EAST LANSING ~ MSU’s winningest football coach Mark Dantonio said Michigan State is approaching alignment after a period of turnover across the university and its athletics department. Since his retirement in 2020, MSU has cycled through three university presidents, three head football coaches, and four athletic directors–instability that has shaped both the football program and the broader athletics landscape.
PODCAST:
Aug. 23, 2026 ~ Former MSU football coach Mark Dantonio previews the new MSU football season with Mark.
(CONTINUED) “Everything’s aligned right now,” Dantonio said on 760 WJR’s JR Sunday, pointing to President Kevin Guskiewicz, new AD Dan Bartholomae, and football Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald as the core of MSU’s reset. Dantonio said he’s known Fitzgerald for two decades and “can’t say enough good things about him,” praising his structure, energy, and approach to rebuilding the program.
He also credited Coach Tom Izzo as “the glue” amidst leadership changes, providing stability during a phase of fluctuation.
The football rebuild comes at a time when player acquisition and retention have shifted dramatically. A crowded transfer portal and growing NIL deals have complicated roster stability, a challenge that Dantonio said requires an “inch-by-inch” approach from leadership. Relationships between players, coaches, and administration must be built quickly, he said, to establish accountability and identity before the season begins.
Still, Dantonio cautioned that early optimism only goes so far, in saying “until you hit the hard surface, you’re going to have questions about people.” Questions of roster-strength and player performance will begin to shake out Friday, Sept. 7, when MSU opens its season against Toledo on Spartan turf.
