Why did Mark Dantonio retire? Former Coach's return to Michigan State explored

Mark Dantonio is Michigan State football’s winningest coach. But after steering the ship of the Spartans’ football team for 13 years, Dantonio made an unexpected retirement, and it took a lot of fans by surprise.

In the wake of reports linking him to a return to Michigan State, let’s look at why he retired.

Why did Mark Dantonio retire?

Dantonio took the decision mainly to get closer to his wife, Becky, and his two daughters, Kristen and Lauren. On his retirement, he said,

“I feel the sacrifices I have made away from my family must now become my priority at this time in my life.”

There were speculations at the time that there might be other reasons behind Dantonio’s sudden retirement. The lawyers of Curtis Blackwell, a former staff member of Michigan State football, alleged that Dantonio violated NCAA recruiting regulations.

The allegations were denied as false by the then Michigan Athletic Director, Bill Beekman. Dantonio himself preferred not to address the allegations directly. Instead, he commented that they had “no relevance whatsoever” to his retirement decision.

Why is Mark Dantonio returning to Michigan State?

Mark Dantonio is set to return to Michigan State following the suspension of head coach Mel Tucker, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment by activist Brenda Tracy. The secondary coach, Harlon Barnett, has been assigned to serve as acting coach. To assist Barnett, Michigan State AD Alan Haller appointed Dantonio as the associate head coach.

Spartan fans fondly remember Dantonio’s tenure as head coach at East Lansing. He assumed the role of the head coach right after the 2007 season. He led the Spartans to three Big Ten championship titles in 2010, 2013, and 2015. He also won the East Division championship in 2015.

His exceptional performance at Michigan State also earned him the Big Ten Coach of the Year Award twice in 2010 and 2013. Dantonio’s connection with the Spartans precedes his time there as head coach. He was previously at East Lansing between 1995 and 2000 as a defensive backs coach. He left in 2000 to join the Ohio State Buckeyes as defensive coordinator.

His first head coaching stint came in 2004 with the Cincinnati Bearcats football.