Mork no More

Mark Dantonio did not retire, he resigned.

Let's start with Wiki.  He was 27-24 the last four seasons.

They had a very few scattered wins against the big three in the Big Ten East, but Michigan State has clearly not been on their level during that time.

What a fall.  2016 marked the highest-ranked recruiting class State has had since, well I went back to 2005.  Most are in the thirties in terms of national ranking.  2016 was the year of Austin Robertson, Donnie Corley, and others.

That was also the year Mork got a fat new contract.  About two weeks ago he received a $4.3 million bonus.

A guy like him, it isn't because he stopped being competitive.  It was that his way did not work anymore.  The cheating and the raping, everyone is sick of it.  The scowl too.  Even at Michigan State.

Against Michigan, at least, the recent games were only about gamesmanship.

After a breather to spend his fortune and entertain job offers, look for Dantonio to pop-up again somewhere.  The greed won't go away either.  Someone will get fired and some others will pay big money.  He is a personality; look at Les Miles.  It likely won't be any better than the mess he left Michigan State in (no recruits for 2021 and on the field product that cannot beat the league's upper echelon).

If Michigan State can get Luke Fickell the school, the team, and the entire state will be better off.  For the school and the state, it came with a big check, but it has to be a relief.

What a legacy. It is not about the Blackwell suit, which will probably go nowhere.  It is about being good and getting close, and then falling back.  That happens.  In Dantonio's case it is about doing it in a dirty way.  Then in the end there is only one thing to do:  take what you can get and leave.

I just cannot see him sticking around as some kind of consultant or coach emeritus.  He is still going to want to prove that his way, while not the right way, is one that people will accept.

UPDATE:  dullsville.   In the meantime, Izzo cried.  Then Michigan did a rare thing in beating Michigan State in basketball.  Earlier, Simpson was suspended for what could be called impermissible benefits and smashing it against a pole at 3 AM.  Finally, since we're on a roll, there's the suspended provost.

You know what they say, artists steal.  "Pride comes before the crawl."