The Football 411: On Haynes' hiring, Tressel's promotion and more
LANSING - Michigan State head football coach Mark Dantonio announced the filling of one of the programs' three coaching vacancies, and the promotion of Mike Tressel to defensive coordiantor, after speaking at the annual Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Clinic, Friday.
Dantonio confirmed rumors that Paul Haynes is joining the staff as a defensive backs coach.Tressel's promotion to full defensive coordinator was expected.
Dantonio confirmed rumors that Paul Haynes is joining the staff as a defensive backs coach. Mike Tressel has been promoted to full defensive coordinator, as expected.
Tressel served as co-defensive coordinator with Harlon Barnett from 2015-17. Barnett left Michigan State to become defensive coordinator at Florida State earlier this month.
Barnett served as the defensive backs coach at Michigan State from 2007-17. His departure necessitated the need to hire a new DBs coach. Haynes proved to be an attractive fit.
Haynes served as defensive backs coach at Michigan State under John L. Smith from 2003-04. He left Michigan State to become defensive backs coach at Ohio State under Jim Tressel from 2005-10.
Dantonio never worked with Haynes at Michigan State or Ohio State. But Tressel’s recommendation, along with Dantonio’s observations of Haynes on the recruiting trail over the years, went a long way toward making Haynes the lead candidate to take over the primary role of defensive backs coach, once Haynes expressed interest.
“He’s coached here before so he’s got a Spartan background,” Dantonio said. “He’s been a secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State, coached on the highest level in the secondary.”
Haynes spent one year as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Ohio State under interim head coach Luke Fickell in 2011.
He spent one year as defensive coordinator at Arkansas in 2012 under Smith.
Most recently, Haynes served as head coach at Kent State from 2013-17, compiling a record of 14-45.
“He’s been a head coach," Dantonio said. "I think that gives him a big-picture feel. I think he’s an excellent recruiter. He was a coordinator at Arkansas. I think that he’s a dynamic person.
“I’m very, very excited about Paul. He signed his contract. So, we’re very, very excited about that and he’ll start today.”
COMP’S TAKE: Haynes’ knowledge of the landscape at Michigan State drew him back to East Lansing, along with the strong reputation Dantonio has as a staff leader. Haynes has shared the building with Michigan State strength and conditioning coach Ken Mannie in the past, so the references didn’t end with Tressel.
When Haynes was at Michigan State in the early 2000s, Michigan State employed a cover-one/man-free system (single safety deep, man-to-man underneath). His Kent State team was predominantly a cover-one/man-free team last year.
Haynes won't have to change everything he does in order to fit MSU's scheme. Michigan State retained pressing quarters zone (cover four) as its base coverage in 2017, but the Spartans were much more varied with other coverages in 2017 than in any other season under Dantonio - including use of cover-one/man-free.
Under Barnett and Tressel, Michigan State played more cover-one/man-to-man in 2017 than in previous seasons, especially early in the year and in early downs. The Spartans also added cover-two (halves) in third-down passing situations as a surprise to opponents.
Last year, Michigan State became less predictable for opposing coaches and quarterbacks with its coverages behind blitzes. Prior to last year, MSU almost always played a three-deep (cover three) zone when blitzing. In 2017, Michigan State mixed in cover-one man-to-man behind blitzes, and occasionally played cover zero (no safety). Late in the year, MSU mixed in a 3-4 defense, with zone blitzes and defensive ends dropping into coverage.
Tressel and Dantonio will likely retain a pressing cover-four (quarters) as its primary base defense. Based on the success of 2017, the usage of more coverages will likely continue, with Haynes being a past practitioner of cover-one, man-to-man. In turn, Haynes will become briefed on the finer points of the Dantonio/Narduzzi/Barnett/Tressel quarters zone system that has served the program well.
As a recruiter, Haynes is well-known throughout Ohio from his days at Michigan State, then his days at Ohio State and as a head coach at Kent State.
He played high school football at Columbus St. Francis DeSales, a program Michigan State has recruited through the years.
Barnett was a strong recruiter in Cincinnati and southern Ohio for the Spartans. Haynes will likely work to fill that void.
When Haynes recruits in Ohio, he won’t have to introduce himself to any high school football coach in the state. They already know who he is.
TRESSEL 'HAS BEEN DEEPLY INVOLVED’
Tressel moves into the full coordinator position and will also remain the linebackers coach.
"We've had co-defensive coordinators before because I think that's what was warranted and I think they deserved that," Dantonio said. "Mike's done a tremendous job just as Harlon had. I think he'll do an outstanding job. He's been deeply, deeply involved in every aspect."
