NFL
By Bill Carroll and Brock Nakamura-Vierra
The Beleaguered MSU Spartans Need An Anaxandridas II, however the father of Leonidas, died In 520 BC, so we are looking elsewhere. For those who fell asleep in World History II, Anaxandridas II was king of Sparta. Anaxandridas is known for leading the Spartans in defeating Tegea and for his victory over the Persians in the Battle of Plataea, which put Sparta in control of 40 percent of the Peloponnese.
Hugh ‘Duffy’ Daugherty was the Anaxandridas II of East Lansing, Michigan, in his career as the leader of the Spartans was 109–69–5, from 1954 to 1972, including National Championships in 1965 and 1966 . In the more recent times, Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. and Mark Justin Dantonio who from 2007 to 2019 won three Big Ten Conference championships, two victories in the Big Ten Championship Game, victories in the 2014 Rose Bowl and the 2015 Cotton Bowl, and an appearance in the 2015 College Football Playoffs.
The bathos and pathos of the Melvin Gene Tucker II era demand a re-commitment to the Spartans’ way. My co-host Brock Nakamura-Vierra will lead off with his five favorites to lead the once proud Spartans.
Brock’s Top Five
Spartans Head Coaching Candidates: A Comparison of Strengths and Weaknesses
Jamie Chadwell: The former Coastal Carolina head man is dominating at Liberty. He’s currently 5-0 and has the number one ranking in the Conference USA standings. At only 46 years of age, the offensive innovator has averaged 36.2 points per game in 2023 and since 2020, Chadwell has a 36-6. Chadwell is an excellent recruiter, player developer and strategist, all things that Michigan State’s Spartans need.Charles Huff: Taking over for longtime head coach Doc Holliday isn’t an easy task but the man, who almost got Marcus Freeman fired, has done a fantastic job at Marshall. The longtime assistant has had excellent stints at Mississippi State and Alabama, but his four years spent at Penn State is what I’m most impressed with. He directly contributed to the growth and success of Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders. Huff has also worked under Nick Saban, James Franklin and P.J. Fleck, all coaches who have had success in the Big 10.Matt Campbell: Recent years have not been kind to Campbell and Iowa State but when your starting QB gets suspended for gambling, there isn’t much you can do. However, Matt Campbell is a winner. He took Iowa State to its first conference championship game, where the refs gave the title to Oklahoma, he won the Fiesta Bowl over Oregon, in dominant fashion and his 46 career wins at Iowa State rank him second in program history.
Campbell has sent a variety of talent to the NFL including Brock Purdy, Breece Hall, Will McDonald IV, Charlie Kolar, Xavier Hutchinson and more. He’s a player developer who’s recent struggles have come more from Iowa State not having resources than from Campbell’s coaching. In East Lansing with the Spartans, he will have the needed resources. Paul Chryst: Paul Chryst has won at Pitt and at Wisconsin. Two places that have lofty expectations and limited resources. Sounds a lot like the Spartans of Michigan State. Chryst’s 43-18 record in the Big 10 is no joke. He’s 6-1 in bowl games at Wisconsin with two NY6 bowl wins in the bag. Chryst understands the conference, he’s a good recruiter and recognizes young coaching talent as shown with Jim Leonard. Yes he coached in the Big 10 West but he still won big time games consistently( excluding Ohio State).David Shaw: Old school, disciplined football is what the Spartans need and Shaw is the man to do it. Stanford’s inability to recruit in the new era of NIL sunk Shaw, not his coaching. He’s had a bunch of really good QBs during his tenure, sometimes the Spartans are still looking for and his clean record is something administrators are emphasizing in their new search.
Shaw is an offensive minded head coach who also has developed some great defenders. He recruits well but recruits offensive linemen very well. He has 3 Pac-12 titles, 4 Pac-12 coach of the year honors, 96 career wins and multiple Rose Bowls under his belt. A proven champion.
