After a tumultuous stretch for Head Coach Mark Dantonio and the Michigan State football team, it appears that someone in East Lansing has had enough.
On Sunday, the Rock on Farm Lane read, “Fire Dantonio (31-10)." It comes amid the recent four-game losing streak, including a loss Saturday to Lovie Smith and the Fighting Illini where MSU was up 31-10 starting the fourth quarter.
Following the game, fans have taken their frustrations online.
"Dantonio needs to figure out what he needs to do or fix what he straight up isn't doing," kinesiology freshman Katie Haas said in a Facebook response to The State News. "He's got some questions to answer after being up by so much in yesterday's game and still managing to lose."
Not only have fans criticized the coaching staff, but even former players have expressed their disdain for the way things are going in East Lansing. Former Spartan standout Lawrence Thomas said he feels his hard work from his time at MSU is being wasted.
However, not all fans and students feel this way. Some are standing by the winningest head coach in Michigan State football history.
“We’re having a bad season, yes. A terrible season even. But to fire Dantonio over ONE season is incredibly premature," jazz studies freshman Leah Racine said in a Facebook response to The State News. “Every school has bad seasons every once and a while. Have a little faith.”
Last season, the Spartans struggled mightily on offense, which prompted Dantonio to shuffle his offensive staff. He moved Dave Warner from offensive coordinator back to being a quarterback coach, co-offensive coordinator Jim Bollman to offensive line coach and promoted Brad Salem from running backs coach up to offensive coordinator.
This upset a large portion of the Spartan faithful, who wanted to see Dantonio go out and hire a bright young mind to take control of the wheel on offense.
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A year later brought more of the same on offense: little scoring paired with a barrage of turnovers for the Green and White. In October, Salem’s offense was only able to produce a total of 17 points in three games.
In all the uproar, Michigan State Athletic Director Bill Beekman told the Lansing State Journal that firing Dantonio was “not even in the discussion” and that Mark Dantonio is “our head coach, there’s no question about that.”
After the crushing loss to Illinois, Mark Dantonio was asked what he would say to fans to let them know this is not a trend. His answer?
“Next question.”
Since defeating Iowa in the Big Ten Championship game and giving Michigan State their first College Football Playoff birth in 2015, Mark Dantonio has been 24-24, including a losing 15-18 record in the Big Ten.
On Saturday, the Spartans travel to Ann Arbor to face a surging Wolverine squad. If Dantonio fails to pull another win out of this game, the demand for his firing could grow louder.
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