Tressel had relinquished the linebackers job in 2015 and ’16 in order to serve as a roving instructor while manning the co-coordinator position. However, Dantonio moved Tressel back to linebackers coach in 2017 and moved Snyder from linebackers coach to defensive ends coach. Those assignments worked well, as Michigan State had far fewer gap assignment errors in 2017.
"I think he's too good of a coach not to have him coaching our linebackers," Dantonio said.
**
Dantonio said he expects to have two more staff hires by next week. One hire will fill the new 10th assistant coaching slot. The other will fill the vacancy created when former defensive ends coach Mark Snyder left for Florida State to join Barnett’s staff.
"We're in the process on that and they're going to come one at a time,” Dantonio said. “I'm kind of hoping I get it done by mid-week. We're trying, but we want to make good decisions."
Dantonio wants to have his new staff out visiting recruits and schools for the final days of evaluation and visitation period prior to February’s late singing day.
“I’d like for them to be out on the recruiting trail for at least two weeks or one week to just sort of have a chance to introduce themselves to the high schools,” Dantonio said.
**
Dantonio indicated that the 10th assistant will share defensive back coaching duties with Haynes.
"I think that guy's going to be a special teams assistant, he's going to be a defensive back assistant," he said. "I want him to be the head coach of our freshmen and I want him to be a conduit to our offense in some regards."
Sources close to the situation told SpartanMag.com that Michigan State has spoken with Scott Booker and Amp Campbell about the vacancy.
Booker was safeties and special teams coach at Nebraska in 2017. From 2012-16, he was tight ends coach and special teams coordinator at Notre Dame. He was an offensive intern at Notre Dame from 2010-11.
With Dantonio seeking a defensive back assistant with special teams knowledge and also serve as “a conduit to our offense,” Booker would seem to fill each of those checkboxes.
Booker played defensive back for two years under Haynes in 1999-2000 when Haynes was DBs coach at Kent State.
PAULINO-BELL’S TRANSFER: ANOTHER HIT AT D-END
Dantonio confirmed rumors that redshirt freshman defensive end Lashawn Paulino-Bell is no longer with the team.
"Lashawn Paulino-Bell has decided to transfer,” Dantonio said. “So he'll be at a junior college this year. There's always going to be a little attrition."
Paulino-Bell and redshirt freshman Austin Andrews were suspended for separate incidents in December and didn’t travel with the team to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
Paulino-Bell was regarded as an important member of last year’s recruiting class as Michigan State sought to retool a thinned-out defensive end picture. Paulino-Bell, of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, was a 5.6 three-star recruit, ranked the No. 45 weakside defensive end in the country by Rivals.com. Michigan State had to fight off increased recruiting pressure from SEC schools in order to preserve Paulino-Bell’s commitment at this time last year.
Paulino-Bell was injured in a watercraft accident last spring. The injuries carried over to the football field where he was not prepared to play as a true freshman in the fall.
Michigan State signed two defensive ends during the early signing period on Dec. 20 in Parks Gissinger of West Hills, Calif., and Zachary Slade of Lewis Center, Ohio.
Michigan State sought junior college d-end Jordan Allen, but he signed with Tennessee.
Michigan State signed three defensive ends last year in Paulino-Bell, Jacub Panasiuk and DeAri Todd. Panasiuk had a productive true freshman season but is more of a strong-side defensive end and possibly a part-time defensive tackle, and not a hoop-running edge threat.
Todd performed to positive reviews while redshirting but is also a boundary type of defensive end, if not a defensive tackle.
The program remains short on athletic rush end type defensive ends. Auston Robertson and Josh King were signed in 2016 to play the position. They were dismissed amid sexaul assualt allegations last year.
In 2015, Michigan State signed Justice Alexander and Mufi Hunt. Neither has contributed as a d-end. Hunt has changed positions more than once, moving to tight end in August, and then back to d-line during the season. Hunt went down with a knee injury at Ohio State in November.
Alexander made progress during bowl practice. He has good straight-line athleticism and is maturing as an athlete but needs to prove he can turn the corner as a true edge threat.
In 2014, Michigan State signed Robert Bowers and Montez Sweat. Sweat was dismissed from the team in the spring of 2016 and became All-SEC at Mississippi State in 2017. Bowers played sparingly in 2017 after ending the 2016 season as a starter. He left the team in November.
Michigan State received strong play from walk-on Kenny Willekes at defensive end in 2017. He ranked tied for fourth in the Big Ten in tackles for loss and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors. He was one of the key, major surprises of 2017, and the Spartans wouldn't have gone 10-3 if he hadn't made a storybook rise.
