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Posted on 11/01/2006 9:15:48 AM PST by MikefromOhio
Michigan State has called a press conference for 1:30 ET Wednesday to discuss its football coaching situation.
The Spartans started the season 3-0 under head coach John L. Smith, but have gone just 1-5 since. That slump started with a 40-37 loss to Notre Dame in which Michigan State squandered a 16-point fourth quarter lead.
That was followed by a 23-20 home loss to Illinois, a team now 2-7 on the season. Blowout losses to Big Ten powers Michigan and Ohio State came next before a stunning comeback in a 41-38 win at Northwestern.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...
Anyway, it appears that John L. Smith is out at Michigan State.
Nick Saban might be available soon.
LOL
nah it'll be Steve Mariucci.
Buh Bye, John L.
The stunning comeback from Nortwestern only delayed this press conference by a week. It would have happened sooner if they lost to the Wildcats.
Yeah right, as if he'll ever darken our doorsteps again after walking out on his team just before a bowl game.
A reall clASS act, that Nick-o.
Heck, for that matter George Perless is still in town...
yeah....
I figured that before the complete collapse to Indiana, they were just going to fire him after the season.
LOL
well Matt Millen will be available here soon too :)
Mariucci would make the most sense.
yeah....they've been talking about him for a couple months now (since the ND loss).
Never know, they might go with a up and coming CUSA or WAC coach....
I can't wait for the UM/OSU game this year. As an MSU fan I'm not really into the rivalry, but with #1 and #2, it should be one helluva game.
BEAT MICHIGAN!
They are better off announcing it now, like UF did with Zook, it clears up the uncertainty for recruits. Let Smith finish out the year if he wants, or name an interim coach from the staff, but make it clear that MSU will bring in a big-name coach in the off-season.
I hope so :)
Yeah....
of course firing him early allows them to start contacting other coaches now.
Yeah, it'll be Mariucci, that way he and Izzo can become even better buddies!
Maybe Smith can get a job on the Iowa State football staff.
Mediocrity is often answered with contract extensions over there.
yeah...
Actually Smith was a pretty good coach for Louisville. He more or less built that program from the scrap heap.
With three games remaining in another disappointing season, Michigan State has decided that John L. Smith will not return to coach the 2007 season.
University president Lou Anna K. Simon is expected to make the announcement at a 1:30 p.m. ET news conference on campus.
Smith will coach the Spartans through the end of this season, including a bowl game. Michigan State, 4-5 this season, must win two of its three remaining games against Purdue, Minnesota and Penn State, to qualify for a postseason invitation.
The university will buy out the remaining two years on his contract. His annual salary is $1.35 million. However, Smith's buyout clause is $1.5 million.
"Coach Smith deserves to coach the rest of this season because he will coach with his heart, just like he always has," Joel Ferguson, Vice Chairperson of Michigan State's Board of Trustees, told ESPN's Joe Schad. "We have respect for him and we hope he takes us to a bowl game. What we need here is more players. What we need is better recruits. We don't make excuses. What we need is more depth and more players."
Smith turned around a moribund program in 2003, his first season, taking the Spartans to an 8-5 record and an Alamo Bowl berth. However, that has been his only winning season. His last three teams have been dogged by inconsistency. The Spartans record under Smith is 22-23, including 0-4 marks against Michigan and Ohio State.
The Spartans started the 2006 season 3-0 under Smith, but have gone just 1-5 since. That slump started with a 40-37 loss to Notre Dame on Sep. 23 in which Michigan State squandered a 16-point fourth quarter lead.
That was followed by a 23-20 homecoming loss on Sept. 30 to Illinois, a team that had not won a Big Ten game since 2004. Blowout losses to conference powers Michigan and Ohio State came next before a stunning comeback in a 41-38 win at Northwestern on Oct. 21, a game they trailed 38-3 in the third quarter.
Most recently, the Spartans were drubbed 46-21 at Indiana last Saturday. Michigan State took a 7-0 lead before the Hoosiers scored 46 consecutive points.
It'll never happen, but I would love to see Paul Johnson of the USNA get picked as the new HC.
I am not surprised, the team has been disappointing this season, but part of that is losing its best running back due to injury. I wonder if MSU isn't making things worse with this move.
That's pretty common.
I said before the season even started, Smith would be the first coach canned, unfortunately, North Carolina beat Sparty to the punch. Now it's Larry Coker's turn and I think Walt Harris at Stanford or Chuck Amato will be next to go.
