Michigan State Football

Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh and men's basketball head coach Juwan Howard have each accepted 10 percent salary cuts for the 2021 fiscal year to help compensate for the athletic department's projected $26.1 million budget deficit due mostly to the COVID-19 pandemic, per Bryan Fischer of College Football Talk:

Michigan announces a $26.1 million budget deficit for the upcoming year, among other items: pic.twitter.com/boEkjX0ijk

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) June 29, 2020

The cancellation of sports has caused numerous athletic departments to make budget cuts, including Michigan's.

NCAA winter championships were canceled this year, and spring sports seasons ended in mid-March.

Although the fall sports season is scheduled to begin on time, it's unclear if that will be case because of the pandemic.

The United States has recently seen a stark rise in COVID-19 cases, with the country setting a one-day high with at least 44,580 on Monday, per figures from the World Health Organization.

Harbaugh's salary was $7,504,000 for 2019, per USA Today. Howard signed a five-year deal starting at $2 million annually in 2019, per Nick Baumgardner and David Jesse of the Detroit Free Press.

Harbaugh and Howard aren't the only high-level athletic department employees taking pay cuts. Of note, athletic director Warde Manuel, other senior-level administrators and "many" head coaches will take 10 percent pay cuts beginning August 1, per Michigan's announcement.

Staffers earning between $100,001 and $150,000 will take 7.5 percent pay cuts, and those earning between $50,000 and $100,000 will see 5 percent pay cuts. Anyone earning below $50,000 will not have their salaries reduced.

The school projects spectator admissions revenues to drop 50 percent from fiscal year over fiscal year. Expenses have been cut in every area except for student-athlete financial aid, which has risen $800,000.

Curtis Blackwell's federal lawsuit against former Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio, former president Lou Anna Simon and former athletic director Mark Hollis was dismissed on Wednesday.

Per Matt Wenzel of MLive.com, United States District Court Judge Janet Neff dismissed the case following March recommendations from magistrate judge Sally Berens. 

In addition to the dismissal, Neff ordered Blackwell's attorneys, Thomas Warnicke and Andrew Paterson, to pay monetary sanctions. 

Blackwell was a former staff member under Dantonio from 2013-17. He filed a lawsuit in November 2018 against Dantonio, Simon, Hollis and two Michigan State police detectives, saying he was wrongfully accused of covering up for student-athletes in an alleged sexual assault in January 2017.

Former Michigan State football players Josh King, Donnie Corley and Demetric Vance were sentenced to three years probation in June 2018 after pleading guilty to felony seduction charges stemming from an accusation that they raped a woman in the bathroom of her on-campus apartment. 

Per Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press, police said Blackwell was led out of Michigan State's football facility in handcuffs on Feb. 8, 2017.

"With no evidence, none, that [Blackwell] covered up for the athletes, the MSU Police Department, in stormtrooper fashion cuffed [Blackwell]; seized his personal and MSU cell phones and hauled him off to the MSU Police station," the lawsuit read.

Per Wenzel, Blackwell refused to speak to representatives from Jones Day law firm which had been retained to investigate how sexual assault allegations against football players were handled by the athletics department. Blackwell was subsequently the only university staff member not to be cleared of wrongdoing in the firm's report. He said his Fifth Amendment rights were violated after his contract wasn't renewed following the investigation.

Wenzel noted that Berens' recommendation "admonished Blackwell's attorneys for using court filings to generate media attention. 

Neff ruled that Blackwell has until June 5 to find new representation, as his lawsuit against the two Michigan State police officers will be allowed to continue.  

As the sports world continues to figure out how to navigate amid the coronavirus pandemic, it sounds like Michigan State football is ahead of other programs with its ability to recruit virtually. 

Per The Athletic's Colton Pouncy, some of the Spartans' top 2021 commits praised the coaching staff's ability to innovate under the current circumstances. 