Michigan State will need to replace starting defensive end Demetrius Cooper, who graduated.
Brandon Randle served as a pass rushing specialist on third downs last season, but didn’t have much productivity. Coaches would like to move him full-time to his natural position of linebacker, if possible.
Walk-on Dillon Alexander has been functional at defensive end. He played through injuries last year. His role could expand, and he might have the ability to handle it.
MSU’s need for help at defensive end was made clear by their interest in Allen, out of junior college.
On the current recruiting trail, there have been no indications of further Michigan State involvement with a junior college defensive end candidate.
Michigan State would like to sign an additional defensive tackle in February as part of the 2018 class.
DeShaun Mallory
, a 5.6 three-star recruit ranked No. 12 in Illinois, plans to commit to MSU within the next two weeks and sign with Michigan State in February. Michigan State is still conduting what Mallory called “final evaluation” of him, following his official visit to Michigan State last weekend. Those evaluations include check-ups on academic progress. Defensive tackles coach Ron Burton visited Mallory at his school this week. Dantonio is expected to make an in-home visit with him next week.
Michigan State also remains in contact with
Jackson Cravens
, a 5.6 three-star defensive tackle from Provo, Utah. Burton visited him this week. Cravens visited Michigan State in September. He is scheduled to visit Oregon this weekend, and Utah the weekend of Jan. 26.
“I just wasn’t ready to sign in December yet because I knew I was going to be visiting some places in January,” Cravens told SpartanMag.com on Thursday. “I actually wanted to go out to these schools earlier but they wanted me to come in January.”
* Paulino-Bell is one of three players to announce plans to transfer this month, joining wide receivers Hunter Rison and Trishton Jackson. Rison has expressed interest in Kansas State. Jackson has indicated interest in Syracuse.
* Dantonio said MSU’s Green-White Game will likely be played on April 7. He said there are plans of possibly playing the game at night, with a 5 p.m. kickoff.
“Maybe at 5 o’clock or something like that,” Dantonio said. “That’s the plan, but I’ve got to talk to the administration about that. I don’t think that should be a problem at 5.”
Dantonio began spring practice early last season, and plans to do so again. He said Feb. 27 is the likely starting date for spring practice.
LANSING - Michigan State head football coach Mark Dantonio announced the filling of one of the programs' three coaching vacancies, and the promotion of Mike Tressel to defensive coordiantor, after speaking at the annual Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Clinic, Friday.
Dantonio confirmed rumors that Paul Haynes is joining the staff as a defensive backs coach.Tressel's promotion to full defensive coordinator was expected.
Dantonio confirmed rumors that Paul Haynes is joining the staff as a defensive backs coach. Mike Tressel has been promoted to full defensive coordinator, as expected.
Tressel served as co-defensive coordinator with Harlon Barnett from 2015-17. Barnett left Michigan State to become defensive coordinator at Florida State earlier this month.
Barnett served as the defensive backs coach at Michigan State from 2007-17. His departure necessitated the need to hire a new DBs coach. Haynes proved to be an attractive fit.
Haynes served as defensive backs coach at Michigan State under John L. Smith from 2003-04. He left Michigan State to become defensive backs coach at Ohio State under Jim Tressel from 2005-10.
Dantonio never worked with Haynes at Michigan State or Ohio State. But Tressel’s recommendation, along with Dantonio’s observations of Haynes on the recruiting trail over the years, went a long way toward making Haynes the lead candidate to take over the primary role of defensive backs coach, once Haynes expressed interest.
“He’s coached here before so he’s got a Spartan background,” Dantonio said. “He’s been a secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State, coached on the highest level in the secondary.”
Haynes spent one year as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Ohio State under interim head coach Luke Fickell in 2011.
He spent one year as defensive coordinator at Arkansas in 2012 under Smith.
Most recently, Haynes served as head coach at Kent State from 2013-17, compiling a record of 14-45.
“He’s been a head coach," Dantonio said. "I think that gives him a big-picture feel. I think he’s an excellent recruiter. He was a coordinator at Arkansas. I think that he’s a dynamic person.
“I’m very, very excited about Paul. He signed his contract. So, we’re very, very excited about that and he’ll start today.”
COMP’S TAKE: Haynes’ knowledge of the landscape at Michigan State drew him back to East Lansing, along with the strong reputation Dantonio has as a staff leader. Haynes has shared the building with Michigan State strength and conditioning coach Ken Mannie in the past, so the references didn’t end with Tressel.
