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Detroit Free Press

That's because Amy Fickell, and Luke to some extent, had concerns about campus culture at MSU, including lawsuits roiling the football department. Those concerns were part of the reason the Fickells turned down the Michigan State football job on Monday, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press.

If you read the Free Press articles its no wonder Coach Fickell didn't want to go there. What a mess!

And to read the comments on their message board - MSU is well below UC, not above it.

Quote:”When my wife and I really sat down and mapped out if we were ever going to do this, it would be a place where we really felt like we could raise a family. And if we could go someplace and stay for seven, eight, 10 years. I'm not saying that's always normal. If there are options and opportunities and you do a great job, those are things you've got to weigh out. But you've got to look at me and say, OK, you stayed at Ohio State for, you know, 15 years and you've had a lot of opportunities, well, why didn't you?"

Here, Fickell nodded toward his family, who were in the background.

"Because the No. 1 most important thing to me, is those people behind me. If it's not right for them, it's not right for me. Does that really answer the question? No, but the reality is I'm a very loyal guy. I wouldn't do anything that's not in the best interests of my family, and I can tell you I'll be fully committed to what we're doing here."

Still true three years later.

(02-10-2020 02:56 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

Love the AD's pic in there!

(02-10-2020 02:05 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Not having a significant buyout essentially makes a contract extension meaningless from UC's perspective...but honestly, he gave us a fourth year when we've all been conditioned to expect 3. He has built this program up again, brought in some serious talent, and the cupboard will be STACKED should he leave after next season.

This was THE job many were worried about, a Big Ten job, at a fairly well-positioned school with a solid recent history and close to Ohio. He turned it down...I don't give a **** why, the act is enough for me. Give the man the world and hope he continues to build it, and if not, there is more than enough there to have a huge level of interest in the position when it opens. I mean, a top tier candidate rated UC better than WVU and MSU in consecutive off-seasons.

That's a good point.

At this point, the only jobs I think he says "yes" to are Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, and maybe a scandal-free Wisconsin.

Of course he'd listen if Texas/USC/Alabama or half a dozen others came asking, but I don't see them being interested in a guy who is so rooted to Ohio.

https://www.513shirts.com/products/2020-...6976290954

(02-10-2020 03:41 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

I love that man!

Starting to make the major sports media outlet circuit...

Quote:Cincinnati football coach Luke Fickell will not be Michigan State's next head coach.

Fickell has decided to stay with the Bearcats, multiple people with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press.

Michigan State athletic director Bill Beekman and members of the the school's search party interviewed Fickell in Cincinnati on Sunday, but they returned towithout a new head coach.

According to people with knowledge of the process, Fickell decided to stay after speaking with new Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham on Monday morning. It wasn't immediately clear whether Fickell ever received an offer from Michigan State.

On Monday morning, Fickell tweeted: "Looking forward to more of this in 2020!"
Fickell, 46, was immediately seen as the front-runner to replace Mark Dantonio upon Dantonio's abrupt retirement on Feb. 4.

He is 32-20 overall in four seasons as a head coach, the past three with the Bearcats. He has led them to a 26-13 record, including back-to-back 11-win seasons and victories over Power Five opponents Virginia Tech and Boston College in bowl games the past two years.
Fickell worked with Dantonio at Ohio State and was part of the Buckeyes coaching staff as the special teams assistant, with Dantonio as defensive coordinator, when the school won the 2002 national championship.

Michigan State's search committee met Monday morning to discuss next steps, people said, and the board of trustees will be briefed Monday night as previously scheduled. The board of trustees is responsible for voting to approve any hire.
"Spartan Nation, I know how passionate you are and I love you for it," Michigan State board of trustees member Brian Mosallam tweeted Sunday night. "Let's pause and take a collective deep breath. Good night and Go Green!"

Former Wisconsin and Arkansas coach Bret Bielema has 'definite' interest in the Michigan State job, a person with knowledge of Bielema's thinking told the Free Press on Monday. It wasn't immediately clear whether Bielema would be interviewed.

USA Today Full Article Here

(02-10-2020 03:41 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

Better watch out BearcatMan. I may have a new man crush.

Nice article from CBS Sports below and ESPN has a brief one out...

Quote:Mark Dantonio stepped down as Michigan State's head coach on Feb. 4 after 13 seasons and three Big Ten titles with the Spartans, and the coaching search that's ensued has run into as many dead ends as a 3-year-old encounters inside a 2-acre corn maze. Several high-profile coaches, as well as some not-so-high profile names, have advised the Spartans to move on, leaving them in a precarious spot as spring practice nears.

Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell made it crystal clear on Monday that he is staying with the Bearcats program after he was pegged as the top candidate to take over in East Lansing. This coming one day after he reportedly met with Michigan State officials about its opening. Fickell is 26-13 in three seasons with the Bearcats, has posted two straight 11-win seasons and landed in the final AP Top 25 in both of those years.

So who else has turned Michigan State down as the program continues its search? Who's left on the table? Let's break down the wild ride.

Who's out ...
The list of coaches who have either publicly or reportedly passed on the job reads more like Homer's epic poem "Odyssey." Here's a brief overview:

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell
Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi
Colorado coach Mel Tucker
Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell
Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry

Needless to say, this is a bad look for Michigan State. Typically a medium-to-high profile program in the Big Ten with plenty of money to spend should not be scrambling to find a coach, even during an odd time on the calendar. Yet, here the Spartans are -- left out in the cold in the dead of winter.

What's clear is that increased revenue generated by programs and conferences across the board has made it very easy for coaches in lower-tier Power Five jobs and higher-profile Group of Five jobs to bide their time and wait for the "perfect fit." Even highly-paid coordinators like Pry can sit back and swing for the fences. That should have been the primary concern for Michigan State when Dantonio made his decision known.