Safety Gabe Nealy, who committed to the school in April, told Pouncy about his virtual meeting with Michigan State:

"The coaches spoke about how things were going to be at MSU. They talked about schemes, my role there and they really just laid out my entire future for me. Me and my family really loved that they had a plan for me and how they were going to develop me and they laid everything out for us. I told the staff I was committing immediately after the visit."

According to Pouncy, there is a process to setting up virtual visits that starts if a recruit is interested roughly one week in advance.

After the calls are organized, recruits meet various members of the athletic and academic staffs that is capped off by a meeting with new head coach Mel Tucker and positional coaches who will explain the player's role on the team. 

"I talked to all the coaches for about 15 minutes about the school and why I could be beneficial to the program, and we finished off with the head coach," safety Jah'von Grigsby told Pouncy of his experience. "They like my versatility on the field. I can play on the roof, the box or even nickel."

Pouncy noted some things that Michigan State does, including a festival theme for its various virtual visits by setting up "booths" along the way that show different departments in the football program. 

Tight end Kameron Allen showed off one of the graphics put together by the Spartans of him in a green and white uniform sitting atop a throne:

Michigan State showing 🤍🤍@MSU_Football @Coach_TGilmore #SpartanDawg pic.twitter.com/ZeoMTst0fT

— Kameron Allen🎒⚡️ (@kamallen02) April 4, 2020

Michigan State's ability to adapt and innovate because of limitations stemming from the pandemic is particularly crucial with a new coaching staff in place. Mark Dantonio stepped down in February, leaving the Spartans scrambling to fill his job. 

Tucker, who began his coaching career with Michigan State as a graduate assistant from 1997-98, returned to the program after resigning as head coach at Colorado. Based on the early returns from his recruiting skills, the Spartans have to be happy with their choice. 247Sports ranks MSU 23rd nationally in the 2021 recruiting cycle.

Michigan State football head equipment manager Andrew Kolpacki is putting his sewing skills to good use during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Nick Mantas of WLNS, Kolpacki and his friends, MSU alums Garrett Briningstool and Lauren Scott, are using his personal sewing machine to make masks in an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Kolpacki said of the endeavor: "Sewing is used in football equipment [and] we usually are repairing jerseys, but obviously without being on the football field right now for spring football, we can use that skill that we've developed and put it towards good use."

Briningstool noted that they learned how to make masks by watching YouTube videos.

Scott described the trio's plans for the masks moving forward: "We will continue to make masks as long as we are self-quarantined and self-isolating. So for the next 30 days we will be making masks and we will be sending them to local health care workers and nursing homes and sharing with family and friends."

Per CNN, there are over 880,000 known cases of COVID-19 worldwide, resulting in more than 44,000 deaths. The United States has the most reported cases of any country with nearly 190,000, and there have been over 4,000 deaths as a result.

Per Nick Miroff of the Washington Post, 90 percent of U.S. mayors who responded to a national survey last week said they lacked sufficient face masks and other protective equipment for first responders and emergency and medical personnel.

Michigan State defensive lineman Kenny Willekes provided an answer for those who doubt his athleticism going into the 2020 NFL draft.

Willekes tweeted a video of himself completing a number of impressive athletic feats, including propelling himself up a wall into a backflip and walking on his hands:

"Not athletic, below-average athleticism for edge rusher"
"Physical tools don't jump off the page"
"Isn't a good athlete"
"Has pedestrian physical gifts”
Shhhh Just watch... pic.twitter.com/LpvLpzBu9C

— Kendrick (@kennyw97) March 26, 2020

ESPN's Adam Schefter noted "Without Pro Days, this is one way that draft prospects now try to impress NFL teams" with many of the league's offseason activities postponed or canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Production wasn't much of an issue for the Michigan State product during his collegiate career.

He tallied double-digit tackles for loss in each of his final three seasons for the Spartans, including 20.5 in 2018. He finished the 2019 campaign with 78 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.

Willekes ran a 4.87-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, and Lance Zierlein of NFL.com pointed to his effort over his athleticism when providing a breakdown.