When Haynes was at Michigan State in the early 2000s, Michigan State employed a cover-one/man-free system (single safety deep, man-to-man underneath). His Kent State team was predominantly a cover-one/man-free team last year.
Haynes won't have to change everything he does in order to fit MSU's scheme. Michigan State retained pressing quarters zone (cover four) as its base coverage in 2017, but the Spartans were much more varied with other coverages in 2017 than in any other season under Dantonio - including use of cover-one/man-free.
Under Barnett and Tressel, Michigan State played more cover-one/man-to-man in 2017 than in previous seasons, especially early in the year and in early downs. The Spartans also added cover-two (halves) in third-down passing situations as a surprise to opponents.
Last year, Michigan State became less predictable for opposing coaches and quarterbacks with its coverages behind blitzes. Prior to last year, MSU almost always played a three-deep (cover three) zone when blitzing. In 2017, Michigan State mixed in cover-one man-to-man behind blitzes, and occasionally played cover zero (no safety). Late in the year, MSU mixed in a 3-4 defense, with zone blitzes and defensive ends dropping into coverage.
Tressel and Dantonio will likely retain a pressing cover-four (quarters) as its primary base defense. Based on the success of 2017, the usage of more coverages will likely continue, with Haynes being a past practitioner of cover-one, man-to-man. In turn, Haynes will become briefed on the finer points of the Dantonio/Narduzzi/Barnett/Tressel quarters zone system that has served the program well.
As a recruiter, Haynes is well-known throughout Ohio from his days at Michigan State, then his days at Ohio State and as a head coach at Kent State.
He played high school football at Columbus St. Francis DeSales, a program Michigan State has recruited through the years.
Barnett was a strong recruiter in Cincinnati and southern Ohio for the Spartans. Haynes will likely work to fill that void.
When Haynes recruits in Ohio, he won’t have to introduce himself to any high school football coach in the state. They already know who he is.
TRESSEL 'HAS BEEN DEEPLY INVOLVED’
Tressel moves into the full coordinator position and will also remain the linebackers coach.
"We've had co-defensive coordinators before because I think that's what was warranted and I think they deserved that," Dantonio said. "Mike's done a tremendous job just as Harlon had. I think he'll do an outstanding job. He's been deeply, deeply involved in every aspect."
Tressel had relinquished the linebackers job in 2015 and ’16 in order to serve as a roving instructor while manning the co-coordinator position. However, Dantonio moved Tressel back to linebackers coach in 2017 and moved Snyder from linebackers coach to defensive ends coach. Those assignments worked well, as Michigan State had far fewer gap assignment errors in 2017.
"I think he's too good of a coach not to have him coaching our linebackers," Dantonio said.
**
Dantonio said he expects to have two more staff hires by next week. One hire will fill the new 10th assistant coaching slot. The other will fill the vacancy created when former defensive ends coach Mark Snyder left for Florida State to join Barnett’s staff.
"We're in the process on that and they're going to come one at a time,” Dantonio said. “I'm kind of hoping I get it done by mid-week. We're trying, but we want to make good decisions."
Dantonio wants to have his new staff out visiting recruits and schools for the final days of evaluation and visitation period prior to February’s late singing day.
“I’d like for them to be out on the recruiting trail for at least two weeks or one week to just sort of have a chance to introduce themselves to the high schools,” Dantonio said.
**
Dantonio indicated that the 10th assistant will share defensive back coaching duties with Haynes.
"I think that guy's going to be a special teams assistant, he's going to be a defensive back assistant," he said. "I want him to be the head coach of our freshmen and I want him to be a conduit to our offense in some regards."
Sources close to the situation told SpartanMag.com that Michigan State has spoken with Scott Booker and Amp Campbell about the vacancy.
Booker was safeties and special teams coach at Nebraska in 2017. From 2012-16, he was tight ends coach and special teams coordinator at Notre Dame. He was an offensive intern at Notre Dame from 2010-11.
With Dantonio seeking a defensive back assistant with special teams knowledge and also serve as “a conduit to our offense,” Booker would seem to fill each of those checkboxes.
Booker played defensive back for two years under Haynes in 1999-2000 when Haynes was DBs coach at Kent State.
PAULINO-BELL’S TRANSFER: ANOTHER HIT AT D-END
Dantonio confirmed rumors that redshirt freshman defensive end Lashawn Paulino-Bell is no longer with the team.
"Lashawn Paulino-Bell has decided to transfer,” Dantonio said. “So he'll be at a junior college this year. There's always going to be a little attrition."