I think Walt Harris might escape.
Chestie Chucky is gone down at NC State.
I think Franchione is one loss to a team they should beat away from losing his job at Texsas A&M.
Zook will get another year, I think Glen Mason is safe too.
Good point about A&M. Franchione was supposed to be the wunderkind who would return the Aggies to their lofty perch after they canned RC Slocum, instead they're mediocre and I can see them losing their last three games before their bowl.
I don't think any SEC coaches are really in trouble for this season, but Croom and Shula will be feeling some serious heat next year.
Shula especially.
I don't know if Croom can succeed at Mississippi State. That's quite a lot to overcome as a first time HC.
So, I know this may sound a bit crazy, but do you think Spurrier is completely out of the question? I mean going from SC to Mich. State would be a step up wouldn't it?
Texas A&M 2003 4 8
Texas A&M 2004 7 5 Cotton Bowl
Texas A&M 2005 5 6
Texas A&M 2006 8 1
Yeah, I think he's improving the program. His job is safe for a while.
Honestly if he doesn't get into a BCS bowl/New Year's Day bowl this year, he's toast.
When he showed up he said 3 years, he's now had 4 and they aren't really considered the class of the Big XII south, much less the Big XII in general.
I wish it weren't so, but I do think he is out of the question. DC was as far north as he wants to go, plus at SC he gets to get his golf in year round.
Too bad; I was hoping Smith would be given a contract extension. This reminds me of Terry McAuliffe leaving the DNC - that was a sad time...
I don't know how closely you follow the Spartans, but the issues are a bit broader.
I will say that he seems to have a good jump on the next recruiting class - not that it is Michigan-esque - but some talented commits that may have made a difference on defense in a year or two.
The attrition rate of recruits is one of the issues. A lot of his recruits left the program early.
If I were a Nittany Lion I'd lament his leaving also.
Did he lose every game to Penn State in a walk?
No, he was 1-2 against Penn State. But I suspect the next coach will be better than Smith judging from his sideline demeanor during the Notre Dame debacle.
nah...
Spurrier likes the warmer weather and being able to play golf year 'round.....
That leaves out any of the Big Ten schools....
LOL
well you can't have them all....
No, MSU beat PSU in 2003 41-10 in John L's 1st year; lost in 2004 37-13, and lost again last year 31-22.
The cats are licking their chops again this year.
Smith's overall and Big Ten winning percentage has decreased each succeeding year.
I don't see them getting a good coach without being lucky.
Who will go to MSU that's established? Which means they will have to get lucky.
LOL. Yeah, that would wouldn't it.
I'm telling you guys. The first person the AD will call will be Steve Mariucci.
But it sounds like Saban redux to me..........
maybe, maybe not...
Tom Izzo and Mariucci are supposedly good friends....
I completely disagree. They are probably third or fourth best in the big twelve this year. You have to remember that the B12 south is like a whole other conference. To be 8-1 in the south is quite an accomplishment. If A&M beats Oklahoma and Nebraska, but loses to Texas they will have a chance at a BCS Bowl. Remember this is a young team. Next year they will be even better. Now, if he said three years, he was kind of foolish, because he obviously wasn't thinking about the division he was in and what he was up against. There are four teams in the B12 south that are the best in the conference each year. Texas, Oklahoma, Tech. and A&M. with A&M and Tech flip flopping each other the past two or three. The North has nada, zip. Next year's schedule for A&M looks somewhat rosey compared to this year. They won't play Nebraska or Mizzou again, so there are two pretty much guaranteed wins with whoever replaces them. They should be better than Tech. and may even be able to best Texas. My Sooners might even succumb to them next year, although I do hope they don't. They should be 11-1 next year. Now, if they aren't and end up 9-3 or 8-4, I will agree that his job will be in jeapordy, but not likely.
I agree. And I think Mariucci would be a good fit.
his seat was hot going into this season and if he loses all 3 of his remaining games, which is relatively likely, he's gone.
Mark it down.
OK. I'll mark it. And then next year around this time we'll see just how hot his seat really is. I fully expect him to be undefeated at this time next year.
Best friends from boyhood.
BTW, my bad. I thought this was A&M's second year playing Nebraska and Mizzou. It's not. They will have both next year, and they will beat them. Mark that. And they may also be playing in a Major BCS game next year. Mark that as well.
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