winning its final two games of the regular season for the first time since 1999 with victories at Purdue and over Penn State, both bowl-bound teams. Dantonio became the first coach in Spartan history to begin his initial season 4-0, as Michigan State opened the 2007 campaign with wins over UAB, Bowling Green, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. With the 31-14 victory over the Irish, the Spartans became the first opponent to win six-straight games in the 77-year history of Notre Dame Stadium. In 2007, Michigan State featured one of the Big Ten's most prolific offensive attacks. The Spartans ranked second in the conference in scoring offense (33.1 points per game), third in rushing offense (198.2 yards per game) and fourth in total offense (416.8 ypg.). Michigan State also was listed among the NCAA's top 30 in rushing offense (No. 25) and scoring offense (No. 29). The Spartans scored a school single-season record 430 points and produced Top 10 single-season totals in six other offensive categories, including total yards (No. 3: 5,418), first downs (No. 4: 266), passing yards (No. 6: 2,842), total yards per game (No. 6: 416.8) and scoring average (No. 6: 33.1 ppg.). Michigan State also displayed dramatic improvement on the defensive side of the football in 2007. The Spartans ranked fourth in the Big Ten and No. 30 nationally in rushing defense, allowing just 125.9 ypg. Michigan State held four opponents under 50 yards rushing (UAB, Bowling Green, Indiana and Boston College). After finishing eighth in the Big Ten and No. 88 nationally in total defense in 2006, the Spartans improved to fourth in the league and No. 32 in the NCAA, allowing 345.5 ypg. After finishing near the bottom of the conference in tackles for loss (ninth) and sacks (10th) in 2006, Michigan State vaulted to third in the Big Ten in tackles for loss (7.69 per game) and fourth in sacks (3.08). Jonal Saint-Dic, one of eight finalists for the Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award, earned first-team All-Big Ten and second-team Walter Camp All-America honors in 2007. Saint-Dic ranked fourth in the Big Ten in sacks (0.83 per game) and ninth in tackles for loss (1.21) while setting the conference single-season record with eight forced fumbles. Three other Spartans garnered second-team All-Big Ten honors: Ringer (coaches and media), wide receiver Devin Thomas (coaches and media) and offensive tackle Pete Clifford (media).
Jones, a consensus Freshman All-American, became the first true freshman to lead the Spartans in tackles (78 in 2007) since Dan Bass (111 stops) in 1976. From his first day on the job, Coach Dantonio has pledged to support student-athletes as they pursue excellence, both in the classroom and on the playing field. In his first three seasons, 35 Spartans have earned their undergraduate degrees, while 30 Spartans have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors, including Academic All-American Blair White. The 53-year old Dantonio established himself as one of the nation's up-and-coming coaches during his three-year tenure at Cincinnati, where he compiled an 18-17 overall record and led the program in its transition to the BIG EAST Conference. In 2006, 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 finished the 2006 regular season ranked among the NCAA leaders in six statistical categories: No. 21 in tackles for loss (6.8 per game), No. 23 in pass efficiency defense (109.3 rating), No. 27 in rushing defense (107.5 yards per game), No. 31 in total defense (304.3 ypg.), No. 34 in scoring defense (19.3 points per game) and No. 34 in sacks (2.4 per game). In the win over Rutgers, Cincinnati held the nation's No. 15 rushing offense to a season-low 50 yards on the ground. Six Bearcats earned All-BIG EAST honors, including three first-team selections: defensive tackle Terrill Byrd, linebacker Kevin McCullough and free safety Dominic Ross. Three UC players received second-team all-conference honors, including offensive guard Trevor Canfield, tight end Brent Celek and cornerback Mike Mickens. In 2005, Dantonio brought together one of the nation's youngest teams, with the Bearcats starting as many as five first-year freshman on defense and posted a competitive 4-7 record in the program's first season in the BIG EAST. Dantonio became only the second head coach in Cincinnati history (along with Sid Gillman) to take the Bearcats to a bowl game in his