Mark Dantonio
Mark Dantonio went 130–74 as a head coach, 2004–2019, at Cincinnati and Michigan State. Share
- Record
- 130–74 career
- Seasons
- 16
- Schools
- 2
- Final AP top 10
- 3 seasons
- Born
- Mar 9, 1956
- Alma mater
- South Carolina 1979
- Hall of Fame
- 2024 inducted
- Best season
- 2013 13–1, No. 3
Season by season
| Season | School | Record | Conference finish | Bowl | AP final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Cincinnati | 7–5 | 2nd | Fort Worth Bowl W | ||
| 2005 | Cincinnati | 4–7 | 6th | |||
| 2006 | Cincinnati | 7–5 | 4th | International (not coached) | ||
| 2007 | Michigan State | 7–6 | T–7th | Champs Sports Bowl L | ||
| 2008 | Michigan State | 9–4 | 3rd | Capital One Bowl L | 24 | |
| 2009 | Michigan State | 6–7 | T–6th | Alamo Bowl L | ||
| 2010 | Michigan State | 9–2 | T–1st | Capital One Bowl L | ||
| 2011 | Michigan State | 11–3 | 1st (Legends) | Outback Bowl W | 11 | |
| 2012 | Michigan State | 7–6 | 4th (Legends) | Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl W | ||
| 2013 | Michigan State | 13–1 | 1st (Legends) | Rose Bowl W | 3 | |
| 2014 | Michigan State | 11–2 | 2nd (East) | Cotton Bowl W | 5 | |
| 2015 | Michigan State | 12–2 | 1st (East) | Cotton Bowl L | 6 | |
| 2016 | Michigan State | 3–9 | 6th (East) | |||
| 2017 | Michigan State | 10–3 | T–2nd (East) | Holiday Bowl W | 15 | |
| 2018 | Michigan State | 7–6 | 4th (East) | Redbox Bowl L | ||
| 2019 | Michigan State | 7–6 | 5th (East) | Pinstripe Bowl W |
Each season links to the team’s season page; bowls and playoff games link to the game. Conference finishes from the Wikipedia article’s record table.
Players he coached
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Greg JonesConsensus All‑American, 2009 and 2010- Javon RingerConsensus All‑American, 2008
- Kenny Willekes2019 Burlsworth Trophy
Every player from his seasons with a Heisman top-five finish, a national award, consensus All-America honors or a first-round pick. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, free licenses; credits on each player’s page.
How his teams did
| Kind of game | Games | Record | Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Against ranked teams | 60 | 22–38 | 37% |
| Against top-10 teams | 29 | 11–18 | 38% |
| Against rivals | 54 | 31–23 | 57% |
| Conference games | 129 | 79–50 | 61% |
| Bowls and playoffs | 13 | 7–6 | 54% |
| Decided by 8 points or fewer | 75 | 44–31 | 59% |
| At home | 106 | 78–28 | 74% |
| On the road | 81 | 42–39 | 52% |
| At neutral sites | 17 | 10–7 | 59% |
| As our Elo’s favorite | 120 | 94–26 | 78% |
| As our Elo’s underdog | 84 | 36–48 | 43% |
His own 204 games on file, 2004–2019, as played (vacated wins counted, ties as half a win). Ranks are the AP poll going into the game; rivals are the ones either program’s Wikipedia article names; favorite and underdog by our own Elo rating, which reads only scores.
Against other head coaches
| Coach | Record | Their schools | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Fitzgerald 2007–2019 | 6–5 | Northwestern | 11 | |
| Kirk Ferentz 2007–2017 | 5–4 | Iowa | 9 | |
| Urban Meyer 2012–2018 | 2–5 | Ohio State | 7 | |
| Kevin Wilson 2011–2016 | 5–1 | Indiana | 6 | |
| James Franklin 2014–2019 | 4–2 | Penn State | 6 | |
| Bret Bielema 2007–2012 | 3–3 | Wisconsin | 6 | |
| Brian Kelly 2010–2017 | 2–4 | Notre Dame | 6 | |
| Rich Rodriguez 2005–2010 | 3–2 | West Virginia, Michigan | 5 | |
| Joe Paterno 2005–2010 | 2–3 | Penn State | 5 | |
| Jim Harbaugh 2015–2019 | 2–3 | Michigan | 5 |
Mark Dantonio’s record against the head coaches he met three or more times, from the games on file, as played.
Most-faced opponents
| Opponent | Games | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Michiganseries | 13 | 8–5 |
| Ohio Stateseries | 13 | 3–10 |
| Indianaseries | 11 | 10–1 |
| Northwesternseries | 11 | 6–5 |
| Penn Stateseries | 11 | 6–5 |
| Iowaseries | 9 | 5–4 |
| Notre Dameseries | 9 | 4–5 |
| Purdueseries | 8 | 8–0 |
National title staffs
Every title staff- Won a national title on Ohio State’s 2002 staff (defensive coordinator) · the staff · source
The champions’ staffs from 1990 on, as the schools listed them that season: Staff lists: Drew Hoover’s how-many-rings (MIT), from the schools’ media guides and staff pages. Roles as the source words them.
