Michigan State football: 3 potential replacements for Mel Tucker
By Dante Pryor
![COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 01: Head Football Coach Mel Tucker (C) of the Michigan State Spartans is seen on the sideline during the first half of a college football game against the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium on October 01, 2022 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 01: Head Football Coach Mel Tucker (C) of the Michigan State Spartans is seen on the sideline during the first half of a college football game against the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium on October 01, 2022 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/8bd8c601e4f14831ecfb0bae2195a90e09d43f35c00cb7c3e3aadd62a8e56557.jpg)
3. Paul Chryst, former Wisconsin head coach
Former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst is not the flashiest of hires. However, some situations don’t require sizzle. Some situations need lots of steak. Not every hire can be Jimbo to Texas A&M, Saban to Alabama, or Prime to Colorado. Some hires are Dave Doeren to North Carolina State or Dave Clawson to Wake Forest.
The administration in Raleigh and Winston-Salem are more than happy with their hires. Chryst knows how to build a program. Few coaches in college football have a cleaner, more pristine reputation than Chryst. He has no baggage following him to his next stop, which is the opposite of the situation in East Lansing.
The former Badgers head coach knows how to run a program. Chryst is going to bring that “Wisconsin Style” to East Lansing. That style of play does have a ceiling, which we saw in Madison, but it also raises your floor. There’s little doubt that Dantonio raises the floor at Michigan State.
Spartan fans might appreciate a return to a power running game and physical play along the lines of scrimmage. The hire might not be flashy, but flashy isn’t always the best.