Paulino-Bell and redshirt freshman Austin Andrews were suspended for separate incidents in December and didn’t travel with the team to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
Paulino-Bell was regarded as an important member of last year’s recruiting class as Michigan State sought to retool a thinned-out defensive end picture. Paulino-Bell, of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, was a 5.6 three-star recruit, ranked the No. 45 weakside defensive end in the country by Rivals.com. Michigan State had to fight off increased recruiting pressure from SEC schools in order to preserve Paulino-Bell’s commitment at this time last year.
Paulino-Bell was injured in a watercraft accident last spring. The injuries carried over to the football field where he was not prepared to play as a true freshman in the fall.
Michigan State signed two defensive ends during the early signing period on Dec. 20 in Parks Gissinger of West Hills, Calif., and Zachary Slade of Lewis Center, Ohio.
Michigan State sought junior college d-end Jordan Allen, but he signed with Tennessee.
Michigan State signed three defensive ends last year in Paulino-Bell, Jacub Panasiuk and DeAri Todd. Panasiuk had a productive true freshman season but is more of a strong-side defensive end and possibly a part-time defensive tackle, and not a hoop-running edge threat.
Todd performed to positive reviews while redshirting but is also a boundary type of defensive end, if not a defensive tackle.
The program remains short on athletic rush end type defensive ends. Auston Robertson and Josh King were signed in 2016 to play the position. They were dismissed amid sexaul assualt allegations last year.
In 2015, Michigan State signed Justice Alexander and Mufi Hunt. Neither has contributed as a d-end. Hunt has changed positions more than once, moving to tight end in August, and then back to d-line during the season. Hunt went down with a knee injury at Ohio State in November.
Alexander made progress during bowl practice. He has good straight-line athleticism and is maturing as an athlete but needs to prove he can turn the corner as a true edge threat.
In 2014, Michigan State signed Robert Bowers and Montez Sweat. Sweat was dismissed from the team in the spring of 2016 and became All-SEC at Mississippi State in 2017. Bowers played sparingly in 2017 after ending the 2016 season as a starter. He left the team in November.
Michigan State received strong play from walk-on Kenny Willekes at defensive end in 2017. He ranked tied for fourth in the Big Ten in tackles for loss and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors. He was one of the key, major surprises of 2017, and the Spartans wouldn't have gone 10-3 if he hadn't made a storybook rise.
Michigan State will need to replace starting defensive end Demetrius Cooper, who graduated.
Brandon Randle served as a pass rushing specialist on third downs last season, but didn’t have much productivity. Coaches would like to move him full-time to his natural position of linebacker, if possible.
Walk-on Dillon Alexander has been functional at defensive end. He played through injuries last year. His role could expand, and he might have the ability to handle it.
MSU’s need for help at defensive end was made clear by their interest in Allen, out of junior college.
On the current recruiting trail, there have been no indications of further Michigan State involvement with a junior college defensive end candidate.
Michigan State would like to sign an additional defensive tackle in February as part of the 2018 class.
DeShaun Mallory
, a 5.6 three-star recruit ranked No. 12 in Illinois, plans to commit to MSU within the next two weeks and sign with Michigan State in February. Michigan State is still conduting what Mallory called “final evaluation” of him, following his official visit to Michigan State last weekend. Those evaluations include check-ups on academic progress. Defensive tackles coach Ron Burton visited Mallory at his school this week. Dantonio is expected to make an in-home visit with him next week.
Michigan State also remains in contact with
Jackson Cravens
, a 5.6 three-star defensive tackle from Provo, Utah. Burton visited him this week. Cravens visited Michigan State in September. He is scheduled to visit Oregon this weekend, and Utah the weekend of Jan. 26.
“I just wasn’t ready to sign in December yet because I knew I was going to be visiting some places in January,” Cravens told SpartanMag.com on Thursday. “I actually wanted to go out to these schools earlier but they wanted me to come in January.”
* Paulino-Bell is one of three players to announce plans to transfer this month, joining wide receivers Hunter Rison and Trishton Jackson. Rison has expressed interest in Kansas State. Jackson has indicated interest in Syracuse.
* Dantonio said MSU’s Green-White Game will likely be played on April 7. He said there are plans of possibly playing the game at night, with a 5 p.m. kickoff.
“Maybe at 5 o’clock or something like that,” Dantonio said. “That’s the plan, but I’ve got to talk to the administration about that. I don’t think that should be a problem at 5.”
Dantonio began spring practice early last season, and plans to do so again. He said Feb. 27 is the likely starting date for spring practice.