Career
| Years | Team | Job | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Ohio | Graduate assistant | |
| 1981 | Purdue | Graduate assistant | |
| 1982 | Butler County | Defensive coordinator | |
| 1983–84 | Ohio State | Graduate assistant | |
| 1985 | Akron | Defensive backs coach | |
| 1986–90 | Youngstown State | Defensive coordinator | |
| 1991–94 | Kansas | Defensive backs coach | |
| 1995–2000 | Michigan State | Defensive backs coach | |
| 2001–03 | Ohio State | Defensive coordinator | |
| 2004–06 | Cincinnati | Head coach | |
| 2007–19 | Michigan State | Head coach | |
| 2023 | Michigan State | Associate head coach |
Every job as the infobox of his Wikipedia article lists it (CC BY-SA), assistant jobs included.
Coaching tree
Worked under
- Brian BurkeOhio
- Jim YoungPurdue
- Earle BruceOhio State
- Jim DennisonAkron
- Jim TresselYoungstown State, Ohio State
- Glen MasonKansas
- Nick SabanMichigan State
- Bobby WilliamsMichigan State
- Harlon BarnettMichigan State
- Mel TuckerMichigan State
Assistants who became head coaches
- Dan EnosCentral Michigan
- Don TreadwellMichigan State, Miami (OH), Arkansas–Pine Bluff
- Harlon BarnettMichigan State
- Pat NarduzziPittsburgh
- Jeff QuinnCentral Michigan, Cincinnati, Buffalo
- Brad SalemAugustana (SD)
- Rob HarleyNorthern Illinois
- Mark SnyderMarshall, Shawnee State
- Paul HaynesKent State
Worked under (10)
| Head coach | Team | Years | His job | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Burke | Ohio | 1980 | Graduate assistant | |
| Jim Young | Purdue | 1981 | Graduate assistant | |
| Earle Bruce | Ohio State | 1983–84 | Graduate assistant | |
| Jim Dennison | Akron | 1985 | Defensive backs coach | |
| Jim Tressel | Youngstown State | 1986–90 | Defensive coordinator | |
| Glen Mason | Kansas | 1991–94 | Defensive backs coach | |
| Nick Saban | Michigan State | 1995–99 | Defensive backs coach | |
| Bobby Williams | Michigan State | 1999–2000 | Defensive backs coach | |
| Jim Tressel | Ohio State | 2001–03 | Defensive coordinator | |
| Harlon Barnett | Michigan State | 2023 | Associate head coach | |
| Mel Tucker | Michigan State | 2023 | Associate head coach |
Coached under him, later head coaches (9)
| Coach | With him | Head coach at | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Enos | Cincinnati, 2004–05: quarterbacks coach; Michigan State, 2007–09: running backs coach | Central Michigan | |
| Don Treadwell | Cincinnati, 2004–06: offensive coordinator; Michigan State, 2007–10: offensive coordinator; 2018–19: defensive backs and special teams coach | Michigan State, Miami (OH), Arkansas–Pine Bluff | |
| Harlon Barnett | Cincinnati, 2004–06: defensive backs coach; Michigan State, 2007–14: defensive backs coach; 2015–17: assistant head coach, co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach | Michigan State | |
| Pat Narduzzi | Cincinnati, 2004–06: defensive coordinator; Michigan State, 2007–14: defensive coordinator | Pittsburgh | |
| Jeff Quinn | Cincinnati, 2006: offensive coordinator and offensive line coach | Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Buffalo | |
| Brad Salem | Michigan State, 2010: running backs coach; 2011–12: running backs coach and recruiting coordinator; 2013–16: quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator; 2017–18: quarterbacks coach; 2019: offensive coordinator and running backs coach | Augustana (SD) | |
| Rob Harley | Michigan State, 2012–13: graduate assistant | Northern Illinois | |
| Mark Snyder | Michigan State, 2015–17: linebackers and special teams coach | Marshall, Shawnee State | |
| Paul Haynes | Michigan State, 2018–19: defensive backs coach | Kent State |
Other assistants under him (7)
| Coach | With him | |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Tressel | Cincinnati, 2004–06: linebackers and special teams coach; Michigan State, 2007–14: linebackers and special teams coach; 2015–17: co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach; 2018–19: defensive coordinator and linebackers coach | |
| Ted Gill | Cincinnati, 2004–06: defensive line coach; Michigan State, 2007–12: defensive line coach | |
| Dan Roushar | Cincinnati, 2005–06: offensive line coach; Michigan State, 2007–10: offensive line coach; 2011–12: offensive coordinator and tight ends coach | |
| Ryan Manalac | Michigan State, 2011, 2015: op. assistant | |
| Dave Warner | Michigan State, 2013–18: co-offensive coordinator | |
| Jim Bollman | Michigan State, 2013–19: offensive coordinator and offensive line coach | |
| Chuck Bullough | Michigan State, 2019: defensive ends coach |
From coaches’ Wikipedia infoboxes (CC BY-SA) and each season’s article for its coordinators: an assistant’s seasons at a school count under its head coach in our records; jobs in the NFL and elsewhere, under the head coach whose own article lists the job that year. Names without a page here link to their Wikipedia articles.
