Michigan State football could soon be in the market for a new head coach. Which candidates should we keep an eye on?
Sunday, Sept. 10, will likely go down as the most bizarre 24 hours in the history of Michigan State football. Most fans went to bed on Saturday thinking about the current roster and their chances of beating Washington. When they woke up, football was the furthest thing from anyone’s mind.
But as the dust continues to settle, one thing is abundantly clear: Mel Tucker will (most likely) not be Michigan State’s football coach in 2024.
It’s natural to think about what might come next. For Michigan State football, its greatest asset in this search will be time. As we watch the rest of the 2023 season play out, here are 10 names to keep an eye on as potential fits for the Spartans’ next head coach.
1. Harlon Barnett – MSU secondary coach, interim head coach
Harlon Barnett was named MSU’s interim head coach on Sunday. He’s been on staff at Michigan State for 15 seasons after an All-American career as a player at the school. In 2015, after Pat Narduzzi left for the head coaching job in Pittsburgh, Barnett was promoted to co-defensive coordinator. He was named associate head coach in 2017 before leaving for Florida State in 2018. He returned to MSU in 2020 and has been the secondary coach since.
Despite the circumstances, Barnett will have an extended run to show what he’s capable of as a head coach. Barnett has the opportunity to – quite literally – win this job on his own.
Assuming things go well this season, he will undoubtedly have the support from the locker room and perhaps more importantly, Mark Dantonio. As MSU leans on Dantonio to try and salvage this season, it’s safe to assume his input will be taken into consideration with this next hire. People in the media and within the program have spoken very highly of Barnett as a coach and a man. That last part feels more important now than ever.
Barnett has worked exclusively on defense during his time as a coach. He’ll have to prove that he has a plan for the other side of the ball. But, if he takes MSU on an unexpected run to win eight or nine games, this job will be is.
2. Jonathan Smith – Oregon State head coach
It’s been a slow and steady rebuild at Oregon State for 44-year-old Jonathan Smith. The Beavers have shown steady improvement since Smith was hired in 2018. After winning just two games that season, Oregon State won 10 games last year for just the third time in program history.
Prior to Oregon State, Smith spent time as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Washington under Chris Petersen. Smith holds just a 27-31 record as a head coach. But Oregon State has been regarded as one of the most difficult jobs in the Power Five due to its location, standing within the conference, and resources.
The obvious concern with Jonathan Smith is that he has no ties to Michigan State or the Big Ten. He also played for Oregon State. His entire coaching career has been spent on the West Coast. But with conference realignment leaving Oregon State out in the cold, he may see a hard ceiling on how far he can take the Beavers. As a former quarterback, he should be able to bring fresh offensive concepts to East Lansing. He’s plenty familiar with the challenge of doing more with less – something that will be key as Michigan State enters the new Big Ten.
If he’s at all interested, Michigan State should roll out the red carpet for this rising star.
3. Tom Herman – Florida Atlantic head coach
This is a name that most people are familiar with that will probably draw a lot of eye rolls. It shouldn’t. The fact that it didn’t work out at Texas doesn’t make Tom Herman a bad coach. It all depends on your definition of success. Herman wasn’t bad in Texas. People within that administration just have sky-high expectations. He never posted a losing season while compiling a 32-18 record. His peak at Texas was a 10-win season that culminated with a victory in the Sugar Bowl against Kirby Smart and Georgia.
Prior to his hiring in 2017, he was the hottest name in college football after going 22-4 at Houston. Herman has experience within the Big Ten as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator during their national championship run in 2014.
At just 48 years old, Herman has a wealth of experience at multiple levels of the game, with extensive experience as the head man. He clearly has a desire to climb the mountain again, as he accepted a job with Florida Atlantic in December of 2022. If the Owls put together a strong year, MSU could benefit from the second wind of Herman’s career.
4. Mike Elko – Duke head coach
If things keep going this well for Mike Elko, Michigan State football may find itself in a bidding war for his services. There were almost no expectations for a Blue Devils program that fell off a cliff in the final years under David Cutcliffe. In his first year, Elko led Duke to a 9-4 record. This year, the Blue Devils are 2-0 with a shocking upset of Clemson already on their resume.
Elko is a defensive guru, with impressive tenures at Wake Forest, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M in his past. It’s no coincidence that the Texas A&M defense has regressed significantly since his departure to Durham. For example, the Aggies held Miami to nine points a year ago. This past Saturday, the Hurricanes hung 48.
Elko, 46, is an East Coast guy with no connection to Michigan State or the Big Ten. His only experience as a head coach is his short tenure at Duke. He’s also a rising name that will be on a short list for any program in need of a coach. He’ll likely have his choice between offers. Is MSU more attractive than an ACC or SEC school?
5. Clay Helton – Georgia Southern head coach
More eye rolls (probably) but hear me out. Clay Helton is currently at Georgia Southern after parts of eight seasons at USC that saw him go 46-24. Similar to Herman at Texas, that isn’t going to cut it at a place like USC. At Georgia Southern though, things have gone fairly well for Clay Helton so far. The Eagles shattered expectations last year by making a bowl and are off to a 2-0 start this season.
The best trait that Helton brings to the table is Clay Helton, the person. It’s what made it so difficult for USC to fire him. They loved him as a person. They loved the positive impact he was having on the program outside of football. He’s much more of a “CEO” type head coach than an Xs and Os tactician. But that shouldn’t be a negative. Plenty of schools have found success with that model.