Who's left ...
Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain is one of the top names out there, and for good reason. McElwain orchestrated one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent memory last season, when he took a team that went 1-11 in 2018, posted an 8-6 record and won the MAC West title in his first season in 2019. He's 52-33 overall at stops at Colorado State (2012-14), Florida (2015-17) and Central Michigan (2019), has five bowl appearances and won the SEC East in 2015 and 2016 while with the Gators.

Yahoo! Sports reported Monday that California's Justin Wilcox and Kentucky's Mark Stoops could be included on the new list of candidates. Alabama offensive analyst Butch Jones might be another option considering he has significant head coaching experience at Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Tennessee.

Former Wisconsin and Arkansas coach Bret Bielema is another high-profile name to keep an eye on. Sources have told CBS Sports that he is interested in the job after spending the last two seasons on the New England Patriots staff. He was named the outside linebackers coach for the New York Giants last month, but would likely sprint to East Lansing to get another shot at a Big Ten job.

Who should be hired ...
Bielema just makes sense. He went 68-24 at Wisconsin from 2006-12, earned three straight Rose Bowl berths from 2010-12 and posted four double-digit win seasons. The Arkansas experiment didn't go as planned, but he did lead the Razorbacks to three straight bowl games which, in hindsight, isn't that bad considering the depth of the hole that his successor Chad Morris dug.

Michigan State's DNA is the same as Bielema's. Its foundation is physicality at the line of scrimmage and playing fundamentally sound football on both sides of the ball. Yes, the lack of a dynamic offense has been frustrating for Spartans fans, and it's not as if Bielema is known for his offensive prowess. But, consider this: Arkansas finished third in the SEC in passing offense in 2015 and 2016, and second in passing plays of 20 or more yards in 2016 with 53. Maybe ... just maybe ... quarterback Austin Allen's mid-season injury that knocked him out of four games in Bielema's final season in 2017 had more to do with Arkansas' demise than Bielema's coaching acumen.

Bielema Front Runner?

(02-10-2020 04:11 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  Better watch out BearcatMan. I may have a new man crush.

I'm sure you have a reason but start with replacing that avatar of grease ball Cal with Luke.

(02-10-2020 04:11 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 03:41 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

Better watch out BearcatMan. I may have a new man crush.

I've been teetering on that ledge for awhile

Chad and Dave Simone Special Edition Holy Grail Podcast On What Just Transpired

(02-10-2020 03:40 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 02:05 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Not having a significant buyout essentially makes a contract extension meaningless from UC's perspective...but honestly, he gave us a fourth year when we've all been conditioned to expect 3. He has built this program up again, brought in some serious talent, and the cupboard will be STACKED should he leave after next season.

This was THE job many were worried about, a Big Ten job, at a fairly well-positioned school with a solid recent history and close to Ohio. He turned it down...I don't give a **** why, the act is enough for me. Give the man the world and hope he continues to build it, and if not, there is more than enough there to have a huge level of interest in the position when it opens. I mean, a top tier candidate rated UC better than WVU and MSU in consecutive off-seasons.

That's a good point.

At this point, the only jobs I think he says "yes" to are Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, and maybe a scandal-free Wisconsin.

Of course he'd listen if Texas/USC/Alabama or half a dozen others came asking, but I don't see them being interested in a guy who is so rooted to Ohio.kkm

Fickell isn't going to accept any B1G job except Ohio State. Suppose he were at Penn State or Wisky and the Ohio State job opened up. Does anyone seriously think OSU would poach Fickell from a conference mate?

(02-10-2020 03:40 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 02:05 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Not having a significant buyout essentially makes a contract extension meaningless from UC's perspective...but honestly, he gave us a fourth year when we've all been conditioned to expect 3. He has built this program up again, brought in some serious talent, and the cupboard will be STACKED should he leave after next season.

This was THE job many were worried about, a Big Ten job, at a fairly well-positioned school with a solid recent history and close to Ohio. He turned it down...I don't give a **** why, the act is enough for me. Give the man the world and hope he continues to build it, and if not, there is more than enough there to have a huge level of interest in the position when it opens. I mean, a top tier candidate rated UC better than WVU and MSU in consecutive off-seasons.

That's a good point.

At this point, the only jobs I think he says "yes" to are Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, and maybe a scandal-free Wisconsin.

Of course he'd listen if Texas/USC/Alabama or half a dozen others came asking, but I don't see them being interested in a guy who is so rooted to Ohio.

One other possibility: the Bengals.

(02-10-2020 07:36 PM)Dannyboy Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 03:40 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 02:05 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Not having a significant buyout essentially makes a contract extension meaningless from UC's perspective...but honestly, he gave us a fourth year when we've all been conditioned to expect 3. He has built this program up again, brought in some serious talent, and the cupboard will be STACKED should he leave after next season.

This was THE job many were worried about, a Big Ten job, at a fairly well-positioned school with a solid recent history and close to Ohio. He turned it down...I don't give a **** why, the act is enough for me. Give the man the world and hope he continues to build it, and if not, there is more than enough there to have a huge level of interest in the position when it opens. I mean, a top tier candidate rated UC better than WVU and MSU in consecutive off-seasons.

That's a good point.

At this point, the only jobs I think he says "yes" to are Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, and maybe a scandal-free Wisconsin.

Of course he'd listen if Texas/USC/Alabama or half a dozen others came asking, but I don't see them being interested in a guy who is so rooted to Ohio.

One other possibility: the Bengals.

I thought you liked Luke?