"He's a high effort worker-bee with a relentless nose for the football. His refusal to give in until the whistle is more responsible for his success than his size or athletic traits. He's neither quick nor explosive, but he's very instinctive and has an above-average understanding of blocking scheme and play development. He's become a very impactful college player against all odds, but lacks the athletic profile to stick around long-term as a pro."

That is exactly the type of scouting report Willekes is addressing with this video. 

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller projected Willekes as the 16th-best edge-rusher in this draft and predicted he would go in the fourth round in a post-Super Bowl mock draft.

La Keshia Neal, the mother of Notre Dame defensive lineman Daelin Hayes, is disputing a claim made by former Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio that he and assistant coach Curtis Blackwell didn't visit Hayes at his home during the recruiting process.

According to the Detroit News' Tony Paul, Dantonio testified at a January deposition that Blackwell didn't travel along with him to visit recruits at their homes, noting it would've been an NCAA violation.

However, Neal provided a sworn affidavit saying Blackwell was part of a group from Michigan State that came to her home in December 2015. Neal provided a picture as well.

BREAKING: A photo and a recruit's mother's sworn affidavit dispute former MSU coach Mark Dantonio's claims that he didn't violate NCAA rules.https://t.co/SJAcl2M4r6 pic.twitter.com/Syk8C3TifW

— Tony Paul | Detroit News (@TonyPaul1984) February 18, 2020

Hayes was the No. 10 outside linebacker in the 2016 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and chose the Fighting Irish.

Blackwell filed suit against Dantonio, former university President Lou Anna Simon, former MSU Athletic Director Mark Hollis and two MSU police detectives, in November 2018, per the Lansing State Journal's Matt Mencarini:

"The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Grand Rapids alleges that the defendants 'feeling the heat from the Larry Nassar cover-up, and eager to prove they were tough on cover-ups, ran roughshod over (Blackwell's) rights when he was wrongly accused of covering up for MSU athletes involved in an alleged sexual assault of a female co-ed in January 2017.

"With no evidence, none, that (Blackwell) covered up for the athletes, the MSU Police Department, in stormtrooper fashion cuffed (Blackwell); seized his personal and MSU cell phones and hauled him off to the MSU Police station.'"

As the case continues to wind through the legal system, Paul reported Feb. 4 that Blackwell alleged Dantonio had committed NCAA violations.

Blackwell claimed the former coach "orchestrated employment for the parents of two MSU football players, with mega-donor Bob Skandalaris."

He also said he was with a contingent of Spartans representatives for a visit with an unnamed recruit. Blackwell, director of college advancement and performance, wasn't permitted under NCAA rules to have off-campus visits with prospective recruits.

It's basic stuff that a staffer can't do an in-home visit. That Dantonio even let the photo be taken is kinda stunning. Not that this alone is a major violation, but MSU is letting a lot of dirty laundry come out instead of settling the suit.

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) February 18, 2020

In his deposition, Dantonio said Blackwell had traveled once for a visit but remained in their car.

The 63-year-old resigned earlier this month and told reporters Blackwell's ongoing lawsuit had "no relevance whatsoever" in his decision. Michigan State athletic director Bill Beekman also said the allegations made by Blackwell "are patently false" from the school's understanding.

The Spartans hired Mel Tucker to succeed Dantonio.

According to the Detroit Free Press' Chris Solari, Tucker's deal reflected the current situation at the program. Should the NCAA levy any sanctions against Michigan State, an extra year will be added to the deal. Should the punishment carry over to more than one year, the extension would reflect the length of the sanctions.

The Michigan State Spartans have agreed to hire Mel Tucker as their 17th head coach in program history.

On Wednesday, Michigan State made the hiring official.

Colorado also confirmed Tucker's exit from the program in a release stating he resigned, effective immediately:

"We are disappointed to see Coach Tucker leave," Colorado athletic director Rick George said. "We are excited about the upward trajectory of our football program and we'll get to work immediately hiring the next head coach to build on our momentum and lead our young men. We're confident this program is on the verge of competing at the highest level and has the resources and support in place to do so for a long time."

