We are now entering G.O.A.T. week at SpartansWire and across our sister sites, where we will be breaking down the ‘Greatest of all Time’ in a number of different categories. We are starting the week off with a fun category: coaches.
Honorable Mentions
Charlie Bachman
The coach of Michigan State football from 1933-1946, Charlie Bachman has the 4th highest winning percentage of any coach in the program’s history at 70-34. What is keeping him off the list? He had 10 ties, which I guess was common back then? I’m not sure, I will gladly admit, I’m not that proficient in my football history during the World War II era.
Nick Saban
Did you think I’d leave Nick off? Sure, it might still irk some fans that he left the program during the 1999 season to head for a bigger paycheck at LSU, but that doesn’t negate the fact that he left Michigan State as the sixth most winningest coach in the program’s history, with an overall record of 34-24.
He led the Spartans to their highest ranking since 1966 when they finished the season 10-2 and beat Florida in the Peach Bowl (coached by Bobby Williams since Saban left before that game).
George Perles – 68-67-4 (1983-94)
George Perles finished his tenure at MSU with an academic scandal that cost him his position, but he also ended it ranked third in wins with 73. He is second only to Mark Dantonio in bowl game appearances with 7 (3-4 record in those games). He also has two Big Ten Titles and a nice win over USC in the 1988 Rose Bowl on his resumé.
It should also be noted that Perles played for another coach on this list: Duffy Daugherty.
Chester Brewer – 58-23-7 (1903-10, 1917, 1919)
I am not going to sit here and lie and say that I am a Chester Brewer expert. I am not. Brewer was the coach for the Michigan Agricultural College. The MAC would, of course, go on to become Michigan State University. While it’s not kept with the other records on a site like sports-reference.com, good old Chester ended his career with a 71.6% winning percentage, which would have made him the most successful coach in Spartan history by that metric.
Mark Dantonio – 107-51-0 (2007-2019)
What else is there to say about Mark Dantonio that we don’t already know. He’s been a steady hand and leader of MSU for 12, going on 13 now, seasons. There have only been two losing seasons in East Lansing under his watchful eye.
He has a College Football Playoff appearance, 3 Big Ten Championships, 2 Big Ten Coach of the Year Awards, he is 5-5 in 10 Bowl Game appearances and he’s 8-4 against Michigan.
I think we all know the deal with Dantonio. If you want more on Mark, go watch his interview from training camp.
Biggie Munn – 54-9-2 (1947-1953)
Again, not going to lie, I’m not a Biggie Munn expert. However, I am an expert at reading really good winning records, and Biggie Munn had one of those. From 1947-1953, he won 54 games, and only lost 9 of them. That seems good, is that good? I think that’s good.
In all seriousness, Clarence “Biggie” Munn had two straight undefeated seasons from 1951-52, including a national championship in 1952. He was a big reason why the team made it into the Big Ten and he retired from coaching and became the AD after winning the Rose Bowl in the team’s first season in the Big Ten.
Duffy Daugherty – 109-69-5 (1954-1972)
Biggie Munn’s replacement, who Biggie himself hired, was Duffy Daugherty, the best football coach in Michigan State history. You could make a strong case this should have been Biggie himself in this spot, because of the “only 9 losses” thing, but Duffy won one more national championship than Munn (1965, 1966) so that gives him the edge, for me.
Duffy, who only had 5 ties, tied Notre Dame in 1966 in what was called the “Game of the Century” at the time. Michigan State, the defending champion was at home against Notre Dame. Both teams were ranked #1 in different polls. The Sporting News called that Michigan State team the 11th best college football team ever.
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