Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio: 'Can't keep me down Michigan week'
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio expects to coach from the press box on Saturday at Michigan Stadium.
Associated Press
EAST LANSING - A blood clot in his leg prevented Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio from participating in the Spartans’ upset of No. 9 Wisconsin.
He won’t be absent again this time.
“Can’t keep me down Michigan week,” Dantonio said Tuesday.
Doctors cleared him to coach during Saturday’s marquee matchup of No. 17 Michigan State (5-0) against No. 18 Michigan (5-0) (3:36 p.m., ABC). He’ll likely coach from the Michigan Stadium press box.
For Dantonio, the Wolverines are a familiar opponent.
He served as the Spartans secondary coach from 1995 to 2000, served as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator from 2001 through 2003 before returning to East Lansing as the head coach in 2007. In that time, he's compiled a 5-7 record in games against the Wolverines.
From the moment he arrived as head coach, Dantonio has preached the importance of beating Michigan.
“He’s the one that made this rivalry so important,” Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “I can remember just being recruited, and the intensity he showed talking about this rivalry, and it’s been nonstop since I got here.”
Dantonio, who suffered a mild heart attack following the team’s Sept. 19 overtime victory against Notre Dame, said he wouldn’t miss Michigan week, but will participate with his doctor’s blessing.
“I’ve got to do things for the long term,” he said. “I don’t want to do anything that’s going to set me back. I’ll take my time to move back into this.”
He had planned to coach from the press box last Saturday against Wisconsin, but the blood clot appeared Thursday and sent him to the hospital instead.
A hospital bed was an unlikely place for him to experience the best moment of his coaching career - Michigan State’s win over the Badgers.
“I’ve had six years and maybe five games as a head football coach, and last weekend was my best moment as a head football coach as I sat there and watched that football game.
“It was a special day, and one that I’ll never forget.”
Big Ten Network highlights of Michigan State's victory against Wisconsin:
Pete Bigelow can be reached at (734) 623-2556 or e-mailed at petebigelow@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.
Comments
Sparty On!
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 7:08 a.m.
There's a lot of optimism for a team that has the 102nd Ranked Overall Defense and 120th (worst in the NCAA) ranked Pass Defense. Entire Spartan team vs. Denard Robinson...I like the Spartan odds here. Sure Denard is quick, espically against non-ranked teams. Oh sorry, I forgot UMASS was ranked 7th (in the FCS f/k/a Div-1AA). Good luck, it should be a good game, but Sparty wins this one.
Engineer
Tue, Oct 5, 2010 : 11:20 p.m.
I am impressed with Dantonio saving coming back for the Michigan game. A smart way to fire the Spartans up into a fever pitch. I know all the supposed test and etc but would have bet good money that he would return for Michigan game. He hates our gut and wants to win this game so bad that I trust nothing coming out of his mouth. I can't stand him by the way because he mocked Hart. Hart simply said that we came back on them the way you do it to your little brother. Dantonio went ballistic saying Hart called MSU little brother. They are not any realative of mine. Dantonio wishes he was Michigans little brother. Go Blue!!!
David Briegel
Tue, Oct 5, 2010 : 7:12 p.m.
I really like it when MSU is really good. It makes it that much better when the Wolverines beat 'em!! Go Blue! can't do all caps on A2.com
heartbreakM
Tue, Oct 5, 2010 : 3:33 p.m.
Yelmonian--don't waste your time asking questions that won't be answered or acknowledged. This board is supposed to be for discussion, which I have enjoyed doing. Re: Dantonio: I don't know how anyone can detest the job he's doing, because he is methodically building a strong program from the ashes of John L. Smith. (Though Smith's humor was much more fun than Dantonio's sour puss Bellichek look). And Dantonio did not wait for 3 years to do it. I respect his coaching, and hope he is healthy to coach. But i hope we beat the pants off of them!!
orlandomichfan
Tue, Oct 5, 2010 : 2:49 p.m.
all my respect to coach d..but we need to beat his boys down and get things back to normal in the state of michigan goooo blue
Yelmonian
Tue, Oct 5, 2010 : 1:55 p.m.
Tater, What do you detest? He's building a punishing team with depth, that will show up to play each week? Do you detest that it's not a cupcake win against MSU each year? Do you detest that he is recruiting hard? Or do you detest that he has a two game win streak against the wolverines?
saginaw
Tue, Oct 5, 2010 : 1:34 p.m.
Michigan will win this game. I don't really know if Dantonio is a good coach or not, but Michigan has what can't be coached; speed.