first season in 2004. UC topped Marshall, 32-14, in the Fort Worth Bowl to cap a 7-5 season. The Bearcats tied for second in the Conference USA standings with a 5-3 league mark. Cincinnati led C-USA and ranked No. 26 in the NCAA in pass defense, allowing 194.2 yards per game. The Bearcats also ranked second in C-USA in total defense (341.3 ypg.) and third in both scoring defense (26.7 ppg.) and pass efficiency defense (121.5). Offensively, quarterback Gino Guidugli ranked 15th in the country in passing efficiency (146.5) and directed the Bearcats to the 30th-ranked offense in the nation (405.6 ypg). Three players were chosen in the 2005 NFL Draft (defensive end Trent Cole, linebacker Tyjuan Hagler and cornerback Daven Holly). In his three seasons at Cincinnati, 21 of Dantonio's players earned All-BIG EAST honors and 40 received academic all-conference recognition. Each of his last two years (2006-07), Cincinnati's program was presented the American Football Coaches Association Academic Achievement Award for attaining a graduation rate of at least 70 percent for its student-athletes. Prior to his appointment at Cincinnati, Dantonio served as the defensive coordinator at Ohio State for three seasons, where his defensive unit helped the Buckeyes to a combined record of 32-6. In 2003, Ohio State's defense was the second toughest against the run, allowing 62.3 yards per game, and was ranked No. 10 in total defense (296.9 ypg.) and No. 16 in scoring defense (17.6 ppg.). Those efforts helped the Buckeyes post an 11-2 record and finish No. 4 in the final polls. Dantonio assembled the defense which led Ohio State to the 2002 National Championship, as the Buckeyes ranked second nationally in scoring defense (13.1 ppg.) and third in rushing defense (77.7 ypg.). Six Buckeyes defenders were named first-team All-Big Ten during Dantonio's tenure and 13 were drafted by the pros, including a pair of first-round selections in 2004 (defensive end Will Smith and cornerback Chris Gamble). Dantonio is quite familiar with East Lansing, as he spent six years (1995-2000) as Michigan State's secondary coach, including five seasons under Saban and one under Bobby Williams. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2000. During his six-year record as an assistant, the Spartans compiled a 39-30-1 record. Under his supervision, the Spartan secondary ranked among the NCAA leaders in pass efficiency defense three of his last four years, finishing No. 10 (101.6) in 1998, No. 16 (103.9) in 1997 and No. 22 (104.5) in 2000. In his last season as secondary coach, the Spartans only allowed 164.1 yards a game through the air, ranking seventh in the country in 2000. Dantonio 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. He tutored cornerback Amp Campbell, who earned third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press. Dantonio came to Michigan State following four seasons under Glen Mason at Kansas (1991-94) where he coached the defensive secondary. In 1992, the Jayhawks produced an 8-4 record and defeated BYU, 23-20, in the Aloha Bowl. Dantonio previously spent five years at Youngstown State under Jim Tressel, helping the Penguins to three trips to the NCAA I-AA playoffs. While serving as defensive coordinator in 1990, Youngstown State posted a perfect 11-0 regular-season record and ranked second nationally. His coaching credits also including stops at Akron (defensive secondary, 1985), Ohio State (graduate assistant, 1983-84), Butler (Kan.) Junior College (defensive coordinator, 1982), Purdue (graduate assistant, 1981) and Ohio University (graduate assistant, 1980). During his stint as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce at Ohio State, the Buckeyes played in the 1983 Fiesta and 1984 Rose Bowls. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Westside High School in Anderson, S.C. Dantonio earned three letters as a defensive back for Coach Jim Carlen at South Carolina (1976-78). He earned a bachelor's degree in education from South Carolina in 1979. Dantonio later earned a master's degree in education from Ohio U. in 1980. Born March 9, 1956, in El Paso, Texas, Mark and his wife Becky have two daughters, Kristen and Lauren.
THE DANTONIO FILEPERSONAL DATA: 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: EDUCATION: PLAYING EXPERIENCE: BOWL/POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE:
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