EAST LANSING, Mich. – A press conference is set to begin at 6:30 after Mark Dantonio announced that he is stepping down as head coach of the Michigan State University football team.
The conference is being held at the Breslin Student Events Center.
- The press conference is above.
The announcement came as a shock to many. Dantonio spent 13 years as head football coach. There have been whispers in the past couple years at Dantonio could retire, but Tuesday he did. The announcement was sent out in a press release. There’s a rumor that Luke Fickell, the former Ohio State head coach, could replace him. Fickell is at Cincinnati.
ORIGINAL: Mark Dantonio steps down as Michigan State football coach
A source close to the situation said that the pressure from the administration to make changes on his coaching staff did not sit well with him. The source also said that 2 years ago Dantonio’s wife implored him to retire and begin to enjoy life. In 2010, Dantonio had a heart attack.
Dantonio has also been named in a lawsuit by former assistant Curtis Blackwell. The lawsuit alleges that NCAA rules were violated by Dantonio.