Freep - Dantonio puts on clinic in the heart of the PSL, considers all state HS coaches his partners

[The Server]

The U. was skeptical. When we bumped into Detroit Renaissance assistant football coach Andy Rio at the Detroit Public School League baseball final Tuesday, he invited the U. to Wednesday evening's Michigan State football clinic.

Link to full story

[Trevor Barnes]

Just shows how much hard work that and staff are putting in to make connections with coaches from the state. I'm assuming that the Cowboy never did this.

Michigan State football clinic is nice surprise | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

When we bumped into Detroit Renaissance assistant football coach Andy Rio at the Detroit Public School League baseball final Tuesday, he invited the U. to Wednesday evening's Michigan State football clinic.


Visions of unknown grad assistants drawing up the latest gadget plays on a chalkboard danced through our heads.


But when the U. walked into the Renaissance gym, MSU coach Mark Dantonio in the flesh was addressing about 50 football coaches -- mostly from the PSL.


Dantonio spoke passionately about how he considers all high school coaches in the state his partners and how he and his staff would do everything in their power to assist them in learning the latest techniques.

[Trevor Barnes]

Answering my own question about the previous staff...

And it was at that moment that the U. realized why the Spartans have made major recruiting inroads into the Detroit area.

Let's go back to the previous regime. Every PSL coach will tell you that former MSU coach John L. Smith wasn't exactly the most visible guy around. Probably a reason he ain't around now.

In Smith's defense, Detroit wasn't the most fertile recruiting ground during his four years, but you have to build relationships, not turn people off.

"This new coaching staff continues to give back to the PSL -- well just not the PSL; they give back to the entire state," Detroit Southeastern coach Donshell English said. "They want to bridge whatever gaps they didn't have before."

[Spartan_MD]

Did you notice that UM was at Cass Tech. When was the last time MSU has gotten a recruit from there? Seems like a lot of CT players end up at UM...

[burnsmi4]

Originally Posted by Spartan_MD

Did you notice that UM was at Cass Tech. When was the last time MSU has gotten a recruit from there? Seems like a lot of CT players end up at UM...

it will take time but being visible in Detroit is a great thing. He is laying the foundation for stealing a couple of high profile guys in the future from Michigan and outside schools. He shouldnt focus on just Cass Tech.

[staterules]

Originally Posted by Spartan_MD

Did you notice that UM was at Cass Tech. When was the last time MSU has gotten a recruit from there? Seems like a lot of CT players end up at UM...

There's a reason for that. Former um running back Thomas Wilcher is the HC at CT. I think that ever since he got that job a few years ago (and as long as he remains the coach at Cass) he has influenced kids with a "non-MSU" agenda. Perhaps Cass' relative under-whelming performances the last few years under his tutelage may result in him being on the hot seat in the not so distant future.

I think the last Tech kid we got was former fullback Dawan Moss in the late 90s. I think Wilcher took over the reins at Cass soon after and "that's all she wrote" for our recruiting successes at Cass Tech.

[NorthSpartanCarolina]

Originally Posted by staterules

There's a reason for that. Former um running back Thomas Wilcher is the HC at CT. I think that ever since he got that job a few years ago (and as long as he remains the coach at Cass) he has influenced kids with a "non-MSU" agenda. Perhaps Cass' relative under-whelming performances the last few years under his tutelage may result in him being on the hot seat in the not so distant future.

I think the last Tech kid we got was former fullback Dawan Moss in the late 90s. I think Wilcher took over the reins at Cass soon after and "that's all she wrote" for our recruiting successes at Cass Tech.

He turned out so well for MSU.

[Spacecataz]

Originally Posted by NorthSpartanCarolina

He turned out so well for MSU.

he was naturally a fullback, and a pretty decent one before he was moved to RB for whatever reason

[AASpartan]

Originally Posted by Spacecataz

he was naturally a fullback, and a pretty decent one before he was moved to RB for whatever reason

You mean like the elimination of the fullback at MSU? I think that might have been the reason

[OPSpartan]

Originally Posted by AASpartan

You mean like the elimination of the fullback at MSU? I think that might have been the reason

Moss never played in the spread. I remember a Sporting News preseason article that tabbed him the nations top fullback going into his sr yr, Bobby moved him to RB to compensate for Duckett's departure. BW could've saved his job if he'd started David Richard and gave him 25 carries a game, but for reasons that make Bobby Williams Bobby Williams he kept Moss at RB until after the UM game when he was kicked off the team.

[StatsETC]

Originally Posted by staterules

There's a reason for that. Former um running back Thomas Wilcher is the HC at CT. I think that ever since he got that job a few years ago (and as long as he remains the coach at Cass) he has influenced kids with a "non-MSU" agenda. Perhaps Cass' relative under-whelming performances the last few years under his tutelage may result in him being on the hot seat in the not so distant future.

I think the last Tech kid we got was former fullback Dawan Moss in the late 90s. I think Wilcher took over the reins at Cass soon after and "that's all she wrote" for our recruiting successes at Cass Tech.

How the hell he keeps his job is beyond me. Cass Tech has 10x the talent of the rest of the PSL combined, yet never gets it done on the field. 's in great shape with the rest of the PSL, but a vast majority of the stud PSLers will end up at UM until Wilcher gets the boot.

[Ron_in_ATL]

Originally Posted by StatsETC

How the hell he keeps his job is beyond me. Cass Tech has 10x the talent of the rest of the PSL combined, yet never gets it done on the field. 's in great shape with the rest of the PSL, but a vast majority of the stud PSLers will end up at UM until Wilcher gets the boot.

How well does he get along with the other staff?

Richard "Dick" Cole didn't play well with others and was moved to MLK. How long did Don Spivey hang around?