Dantonio selection praised nationally

EAST LANSING - No one is predicting Big Ten championships any time soon.

But the fellow coaches and national pundits had nothing but praise for Michigan State's hiring of Mark Dantonio on Monday.

Most say Dantonio will put toughness and accountability back into the MSU program, but note that fans will need to be patient.

"Mark will build a great program and will do a great job. We're looking forward to competing against him, but the neighborhood just got a little tougher,'' said Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, who twice hired Dantonio as an assistant coach over the past 20 years.

When Tressel was head coach at Youngstown State, he hired Dantonio in 1986. And when Tressel took over at Ohio State in 2001, he lured Dantonio away from Michigan State to become the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator.

Dantonio coached under Nick Saban for five of his six seasons at MSU from 1995-2000.

"Mark really has the right blend for Michigan State,'' said Saban, now coach of the NFL's Miami Dolphins. "He brings honesty and integrity to the Spartan football program.

"Mark was one of the top recruiters on (our) coaching staff.''

Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN's college football analyst, believes Dantonio is the right guy to bring back the toughness and discipline that the Spartan program has seemed to lack in recent seasons.

"As a fan of the Big Ten and a fan of Mark Dantonio, I love it. He will bring class to Michigan State,'' Herbstreit said.

"He'll recruit character and bring a similar feel and attributes that you see from Ohio State's team. I can't wait to see Michigan State in about three years, once Mark has a chance to recruit his kind of players.''

Chris Spielman, a former standout Ohio State linebacker and now an ESPN analyst, said MSU teams used to be known for their physical play and overall toughness.

"I haven't seen that for a while. Mark will bring that back. This is a great hire by Michigan State,'' Spielman said. "Mark has Michigan State bloodlines, so he's emotionally invested in the program.''

Bill Burke played quarterback for MSU when Dantonio was a defensive assistant on Saban's staff.

"He's intense on the field and demands a lot of his players but you know that off the field he really cares about you,'' said Burke, who attended Monday's press conference. "He's been able to learn from Nick Saban and Jim Tressel ... about toughness, character and accountability.

"When players understand those things and follow those philosophies, you put yourself in position to compete for championships.''