Pay
| Year | School | Job | Contract pay | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Michigan State | head coachbonuses up to $650,000; buyout $7,000,000 | $4,390,492 USA Today | |
| 2016 | Michigan State | head coachbonuses up to $650,000; $475,000 in bonuses paid | $4,300,000 USA Today | |
| 2015 | Michigan State | head coachbonuses up to $650,000; $250,000 in bonuses paid | $3,671,520 USA Today | |
| 2014 | Michigan State | head coachbonuses up to $650,000 | $5,636,145 USA Today | |
| 2013 | Michigan State | head coachbonuses up to $650,000 | $1,959,744 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2012 | Michigan State | head coachbonuses up to $650,000 | $1,934,250 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2011 | Michigan State | head coachbonuses up to $650,000 | $1,918,000 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2010 | Michigan State | head coachbonuses up to $660,000 | $1,796,700 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2009 | Michigan State | head coachbonuses up to $725,000 | $1,811,260 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2008 | Michigan State | head coach | $1,150,000 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2007 | Michigan State | head coachbonuses up to $650,000 | $1,150,000 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2006 | Cincinnati | head coachbonuses up to $701,667 | $495,000 USA Today via Leeds |
USA Today’s coaches salary database (2014–17, from public-records requests to the schools; Rachel Ehlers’ copy): the season’s contract pay, school pay plus outside money, before bonuses.
The same USA Today database for 2006–16, from Michael Leeds’ replication data on Harvard Dataverse (CC0): the season’s contract pay.
Pay of public employees in their public job only: head coaches, and assistants in the seasons our records name them a coordinator, at public universities.
How he coached
Dantonio’s teams went for it on 16% of fourth downs and on 29% of those where the model said go for it, passed on 48% of plays and took 26.6 seconds a play, 2004–2019.
| Season | School | Went for it on fourth | When the model said go | Pass rate | Seconds a play | EPA a play | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 5 g | Cincinnati | 14 of 51 27% | 44% | 44% | 27.3 | −0.13 | |
| 2005 11 g | Cincinnati | 14 of 96 15% | 24% | 49% | 24.5 | −0.10 | |
| 2006 13 g | Cincinnati | 13 of 103 13% | 26% | 44% | 27.9 | −0.10 | |
| 2007 13 g | Michigan State | 17 of 108 16% | 25% | 44% | 25.3 | −0.01 | |
| 2008 13 g | Michigan State | 14 of 112 13% | 29% | 46% | 25.9 | −0.13 | |
| 2009 12 g | Michigan State | 12 of 93 13% | 21% | 52% | 25.9 | 0.00 | |
| 2010 13 g | Michigan State | 18 of 91 20% | 26% | 49% | 27.3 | +0.07 | |
| 2011 14 g | Michigan State | 18 of 107 17% | 32% | 50% | 28.0 | 0.00 | |
| 2012 13 g | Michigan State | 11 of 122 9% | 15% | 51% | 26.4 | −0.12 | |
| 2013 14 g | Michigan State | 15 of 114 13% | 25% | 44% | 26.4 | 0.00 | |
| 2014 13 g | Michigan State | 17 of 91 19% | 33% | 42% | 27.1 | +0.16 | |
| 2015 14 g | Michigan State | 19 of 95 20% | 32% | 47% | 27.3 | +0.06 | |
| 2016 12 g | Michigan State | 22 of 95 23% | 49% | 47% | 26.5 | 0.00 | |
| 2017 13 g | Michigan State | 19 of 105 18% | 33% | 46% | 28.1 | −0.01 | |
| 2018 13 g | Michigan State | 20 of 128 16% | 30% | 55% | 26.0 | −0.14 | |
| 2019 13 g | Michigan State | 21 of 113 19% | 33% | 52% | 25.4 | −0.07 | |
| All 199 g | 264 of 1624 16% | 29% | 48% | 26.6 | −0.03 |
His seasons as a head coach from 2004 on, from ESPN’s play by play: fourth downs where he went for it out of every fourth-down decision; how often he went when SportsDataverse’s fourth-down model said going for it was the better call; the share of his offense’s plays that were passes; seconds of game clock per offensive play (lower is faster); and expected points added per offensive play (EPA, a measure of how much each play moved the offense toward points). The season in progress counts its games so far. SportsDataverse’s coach tendencies, from ESPN’s play by play; the EPA and the fourth-down model are SportsDataverse’s.