Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has retired, he announced on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon.
Dantonio had been the head coach at MSU since 2007 with a 133-74 record. While there, he mentored current Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi, who was Dantonio’s defensive coordinator from 2007-14. Narduzzi also worked as defensive coordinator under Dantonio at Cincinnati from 2004-06.
“My years in East Lansing were very, very meaningful to me,” Narduzzi said before coaching Pitt in the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit against Eastern Michigan in December. “I am where I am today because of East Lansing, Michigan State, and Mark Dantonio.”
Narduzzi was instantly speculated as a candidate to replace Dantonio by members of the national media.
Narduzzi is expected to speak with the Pittsburgh media on Wednesday after signing two more players to the Class of 2020 on National Signing Day.
He is under contract with Pitt through the 2024 season as part of a seven-year extension to his original contract, which was signed in 2014.
Alex Kirshner is correct in stating that Pitt is the more attractive job at this point in history. No disrespect to Michigan State but they’re trending downward while Pitt is trending upward. It would be utterly stupid for Narduzzi to leave Pitt while he is about to see the fruits of his labor as a Head Coach payoff at Pitt. He can choose to be his own man at Pitt or always exist in someone else’s shadow at Michigan State. It should be an easy call to stay at Pitt.
Coach; you’ve got to make it clear to all your recruits that you are staying.
I apologize in advance but I simply have to say that those people saying that the possibility of Narduzzi leaving makes no difference are morons and I suspect some are trolls. Nobody can be that stupid. Pitt is turning the corner with Narduzzi and the University showing that it cares about this football program once again. It takes a few years to genuinely get a program back on track where it needs to be and Narduzzi along with this current coaching staff are doing that. Anyone that says different is ignorant or they’re a troll. The only other possibility is… Read more »