Mark Dantonio

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Mark Justin Dantonio (born March 9, 1956) is an American football coach and former player.

He is the current head football coach at Michigan State University and he has held the position since the 2007 season, presiding over one of the most successful eras in the program's history.

He's led the Michigan State Spartans to three Big Ten Conference championships, and eight victories over archrival Michigan in thirteen years.

In 2013, he coached Michigan State to its first 13-win season and the program's fifth trip to the Rose Bowl, where they defeated Stanford and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation.

At the time, this was only the second instance a Big Ten team had reached the 13-win mark, the other being Ohio State's national championship season in 2002, where Dantonio was the defensive coordinator.

The 2013 season also marked the first time a Big Ten team won nine conference games by double digits in each contest.

In 2015, Dantonio became the first head coach in Big Ten history to achieve at least 11 wins in five of six seasons.

On December 6, 2015, Dantonio's Spartans qualified for the College Football Playoff for the first time in the program's history.

The Spartans were the No. 3 seed in the Playoff and faced Alabama in the 2015 Cotton Bowl, but lost 38–0. In 2006, Dantonio was hired as the Spartans head coach, returning to the school where he served six years as an assistant coach under Nick Saban and Bobby Williams.

Known as a defensive-minded coach, Dantonio led the Spartans to the school's first bowl game win since 2001, in the 2012 Outback Bowl, and the school's first Rose Bowl since 1988 in 2014.

Dantonio's Spartans hold the active school record with four consecutive bowl wins.

On October 8, 2011, Dantonio signed a contract extension that made him a "Spartan for life." In 2014, he earned the second highest salary among college football coaches, due largely to a retention bonus.On September 21, 2019, with his 110th victory, Dantonio became the winningest head coach in MSU football surpassing Duffy Daugherty.

Dantonio had compiled a 110–52 record through this date at Michigan State, giving him a .691 winning percentage, the highest of any Michigan State football coach since Clarence Munn, who coached the Spartans from 1947 to 1953.

Early life

Mark Dantonio was born in El Paso, Texas, to Justin Dantonio and Maryan (née Sonsalla) Dantonio. Mark is of Italian descent (father) and Polish descent (mother). Dantonio's Grandfather Frank D'antonio moved from Montenerodomo, Italy, to the United States - losing the apostrophe at Ellis Island – in 1912.

His father played basketball at Salem University and met his mother while teaching in El Paso. Mark was the second of four boys. When Mark was one, the family moved to Zanesville, Ohio, where Justin became the vice principal and basketball coach at Zanesville High School. Mark was an all-state safety at Zanesville.

Personal life

Mark Dantonio married his wife, Becky, in 1990. The couple's two daughters, Kristen and Lauren, attended Michigan State. Dantonio is a devout Roman Catholic. The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame will hold its 49th Annual Induction Banquet in June 2022, inducting Dantonio whose mother was Polish.

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College career

Dantonio attended the University of South Carolina and earned three letters as a defensive back for Coach Jim Carlen for the 1976-78 Gamecocks. In 1979, he earned a bachelor's degree in education from South Carolina. Dantonio received a master's degree in education from Ohio University in 1980.

Coaching career

Dantonio began his teaching at Ohio University, where he worked as a graduate assistant. When he stepped on to Purdue University as a graduate assistant in 1981, he made his first appearance in the Big Ten Conference. He served as a graduate assistant at Ohio State University in 1983 and 1984 under head coach Earl Bruce. Jim Tressel, a retired teacher at Youngstown State University in 1986, began a five-year stint as a defensive secondary coach. Dantonio led the Penguins' defense to an 11–0 record and a national number two. Glen Mason was hired by Dantonio in 1991 to be the Kansas Jayhawks' defensive secondary coach. Nick Saban was hired at Michigan State in 1995 and Dantonio was recruited by Dantonio to join his staff in East Lansing, where he stayed until Saban left for LSU. Following Saban's resignation, Bobby Williams was appointed head coach in 1999, and Dantonio was promoted to associate head coach, where he remained through the 2000 season.

