He would have come in a heartbeat.
But I also liked Freeman.
I’m happy with our decision.
worth it, I think.
Would be bad press if we stole Cincy's coach twice before bowl season after an undefeated season.
I reckon keeping Rees also played into the "keep the ship stable" ethos from Savvy.
Quite honestly, I’m shocked. Wisconsin is not a better job than MSU and he turned them down when Dantonio retired.
Remember he retired well after the season because there was too many off the field issues.
I'd forgotten that MSU had two presidents forced out within a 12 month span from Jan 2018 to Jan 2019 and the AD also resigned in Jan 2018. You're right, that was a mess. That explains it. Thanks!
or there being multiple accusations of assault etc. Plus, Dantonio may have lied in court.
Although less talent than Michigan, it’s much easier to keep in state players home, including OL that can be built around. Longer stretch of sustained good play to recruit on. Easier to inflate win total in the West, while still usually getting at least one good crossover game. Which then makes it easier to outrecruit MSU.
Regardless, there are 3 tiers in the Big Ten:
1) UM, OSU and PSU (barely)
2) UW, MSU and Nebraska and Iowa (maybe, based on fan support)
3) Everybody else
Now that it's headed into the Big 12, UC is basically a top Tier 3 team with potential to get to Tier 2 over the next few decades. It sits in a fertile recruiting territory in which it can live off the crumbs of the Tier 1 teams, as it's been doing since Dantonio arrived in 2004. Fickell definitely upgraded with UW but he landed lower than I think he could have.
UW is beloved in Wisconsin. There is no other contender for local fans' affection.
Edited to add that the foregoing is all moot since cujays96 reminded me of the mess that was the MSU institutional situation circa Feb 2020 when Dantonio resigned. I can see why Fickell avoided that.
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FSU is, and always will be, the #2 program in the state of FL. That, by itself, wouldn't make WI a superior program to FSU, right?
Let's take a look at a few selected stats below.
All-Time Win %
MSU - 60.0%
WI - 58.6%
Seasons Ranked in Final AP Poll:
MSU - 28
WI - 26
2015-2019 Attendance Capacity % (Perhaps there are longer dated records available)
MSU- 96.58%
WI - 97.07%
Based on the foregoing, I think MSU and WI are equals in terms of program stature. While I respect your point about primacy in the hearts of minds of its citizenry, I think the data above provides some mitigating effect to that point.
At any rate, I think my larger point is that whichever of the two you rank higher, I hope we can agree that a) they're pretty close and b) I'm surprised Fickell turned down MSU 2 years ago just to take WI now. I just don't think the programs are that different. Perhaps he sees his window closing and needs to strike now. That would make sense.
... difference in results of the two programs over the last few decades suggests that the UW recruiting story is easier to sell than the MSU story.
And Madison is a far better place to live.
...is that if you had compared the two programs in 1992, MSU, even in the midst of late-Perles malaise, would have obviously been the better program historically. But since 1993 Wisconsin has won over 70 percent of its games, has won multiple conference titles and major bowl games, and has had only two losing seasons. Of the 26 times Wisconsin has been ranked in the final AP poll, 17 have come since 1993. In the same period, MSU has been ranked in the final AP poll 9 times. Most of its ranked teams came under Duffy Daugherty.
MSU restored some shine under Dantonio, and his best couple of teams were better than any Wisconsin team from Alvarez to present. UW has never really contended for a national title and has played soft nonconference schedules and in the Big Ten's JV division. Still, Wisconsin has been a meaningfully better program for a generation. Both are good jobs, but I think Wisconsin is a bit more attractive.
is on the rise.
He needs another big season so he can get out of there or else he will be a victim of staying too long.