Mike Tressel: candidate profile

[MarkL]

I'll be doing one of these on occasion, detailing a potential candidate whose name has been mentioned around here.
Tressel is the DC at Michigan State. He has been an assistant to Dantonio since 2004 at Cincinnati. He has been promoted through these years from LB/ST to co-DC to DC this year. His time at MSU prior to DC and co-DC was linebackers.
MSU's strength is and has always been defense. Tressel has coached all Americans and eventual NFL linebackers. His defenses have been highly nationally ranked, and like any other good defense, it starts with stopping the run. Those linebackers are always active in stuffing the run.
Tressel is as good of a defensive pick we could find if the feeling is to go defense. But there's more than just defensive coordination to Tressel.
MSU rarely gets 5 star recruits. They don't have the facilities, revenue, or massive stadiums of OSU and Michigan. They make a living off of three and some four star players while OSU and M top recruiting rankings. Yet all MSU does is develop talent, win conference titles, win 10 games a year, and put players into the NFL. Dantonio's staff has mastered the arts of talent evaluation and development.
And I also have to mention the name. I'm not endorsing nepotism here. But, there's a serious hidden advantage to hiring Mike Tressel. His uncle is Jim Tressel, who might as well be royalty in key areas of Ohio. Imagine the eyes of a northeast Ohio kid lighting up when a Tressel comes to his home to recruit him.
Geography obviously favors Tressel. He has recruited "The state of Bowling Green" for over a decade. MSU frequently gets those NE Ohio kids.
And another thing to consider. The former DC was Harlon Barnett. He is now DC at FSU. I've heard it said several times that Barnett is effectively MSU coach in waiting, and he left for FSU to gain extra experience and connections. Where does that leave Tressel? To remain DC for the guy who left for Tallahassee for a while?

Now there is a knock. I had many criticisms of Jinks when he was hired. One was that he had only even been a college assistant for one coach, Kingsbury. I believe an assistant needs diverse experiences and knowledge before making the jump to HC. Tressel has spent nearly his entire career as a Dantonio assistant.
Now that critique comes with some mitigations.
- Kingsbury has never won anything significant. What all could Jinks have learned? MSU has won Big Ten championships, bowl games, been top ten and top five in the national rankings, and has beaten rival Michigan consistently. Tressel has contributed to and learned a world of knowledge during that time.
- Jinks was the RB coach at a program known for QBs and WRs. Running game is generally an afterthought at Tech. Meanwhile defense is the game at MSU, anchored by the linebackers, all coached by Tressel.
- Jinks only had three years as any kind of college coach as of late 2015. Tressel has over two decades of experience.

All around, call me interested.
Now what would a Tressel coached team look like? Probably a lot like a Clawson team. Lots of defense, disciplined play, and probably not a flashy but rather efficient offense. They may not look pretty. But I think he could make a great team consistently.

[Class of 61]

And how much does he earn at MSU? Nice to talk about guys like this but doubtful BG can fford them.

[MarkL]

Half a million probably. MSU does not pay their assistants as well as others in the Big Ten yet they perform like one of the big boys. I would love a piece of that culture.

[pdt1081]

And how much does he earn at MSU? Nice to talk about guys like this but doubtful BG can fford them.

Sometimes ya gotta go down if you want to go up....

[gmartin]

And how much does he earn at MSU? Nice to talk about guys like this but doubtful BG can fford them.

Base salary of $449,400 with bonuses up to $150,000, so about 600k.

[cameron]

I don't think it's ALL about money. Yes, these guys want and deserve to get paid well, and they will here. Whether it's football or any other profession, everyone understands that you sometimes have to take a pay cut to prove yourself in a new position within a new organization. If I was a coordinator in the Big Ten earning $600,000 but had aspirations of becoming a Head Coach one day, I'd be excited at the opportunity to come to BG (or any MAC school) and earn $450,000 to $500,000 a year. Especially knowing that if I do well, I'll be on my way to multi-million dollar offers within a few years. Or you could just stay on as a coordinator in the Big Ten forever and always wonder what might have been.

[Dayons_Den]

Anyone who has likely imbibed at Randall's Northside Tap is alright by me.

Hill Top > Black Swamp LET'S DO IT!