Dantonio reunited with his former Youngstown State boss and good friend Jim Tressel when he left East Lansing to serve as the defensive coordinator at Ohio State University for three seasons in 2001. His defense became known as one of the country's worst. During the 2002 National Championship season, Ohio State ranked second nationally in scoring defense and third in rushing defense. Dantonio was named a 2002 finalist for the Broyles Award, the nation's highest college football assistant coach. His defense ranked first in the country in rushing defense and ninth in total defense in the 2003 season, leading to the Buckeyes' 11–2 record and fourth national ranking. During Dantonio's tenure, six Buckeye defenders were named first team All-Big Ten. Thirteen players were drafted into the NFL, including two first round picks in Chris Gamble and Will Smith.

On December 23, 2003, Dantonio was named head coach at Cincinnati. In his first season at UC, he was the first head coach in 23 years to lead the school to a winning season. The Bearcats had a 5–3 record in Conference USA, which was good enough for a second-place finish. The Bearcats closed the season on a winning note with a 32–14 victory over Marshall in the PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl. During Dantonio's time at UC, he led the Bearcats to a bowl game win and guided the team's move into the Big East Conference. Dantonio's head coach received all-conference awards and 25 others were cited for conference academic excellence.

On November 27, 2006, Mark Dantonio became Michigan State's 24th head coach. On his arrival, Dantonio promised to return the Spartans to a more traditional approach to offense and defense, excluding the spread offense and the "bandit" linebacker/safety job used under former head coach John L. Smith.

Dantonio began his Michigan State play at Spartan Stadium in April 21, 2007, attracting over 25,000 viewers to watch the team's spring scrimmage game. By a score of 21–8, the white team, led by sophomore quarterback Connor Dixon, defeated junior quarterback Brian Hoyer and the green team. Dantonio was seen behind the line of scrimmage monitoring and coaching the game during the game.

When the Spartans defeated the UAB Blazers, Dantonio won his first game at Michigan State, 5-18, on September 1, 2007. His first season at Michigan State was the school's most successful since 2003. The Spartans of Dantonio finished 7–5, losing all five games by seven points or fewer, and were bowl eligible for the first time in four years. However, the Spartans lost in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando on December 28 to Boston College.

Dantonio's second season at MSU began with a loss at Cal, but the Spartans returned to win six straight games against Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Notre Dame, Iowa, and Northwestern. The victories propelled Michigan State University into the top 25. The Spartans defeated Michigan, 35-21, beating Ann Arbor for the first time since 1990, after a lopsided 45–7 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Michigan State won its last two home games against Wisconsin and Purdue before falling to Penn State in Happy Valley. Michigan State would have split the Big Ten Conference championship with Ohio State if they beat Penn State. Michigan State won nine straight seasons, the first since 1999. Michigan State finished third in the conference and was invited to face Georgia in the Capital One Bowl. Michigan State lost the game 24-12, ending the season 9-4.

In terms of results and off-the-field, Dantonio's third season, 2009, was disappointing. The team lost five games (Central Michigan, Iowa, at Notre Dame, Iowa, and Minnesota, Texas Tech), ending in a disappointing 6–7 record in the fourth quarter.

After MSU's 34–31 victory over Notre Dame, only hours after a spectacular fake field goal touchdown pass gave MSU a 34–31 overtime victory, Dantonio checked himself into a hospital after complaining about chest pains. He had a heart attack later on. He had a stent implanted in a blocked artery near his heart. His doctor said that the injury was minimal and that Dantonio was expected to recover fully. While Dantonio recovered, offensive coordinator Don Treadwell took over as acting head coach.

Dantonio announced that he would be coaching the next game from the press box on September 30, just two days before Michigan State defeated Wisconsin, a blood clot was discovered in his leg. Dantonio was compelled to watch the game from his hospital bed. According to reports, he was discharged from Sparrow Hospital around noon on October 4, 2010. Dantonio coached his first game since being knocked at Michigan on October 9. Michigan State defeated Ann Arbor 34-17.

