Dantonio makes a good impression on Detroit media
MSU fans have long debated about the existence of a “Blue Wall” that surrounded the Detroit area when it comes to college sports coverage in the state. Spartans fans have always hoped for equal coverage from the Detroit media but assumed there was a UM bias in the area. The argument was that you’d expect the Ann Arbor News to be biased since it’s only local to Ann Arbor, but the Detroit papers are a state-wide newspaper so they should equally focus on both of the major college programs in the state.
Whether that bias is true or not, the Detroit media seem to be confident in the Mark Dantonio hire by Michigan State. Dave Dye of the Detroit News writes that Dantonio is the right fit but that he should be given time.
Q. What are the early impressions of the coaching change in football?
A. More than anything, the program needs stability. Mark Dantonio has the type of personality to provide that influence.
It’s a good hire, but I won’t venture to guess just yet whether he’ll win enough to be successful.
This is a tough job. There’s a lot of baggage.
A few weeks ago Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press, a longtime critic of MSU sports, even seemed to think that Coach D was the right fit for the Spartans.
It was almost a half-hour into his introductory news conference before Dantonio’s wife, Becky, officially introduced Michigan State’s 24th head football coach.
But this is how it’s done with MSU football. You have to sell the integrity of the search process before you can even sell the fruits of your efforts.
The Spartans, though, actually got the right man who offers the right things to all the right people at the right time.
David Porteous, the outgoing Board of Trustees chairman, forever punctuated points that stressed unity and togetherness. President Lou Anna Simon painted an image of one big jamboree, all the formerly divisive factions walking hand-in-hand in the decision process with a chorus of “Kumbaya” lingering in the background. Joel Ferguson, the Board of Trustees vice chairman and generally recognized MSU kingmaker, touted Simon’s superb leadership and made it clear that Dantonio wasn’t a compromise choice, but the only choice.