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman first reported the hiring on Tuesday.

The Spartans began their coaching search after Mark Dantonio announced he was stepping down as head coach on Feb. 4 in a lengthy letter, saying it was "one of the most difficult decisions that I have ever made here at Michigan State":

To all Spartans: Thank you for everything. You have truly helped my dreams come true. pic.twitter.com/uKkubvp1cW

— Mark Dantonio (@DantonioMark) February 4, 2020

Dantonio served as Michigan State's head coach from 2007 to 2019 and went 114-57 overall. The Spartans won six bowls during that span, including the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl in 2014 and '15, respectively. However, MSU went 7-6 in back-to-back seasons after going 10-3 in the 2017 campaign.

Tucker joins the Spartans after one season with the University of Colorado, where he went 5-7 with victories over No. 25 Nebraska, No. 24 Arizona State, Stanford and Washington.

The former Wisconsin defensive back started his coaching career as a grad assistant at Michigan State under Nick Saban in 1997 before moving on to stints with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, University of Alabama and University of Georgia. The Cleveland native went 2-3 as the Jaguars' interim head coach in 2011.

Michigan State tried to pry him away from Colorado earlier in its coaching search, but Tucker wouldn't budge, tweeting that he had "#UnfinishedBusiness" in Boulder.

https://twitter.com/Coach_mtucker/status/1226230203451465728

According to Feldman, MSU came back with an offer that doubled the coaching salary pool, as well as agreed to invest more in strength and conditioning and doubled the 48-year-old's salary at CU, which was around $2.7 million per year.

Former Wisconsin and Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema reportedly is mulling a return to the Big Ten, and to the Michigan State Spartans in particular. 

According to Rainer Sabin of the Detroit Free Press, "Bielema has 'definite' interest in succeeding Mark Dantonio."

Dantonio retired last week after 13 years as the Spartans head coach. Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell reportedly interviewed with Michigan State, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, but ultimately chose to remain with the Bearcats.

Per that report, "Fickell was never formally offered the job. But when State officials left the meeting near noontime on Sunday, there was an understanding that if Fickell wanted the job, it was his."

As for Bielema, he was hired by the New York Giants this offseason to serve as the team's outside linebackers coach. He spent the past two seasons working for the New England Patriots, as a consultant in 2018 and the defensive line coach in 2019.

Previously, he spent seven seasons as the Wisconsin Badgers head coach (2006-12), going 68-24 in his time in Madison. He led the team to three Big Ten titles, six bowl games and two Rose Bowl appearances. 

He then took over as the Arkansas Razorbacks head coach (2013-17), though he had less success in the SEC, going 29-34 with three bowl game appearances. 

It's unclear if the interest is mutual. According to Sabin, "MSU's search committee met Monday morning to discuss next steps, sources said, and the board of trustees will be briefed Monday night as previously scheduled. The board of trustees is responsible for voting to approve any hire."

Nailing this hire will be key for a Michigan State football program that has gone just 27-24 in the past four seasons.

First, it was Pat Narduzzi declining to meet with Michigan State about taking over the head coaching gig. Now, it's San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh turning down an opportunity to speak with the Spartans. 

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Saleh informed MSU officials he wouldn't be leaving the Niners at this time. 

Saleh transformed San Francisco's defense into one of the fiercest units in football last season. The Niners gave up the second-fewest yards per game in the league (281.8) with an NFL-best 23 forced fumbles. Along the way, San Francisco won the NFC West and advanced to the Super Bowl before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs. 

At 41 years old, Saleh has become one of the game's rising stars on the sidelines and has been mentioned among the next crop of NFL head coach candidates. Before landing with the 49ers in 2017, Saleh was the linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2014-2016, spending three years before then as a quality coach with the Seattle Seahawks.

Yet it's the college game where Saleh rose to prominence.  The Dearborn, Michigan, native spent two years with Michigan State as a defensive assistant from 2002-2003. 