The Spartans under Dantonio continued to win, winning all home games for the first time in his tenure on November 20. This was the third time Michigan State had won 10 or more games in a season, with the other two seasons being 1965 and 1999. The Spartans of Dantonio defeated Penn State 28–22 in Happy Valley on November 27, 2010 to finish the season 11–1 and clinch a piece of the Big Ten Championship for the first time since 1990. MSU announced on December 5, 2010 that the Spartans had been selected to compete in the Capital One Bowl against Alabama, which ranked 15th in the BCS standings). The Spartans lost to the Crimson Tide 49–7 and ended 11–2.

Michigan State had another fruitful year in 2011. On a last-second Hail Mary pass from Kirk Cousins to Keith Nichol, the Spartans defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes for the first time since 1998, defeated arch-rival Michigan, and upset #6 Wisconsin. In Big Ten play, the Spartans lost 10–2 (7–1), gaining the Legends Division championship and a spot in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game. MSU was selected to play in the Outback Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs after falling short in a rematch with Wisconsin. Dantonio led his team to a triple-overtime victory, his first bowl victory at MSU. For the second straight season, the Spartans won 11 games in a row, finishing 11–3.

Dantonio led the Spartans to a 7–6 record and a victory over Texas Christian University in 2012. When preseason #13 Michigan State defeated #24 Boise State, the season began with promise; but the #10 Spartans lost to No. 2 two games later. 20 Notre Dame defeated 40 others in Big Ten play, and the university went on to suffer four home losses. The defense finished ninth in FBS points allowed, giving up just 16.3 points per game, but the offense struggled to score in several games. Despite the defense keeping the Wolverines out of the end zone the entire game, MSU lost a 12–10 decision to Michigan. Dantonio filmed himself at the Rose Bowl in May 2013, four months after the 2012 season ended, predicting a fruitful 2013.

Dantonio's team finished 11–1 in the regular season in 2013, with notable victories over Michigan (29–6) and Nebraska (41–28) to win their third and final Legends Division crown in 2013. Michigan State defeated second-ranked Ohio State 34-26 in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis on December 7, 2013. The victory snapped Ohio State's 24-game winning streak and moved Michigan State to its first Rose Bowl since the 1987–88 season. Michigan State was ranked #4 in the final BCS rankings, the highest ranking since the BCS' inception. In the 100th Rose Bowl Game, the Spartans defeated the fifth-ranked Stanford Cardinals 24-20. Dantonio was named Big Ten Football Coach of the Year by the year's Top Ten Football Coach of the Year.

The Spartans finished second in the East division in 2014, finishing second in the East division with a 7–1 record and ranked #8 in the country. The Spartans reeled off nine victories in their next ten games after losing to third-ranked Oregon in the season's second game. The Spartans qualified for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, which is part of the New Year's Six bowls, and they soared from 20 points down to defeat fifth-ranked Baylor 42–41, finishing the season with a total record of 11–2. The two losses were against Oregon and Ohio State, the two teams that would compete in the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championships. "It's a sense of confidence in each other," Dantonio said after the Cotton Bowl game, and that's what we have. We don't give up on each other. They don't give up on the game and don't give up on it. We just keep playing hard. And here's a look at what we've been able to achieve."

The 2015 season saw the Spartans win by an unexpected 17–14 road victory over then-#2 Ohio State, in which the Spartans were playing without starting quarterback Connor Cook. Michael Geiger kicked a 41-yard field goal in the final seconds, keeping the game tied at 14 minutes. Following a botched punt on the final play of the Michigan game, MSU defeated MSU 27–23. MSU also beat Oregon and Penn State to finish the regular season with an 11–1 record and the East division took the East division by a 7–1 record. Michigan State defeated an undefeated Iowa team in the Big Ten Championship Game and finished the season ranked No. 1 in the country. The Spartans received a spot in the NCAA College Football Playoff as a result of their top-ranked ranking and the opportunity to play #2 ranked Alabama on New Year's Eve for a spot in the Championship game. They lost by 38–0 to eventual National Champion Alabama in the semi-final game (Cotton Bowl).

