Michigan State football officially fired head coach Mel Tucker this week after an investigation into a sexual harassment complaint was made public through a report by USA TODAY. Now, the MSU fandom and media turn their attention to what’s next, and many, including us, have started to speculate on who might be the next head coach for the Spartans.
In a report that came out on Thursday, Brett McMurphy of the Action Network listed six names that his sources told him are candidates for the job.
Buy Spartans TicketsWhile I think this list is going to be in flux and change over time, you can see his initial list below along with what makes them a candidate at this time:
Mike Elko (Duke HC)
The name on the top everyone’s list right now is Mike Elko. The Blue Devils are currently undefeated, already shocking Clemson in the season-opener, and looking to do the same to Notre Dame this weekend. Even though he signed an extension with Duke, he’s the top name on presumably every coaching search list right now.
Dan Enos (Arkansas OC)
It was a little surprising to see Dan Enos on this list as he’s a name I hadn’t considered yet. The former MSU quarterback and assistant coach is currently the OC for Arkansas, and has head coaching experience, but I would think the Spartans would look to grab a bigger name right now, but you never know.
Matt House (LSU DC)
We actually suggested House a few weeks ago. House is currently at LSU as their defensive coordinator, won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs, and is an MSU alum. If LSU was having a little better year, his name would be all over the place, but he’s still a name to consider and not surprising he’s on this list.
Charles Huff (Marshall HC)
Next to Elko, Huff is the only other guy without MSU connections on this list, and there are many reasons for him to be given a serious look. Huff has Marshall looking like a completely different program. He led the Thundering Herd to a road upset over Notre Dame last year and has already taken down Virginia tech this season. He’s known for his stellar recruiting when at Alabama, and is considered to have put together a great staff at Marshall. He’d be a great pick-up for MSU, but there will be a fear, like with Tucker, that he may try to bolt for the SEC where he cut his teeth.
Pat Narduzzi (Pitt HC)
This is where this list starts to break down a little and we have to question how legit these sources were… Narduzzi was beloved while at MSU as their defensive coordinator, but he has had pretty mixed results as a head coach at Pitt. I think a lot of fans would be upset if MSU hitched their wagon to him moving forward considering some of the other names on this list.
Mike Tressel (Wisconsin DC)
Out of all the names on this list, I think I’ve seen Tressel’s name clowned the most, but I don’t think that’s really fair and he might actually get a solid look from MSU to come home. Tressel has helped put together some pretty innovative defenses and does some interesting stuff schematically.