Whatever pull MSU officials were hoping they had given his background wasn't strong enough. Saleh is close to either winning a Super Bowl with the Niners or being named a head coach elsewhere in the league. Michigan State will have to continue looking for Mark Dantonio's replacement elsewhere.

Mark Dantonio is stepping down as the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans football program.

He announced his decision on Tuesday with a lengthy letter thanking the fans, alumni and administration and explained he will "stay on within the university and athletic department in a role involving special projects, especially transitioning our players, both current and incoming, to their next challenges."

To all Spartans: Thank you for everything. You have truly helped my dreams come true. pic.twitter.com/uKkubvp1cW

— Mark Dantonio (@DantonioMark) February 4, 2020

According to David Jesse of the Detroit Free Press, Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell is considered the "frontrunner" to take over the Spartans program. Cincinnati won 11 games in each of the last two seasons under his direction.

Colton Pouncy of The Athletic noted defensive coordinator Mike Tressel will be the acting head coach while the school looks for a replacement.

Dantonio was the defensive coordinator for Ohio State (2001-03) and head coach for Cincinnati (2004-06) prior to accepting the head coaching position for the Spartans going into the 2007 campaign. 

The team was coming off three straight losing seasons under John Smith at the time and won double-digit games just once since the 1965 season. It was a Big Ten afterthought that was nowhere ready to compete with the likes of Ohio State and Michigan.

Dantonio quickly changed that.

Michigan State went to bowl games in 12 of his 13 seasons as head coach and capped off a 2013 campaign that featured a Big Ten Championship Game win over Ohio State with a Rose Bowl win over Stanford. The Spartans also reached the 2015 College Football Playoff as conference champions in a season that featured a Big Ten Championship Game win over Iowa.

The program won double-digit games six times during his tenure and became a bigger player on the national stage than it had been for some time prior to his arrival.

However, it went just 7-6 in each of the last two years following a 10-3 mark in 2017 and is a mere 42nd in the country in the 2020 recruiting rankings, per 247Sports' composite. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic and Tom VanHaaren of ESPN pointed to the timing of this departure as well:

Why did he wait so long to decide this, you ask? pic.twitter.com/xAXETFWnvD

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) February 4, 2020

Mark Dantonio stepped down as head coach seven weeks after the early signing period, one day before signing day and two weeks after accepting a $4.3 million bonus

— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) February 4, 2020

Dantonio's tenure was not without controversy.

In January 2018, Paula Lavigne and Nicole Noren of ESPN's Outside the Lines reported there was "a pattern of widespread denial, inaction and information suppression" of sexual assault allegations against Spartan football and basketball players, as well as against former athletics physician Larry Nassar, "by officials ranging from campus police to the Spartan athletic department."

"Since Dantonio's tenure began in 2007, at least 16 MSU football players have been accused of sexual assault or violence against women, according to interviews and public records obtained by Outside the Lines," Lavigne and Noren wrote. "Even more, Dantonio was said to be involved in handling the discipline in at least one of the cases several years ago."

Lavigne and Noren reported in one case Dantonio's punishment for a player accused of sexual assault was to "talk to his mother about what he had done." Dantonio denied all accusations that he or his staff had mishandled allegations against his players.

Tony Paul of the Detroit News reported lawyers for Curtis Blackwell, who was on the Michigan State football staff from 2013 until May 2017, alleged Dantonio committed multiple NCAA violations during his time as head coach.

Dantonio's defense called the allegations a "sham" in court documents, but one of Blackwell's lawyers detailed them in a filed response on Monday night—hours before Tuesday's announcement that the coach was stepping down.

Blackwell's lawyers alleged Dantonio had Blackwell attend a home visit for a highly regarded recruit, which was against the rules because he was not authorized for in-home visits as the director of college advancement and performance.

Dantonio also allegedly set up employment for two players' parents with donor Bob Skandalaris.

Dantonio enjoyed plenty of success on the field at Michigan State with a 114-57 record, but the off-field headlines were a featured part of his tenure as well.