He’s still just 51 years old and feels primed for another big opportunity. At Michigan State, a little bit removed from the spotlight, he might find a home. His character will win people over. Can it translate to wins on the field? That’s the biggest question.
6. Matt Campbell – Iowa State head coach
Three years ago, Matt Campbell was not just the hottest name in college football. He might have been the hottest name in all of football. He was getting interest from top college programs and even the NFL. He turned it all down to stay at Iowa State. Since that time, his stock has dropped dramatically as the Cyclones haven’t been able to sustain their success.
Iowa State is a very difficult job. Campbell hasn’t quite taken Iowa State to an elite level. But their ability to compete with the top programs in the Big 12 is impressive. Given their recent struggles, it’s possible Campbell may reconsider his stance on the potential at Iowa State. A recent string of gambling suspensions within the program figures to make this season especially difficult. If he’s interested, he’s an ideal candidate for Michigan State football.
Campbell’s a Midwest guy with ties to Ohio. He’s only 43 years old. He’s done a tremendous job of turning two and three-star players into NFL talents.
Keep an eye on Iowa State this year. If things continue to go south, a parting of the ways may be best for both sides. If that’s the case, MSU could be interested.
7. Chris Klieman – Kansas State head coach
In the past few years, there may not have been a better fit in college football than Chris Klieman at Kansas State. The Wildcats won the Big 12 last season while defeating national runner-up TCU. After spending five seasons as the head coach at North Dakota State, Klieman made the jump to the FBS level and has won at least eight games in three of his first four seasons. He’s done it with a strong defense and a powerful, physical running game.
As far as Michigan State is concerned, there are two concerns.
One is his age. At 55, he may not be ready for a new challenge at this point in his career. The second is convincing him to leave Kansas State. What he has going there right now is working and at this rate, he should be able to coach as long as he wants. He’s reached a point of comfort and security with his job that coaches dream of. While Michigan State is a more attractive job, the elevated expectations, stiffer competition, and added pressure of starting over may not interest him. But if Kansas State keeps winning, people will notice. There will be interest. The money and possibility of adding to his resume may be too much to resist.
8. Justin Wilcox – California head coach
Who? Well, if you’re not a diehard college football fan, you’re probably not too familiar with Justin Wilcox. He’s been the head coach at Cal since 2017. With just a 31-36 record at Cal, it hasn’t been a memorable tenure. But similar to a lot of other jobs on this list, Cal is an extremely difficult place to win. There may not be a program in the Power Five that is less committed to football than Cal. The administration places a heavy emphasis on academics first. This creates a small alumni base in a region of the country that has shown itself to have other interests besides college football.
But Wilcox comes from a football family and is regarded as one of the better defensive minds in the game. This would not be a splashy hire. It would take some heavy convincing because the resume just isn’t comparable to other names on this list. But at 46, he’s still young. He’s well-traveled as a defensive coordinator with stops at Boise State, Tennessee, Washington, and USC.
This could be an “outside the box” hire if MSU strikes out with their first few choices.
9. Brian Hartline – Ohio State offensive coordinator
Up until now, I’ve focused on current head coaches. I do believe that is a requirement for Michigan State’s next head coach. Running a program like Michigan State is a challenge. It’s too big of a job for someone to learn on the job.
Brian Hartline might be the exception.
As recently as 2017, Hartline was just a graduate assistant. During that time, he has risen within the ranks at Ohio State from receivers coach to passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator. He has played a big role in the development of superstar wide receivers at Ohio State such as Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. At this point, there’s nothing to dislike about Hartline.
If he is looking for a head coaching opportunity, Michigan State should jump at the chance. But he’ll be awfully tough to pry away from Ohio State. In fact, if things go south for the Buckeyes this year, I wouldn’t be surprised to see momentum for Hartline to take over for Ryan Day. He’s that highly regarded.
This isn’t a question of potential fit. He’s a Big Ten guy who is an ace recruiter in the state of Ohio. It’s all about what Brian Hartline wants next in his career.
10. David Shaw – Former Stanford head coach
The best part about making these lists is you eventually run out of logical candidates and get to throw out a wild one. This fits the bill for completely wild, highly unlikely, but not impossible.
David Shaw stepped down at Stanford at the end of last season after going 3-9 in back to back seasons. It was a shocking end after such a promising beginning. After taking over for Jim Harbaugh in 2011, Shaw won at least 10 games in five of his first six seasons. He had the benefit of starting with a great team after Harbaugh left for the NFL. But it became apparent very quickly that Shaw was a tremendous coach. His teams won with discipline, defense, and toughness. He turned down multiple NFL offers to stay at Stanford throughout his tenure in Northern California.
Oddly enough, the biggest red flag when it comes to hiring him at Michigan State might be his ability to win games. Stanford finished below .500 in three of his last four seasons, and looked like a shell of the program it used to be. The academic prestige of Stanford made them a non-player in the transfer portal and the product on the field reflected that. Still, Shaw is just 51 years old and could be in search of a fresh start after a year off.
By all accounts, he’s a coach with outstanding integrity and character. He’d be an ideal fit. Luring him to Michigan State though, in light of everything that’s gone on, could be a challenge.
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