Former Michigan State Head Coach Mark Dantonio Makes CBS Sports' Shehan Jeyarajah's Top 25 College Football Coaching Hires of the Century
Former Michigan State Head Coach Mark Dantonio Makes CBS Sports' Shehan Jeyarajah's Top 25 College Football Coaching Hires of the Century originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports released his list of the top 25 coaching hires of the century, and Michigan State football was not counted out.
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The top hires included Alabama's Nick Saban, Florida's Urban Meyer, Clemson's Dabo Swinney, USC's Pete Carroll, and Georgia's Kirby Smart.
After a collection of three Big Ten titles, seven AP Top 25 finishes, and a College Football Playoffs appearance, this former head coach capped off the top 10 of Jeyarajah's list.
Former Spartan football head coach Mark Dantonio holds up his College Football Hall of Fame Plaque.© Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Spartan's former head coach Mark Dantonio was hired in 2007 and coached at Michigan State for 13 years. In 2020, Dantonio retired and former head coach Mel Tucker took over until 2023 when current head coach Jonathan Smith was hired.
"The former Nick Saban and Jim Tressel assistant took over a Michigan State program with just one 10-win season in 40 years and turned it into a Big Ten powerhouse," Jeyarajah wrote. "The Spartans finished in the AP top 15 six times over an eight-year stretch, including an astonishing run of No. 3, No. 5 and No. 6 finishes in consecutive seasons."
Dantonio retired as and still is the winningest coach in Michigan State history with a 114-57 overall record with the program. Alongside his Big Ten Championships, he led his team to a 24-20 win over Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl and a 42-41 victory in the 2015 Cotton Bowl over Baylor. In the 2015-16 season, Dantonio and his Spartans were the No. 3 seed in the CFP after their conference title win. Alabama beat Michigan State in the semifinals.
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He also set Spartan records with six bowl game wins, 12 total bowl game appearances, and the highest Big Ten winning percentage with a record of 69-39. In the conference, he joins six other coaches in having at least six seasons with 10 wins. Dantonio was also named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2013.
During his time with the Spartans, he had 31 players drafted into the NFL. From 2014-16, three of Dantonio's players were first-round selections.
In 2024, he was officially inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Related: Michigan State's Aidan Chiles Is Left off Josh Pate's Big Ten Top 10 Quarterback List
Related: Son of Two-Time Super Bowl Champion Commits to Michigan State
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
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