“From the first time I met (Dantonio) I admired him,” Foles said. “He’s helped me get through this year and all the changes that come from moving from my home in Texas all the way to Michigan State.”

Foles talked to Dantonio late into Wednesday night. When the phone call ended, both sides knew where the other stood.

“We came to an understanding of everything going on,” Foles said. “I told him that it was best for me to be close to home with my family and he granted my release.”

Larry Foles, Nick’s father, credits Dantonio for handling his son’s release in a professional manner.

“He’s a class act and it ended great,” Larry Foles said. “Dantonio is such a charismatic person that you’d go to war for him, and that’s what attracted Nick to MSU.”

Foles’ decision to leave comes in the midst of two other quarterback moves that have left the MSU depth chart laden with eraser marks.

Senior Brian Hoyer and redshirt freshman Kirk Cousins are the only holdovers on the roster from a season ago, as Oklahoma transfer Keith Nichol is ineligible to play next season due to NCAA transfer rules.

The arrival of Nichol helped make Foles’ decision to leave easier, Larry Foles said, adding his son will look into playing somewhere closer to home.

Foles and his father will leave their home in Austin, Texas and return to MSU next weekend to say their good-byes to the coaches and players.

“It’s going to be tough,” Foles said. “I made a lot of friends — saying good-bye to everyone is going to be really hard.”