The Michigan State Spartans are in the market for a new head coach after Mel Tucker was fired for cause as a result of an ongoing sexual harassment investigation involving the coach. That means Michigan State will not be on the hook for most of Tucker’s massive contract extension he signed in 2021.
For now, the Spartans will be going with secondary coach Harlon Barnett as the interim head coach while a true search begins behind the scenes. Here’s a look at some of the top candidates to take over at Michigan State.
Matt Campbell, head coach, Iowa State
Campbell seems to have lost a bit of direction in Ames, but he’s still done wonders at that school. The Cyclones won at least seven games in five consecutive seasons, something that was never achieved before in program history. He’s spent time around the Midwest region and would be jumping to a second-tier job in one of the sport’s two major conferences. After passing up on bigger gigs over the last few seasons, Campbell might be willing to finally leave Iowa State.
P.J. Fleck, head coach, Minnesota
Fleck has been awesome in Minneapolis, leading the Gophers to an 11-win season in 2019 and back-to-back 9-win seasons in 2021 and 2022. It’s hard to know if he would actually leave for a job in the same conference, but Michigan State does have a bigger profile. Fleck’s Michigan ties are obvious, having spent time at Western Michigan where he championed “Row the Boat” and won 13 games in his final season. It would create a stir, but Fleck would have more resources to compete at Michigan State.
Lance Leipold, head coach, Kansas
Leipold was a popular name for the Wisconsin job a season ago after his deep ties to the state due to his time at Wisconsin-Whitewater. He’s also been at Wisconsin and Nebraska in second-tier roles before doing a wonderful job at Buffalo. Leipold has been able to take Kansas, the doormat of the Big 12 in football, and turn it into a relatively competitive outfit. He’s a good offensive mind who has proven he can do more with less. In a division that features Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State already with more potential powerhouse programs on the way, Leipold could be Michigan State’s answer.
Mike Elko, head coach, Duke
Get used to seeing this name everywhere this coaching cycle. Because if you can back up a 9-4 in Durham with a 3-0 while beating Clemson at home, everyone is going to want some of that magic. Elko makes $2.1 million base presently, but it might take Coach K dollars or more to keep him if he can get Duke football on a heater. While he’s got no ties to Michigan, he’s recruited plenty of Big Ten territory in his near-quarter century of coaching.
Sean Lewis, offensive coordinator, Colorado
The biggest story in college football so far this year has been Colorado and the Shedeur Sanders-led offense has been explosive through the first three games of the season. the mastermind behind that offense is offensive coordinator Sean Lewis, who left his head coaching gig at Kent State to join Deion Sanders’ staff in Boulder. The attention the Buffaloes have received has boosted Lewis’ profile and made him a hot commodity for a Power Five head coaching job. As a Chicago area native and a Wisconsin alum, he has the Midwestern bonafides that makes him good candidate for a number of potential Big Ten openings. It would make sense for MSU to give him a call.
Deion Sanders, head coach, Colorado
It’s pretty clear three weeks into his FBS coaching career that if you’ve got the cash, Deion can come and change your school instantly. MSU has piles of B1G dollars, and can comfortably offer something in the $12 million annually range to get him. Is it a perfect fit? Probably not. But the Spartans would be remiss if they didn’t at least kick the tires and feel out the hottest name in the sport. Big Ten money simply dwarfs Big 12 money, and that’s what’s going to drive things here.