Michigan State defeated Michigan State 65-16 in 2015, the zenith of Dantonio's tenure.

The Spartans had their worst season under Dantonio, going 1-8 in Big Ten play and ending the season at 3–9, the program's lowest overall record in more than 30 years.

At home and then-#7 Michigan on the road, the 2017 season featured upset victories over then-#7 Penn State at home and then-#7 Michigan on the road. Dantonio defeated the Wolverines 14–10 in Ann Arbor, defeating them 8-3 on all-time against in-state rival Michigan. They finished the regular season at #16 in the CFP rankings and second in the B1G East Division (7–2). In the Holiday Bowl, the Spartans were selected to face the 9-3 Washington State Cougars. The Spartans defeated the Cougars 42–17 to finish the season 10–3, giving Dantonio his sixth season of 10+ wins at MSU.

Michigan State entered the season as the #11 in the AP Top 25 Poll. With a late intercept from junior linebacker Joe Bachie that secured a 38-31 victory, they were able to prevent a humiliatal by unranked Utah State in their first game of the season. In the Spartans' second game of the season, they will fall 16-13 to Arizona State. Michigan State defeated Indiana 35-21, putting them back in the polls. In their last non-conference game of the season, Dantonio's team defeated Central Michigan 31-20. The following week, Michigan State was evicted at home by Northwestern 29-1919, dropping them out of the top 25. The Spartans traveled to Penn State to play a top-ten squad the following week. Despite being heavy underdogs, Michigan State beat Penn State 21–17 on their second touchdown pass. On October 20, Michigan State hosted Michigan, and the Wolverine defense stunned Michigan State 21-7-8. The Spartans will return to defeat Purdue by a score of 23–13 the next week. MSU then travelled to Maryland and dominated the Terps 27–3. MSU came home and lost to Ohio State, 26–6, before heading to Lincoln and losing Nebraska, 9–6. The Spartans barely beat Rutgers by 14-10 in the season's final game. MSU finished 7-5 during the regular season, losing 7-6 to Oregon in the Redbox Bowl.

MSU's stout defense, which was ranked in the national top ten in six categories, was offset by an oft-struggling offense that finished in the bottom 20 nationally in six categories this season.

Dantonio resisted major redevelopment of his offense in 2018 with a scoring offense (18.7 points per game) that ranked 125th out of 129 teams, but instead chose to reshuffle the offensive personnel in 2019. Brad Salem, the QB's coach in 2018, was promoted to offensive coordinator, but Dave Warner and Jim Bollman, the co-offensive coordinators in 2018, were reassigned to be the QB coach and O-line coach respectively.

Michigan State was ranked #18 in the AP Poll after winning its first two games. However, they lost 10–7 at home to Arizona State in their third game. The Spartans had a last-second field goal, but they were suspended for having 12 players on the field and being forced to try the field goal again from five yards behind, which they missed. MSU beat Northwestern 31–10 to start their B1G program the following week. Dantonio won his 110th game as Spartans head coach, overtaking Duffy Daugherty for the most football victories in school history.

The Spartans' season came to an end after defeating Indiana to move to 4–1. The Spartans took a 28-3 lead in the first half and then were defeated 27–3 in the fourth quarter at home, against Illinois. The Spartans had an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter but were defeated 4–3 in the final three quarters the following week. In the fourth quarter, the Spartans were defeated 139-13 in their 12 losses over the 2018-2019 seasons.

In its final two regular season games, MSU defeated Rutgers (227-0) and Maryland (19–16), winning bowl eligibility. The 2019 season came to an end with a 27-21 victory over Wake Forest in the Pinstripe Bowl, giving Dantonio his second straight 7-down season.

Mark Dantonio announced on February 4, 2020, that he would be leaving as head coach, but not as head coach. He retired as Michigan State's all-time champions coach with a record of 114–57 and a.667 winning percentage.

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