Bill’s Top Five
Spartans Head Coaching Candidates: A Comparison of Strengths and Weaknesses
Alfonza ‘Pep’ Hamilton
Strengths: Hamilton has an impressive track record as an assistant coach, having worked with programs such as Stanford and Michigan. He has been a NFL quarterbacks coach with New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers, where he was he learning from offensive coordinators Paul Hackett, the late Mike Heimerdinger and Norv Turner.
He was also the associate head coach and quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns. Later, he also developed several NFL quarterbacks, including Andrew Luck, Davis Mills and Justin Herbert.
Weaknesses: Hamilton has some head coaching experience, as the coach and general manager of the DC Defenders of the XFL, his relatively conservative offensive style may not be, immediately well-received by some Spartans’ fans or players. However he is a master of quarterback development and his offensive style is suited to late fall, outdoor games, in Big 10.
Sean Lewis
Strengths: Lewis has a strong record of success as a college football coach, having led Kent State to their first bowl game in six years in 2019. He is also known for his innovative offensive strategies and ability to develop quarterbacks. Spartans’ fans and players who were unfamiliar with his “Flash Fast” offense, perhaps now the “Buff’s Blitz”, have likely seen what he has done at Colorado.
In his own words:
“We’re going to make sure our kids can play with confidence, that they can think fast, know fast, do fast. And, they’re gonna have a swagger about them and a way in which they carry themselves because they know that what we do works and the amount of work that they have put in is going to give them conviction to carry themselves a certain kind of way.
Weaknesses: Until this season Lewis was the youngest coach in the FBS, at 6 foot 7, also the tallest. Lewis is still a relatively young and inexperienced coach, and perhaps the biggest question is how well he can recruit at a major college football program. He is getting a chance to do do at Colorado. His record at Kent State was 24–31, the Spartans’ fans are not quite so patient.
Doug Belk
Strengths: Belk is currently Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator for the Houston Cougars. In his role he has garnered a reputation as a strong recruiter and defensive coach. He cut his teeth at solid programs such as Alabama and West Virginia.
He is also known for his ability to develop young players and build strong relationships with his team. Payton Turner who was taken in the first round (28th overall pick – 2021) by the New Orleans Saints and defensive end Logan Hall who was chosen in the second round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Other NFL players he was instrumental in developing include: Marcus Jones (Patriots), Damarion Williams (Ravens), David Anenih (Titans/Steelers) and Grant Stuard (Buccaneers/Colts).
Weaknesses: Whole Belk has been somewhat proven as an assistant and recruiter, he is also the Associate Head Coach, He is an unknown quantity with regard to offensive philosophy. It is not known how he would compose his own staff, also, he has somewhat limited experience at college football’s highest level.
Sherron Moore
Strengths: Moore is a highly respected assistant coach with extensive experience working with some of the top programs in the country, including Michigan and LSU. He is known for his strong relationships with players and ability to develop talented recruits. He is also a creative and effective designer of offensive plays. He also would seem to be a good cultural fit for the Spartans, as he espouses physical, hard-nosed football.
Weaknesses: Moore has recently had a limited audition during the prove himself as a head coach, but there may still be concerns about his ability to manage the day-to-day responsibilities of running a major college football program.
Jesse Minter
Strengths: Jesse Minter, as did Moore helmed the Wolverines, as one of the acting head coaches for Michigan. Minter is highly regarded. He was a strong performer at programs such as Indiana State and Georgia State. He also was an NFL assistant, as a secondary coach, with the Ravens.
He is known for his innovative defensive schemes and ability to develop young talent. He is a coaching legacy, his dad, Rick Minter, was the former head coach at Cincinnati (1994-2003). As with Moore, in hiring Minter, the Spartans would have the opportunity to weaken Michigan while bolstering their program.
Weaknesses: Minter has yet to truly prove himself as a head coach. He has to answer the questions about his approach to offense, staff construction and though he was a receiver when he played.
