Michigan State Football: Mark Dantonio ranked 48th-best head coach in past 50 years

Mark Dantonio’s tenure as Michigan State football coach was a legendary one and even though it didn’t end the way anyone would have hoped, he still turned the program around.

Dantonio became the all-time winningest coach in program history, going 114-57 in 13 seasons before retiring following National Signing Day in 2020. He gave way to Mel Tucker but he didn’t leave the program in the greatest spot, going just 27-24 over his final four seasons, including a 17-19 record in conference play.

It seemed like something fell off after the 2015 season and maybe it was the fact that he watched one of his best teams ever lose 38-0 in the College Football Playoff to Alabama. That can be demoralizing for any head coach.

Still, even after a 3-9 season in 2016, he turned right back around and won 10 games in 2017 before going 7-6 in his final two seasons before retiring.

Dantonio was considered one of the best head coaches in college football during his prime years in East Lansing, winning at least 11 games in five out of six seasons from 2010 to 2015. That was the best stretch of football in about 50 years at the school and that was good enough to land him on an impressive list put out by ESPN.

In the list of the top 100 coaches from the past 50 years, where Nick Saban is obviously No. 1, Dantonio came in at No. 48.

Who did the former Michigan State football coach beat out?

Dantonio beat out guys like Dan Mullen (No. 91), Kirby Smart (No. 93), and James Franklin (No. 99) who were some of the big names on the list that were surprisingly low. Lloyd Carr just beat out Dantonio at No. 42 and former Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez made the cut at No. 99 for his impressive stint at West Virginia.

And Kirk Ferentz came in at No. 71.

One article detailing the list I found interesting while trying to find big names who made the cut was from Land-Grant Holy Land’s Brett Ludwiczak who claimed that Ferentz and Dantonio shouldn’t have been separated by that much. He said, “Aside from Michigan State making the College Football Playoff in 2015, I don’t see much of a difference between the two coaches.”

Interesting statement seeing as Dantonio had five 11-plus win seasons, six bowl wins, a New Year’s Six bowl win, a Rose Bowl victory, three Big Ten title game appearances, a playoff appearance, and three Big Ten titles.

Ferentz has won 11-plus games just twice, has two Big Ten titles (with the last coming in 2004), one Big Ten title game appearance, nine bowl wins, no Rose Bowl wins, and one BCS bowl victory in nine more seasons than Dantonio.

Really tough to compare the two when Dantonio accomplished more in less time.

But hey, to each their own.