Bruce Feldman: Names to watch for ‘highly coveted’ Michigan State job

Mel Tucker is out at Michigan State, and one of the premier college football coaching positions is on the market.

Expecting to draw much attention during this coming offseason’s coaching carousel, college football insider Bruce Feldman listed a few names that could come up in the search to fill the vacancy left by Tucker.

“The first name I think people are really going to want to keep an eye on is Duke‘s Mike Elko,” Feldman said Saturday morning on Big Noon Kickoff. “He has done an amazing job in Durham. Last year they were 9-4, this year he starts out with a bang against Clemson. They dominate the Tigers and they’re 3-0. The 45-year-old from New Jersey is someone who I expect to be one of the hottest names on the coaching market this year.”

Two other names — this time from the Big 12 Conference — that Feldman feels could see involved in the Spartans’ coaching vacancy is Lance Leipold from Kansas and Chris Klieman from Kansas State.

Both coaches took their teams above and beyond expectations last season with Leipold leading the Jayhawks into the AP Top 25 polls for the first time in years, while Klieman’s Wildcats went on to win the 2022 Big 12 Championship.

Feldman’s sources did tell him that Michigan State wants its next headman to have proven and previous experience as a Power Five head coach, but the Fox Sports analyst wouldn’t rule out Colorado offensive coordinator Sean Lewis — who also served as Kent State head coach from 2018 through 2022 — as a potential name to keep an eye on as they look to fill the vacancy.

“This figures to be one of the most attractive jobs to open up on the market this year,” Feldman said. “This is a program that has had three top-10 finishes in the last nine years and as a Big Ten school, has a ton of money coming in, especially with the new deal that they just did. It will likely temp some highly-regarded Power Five guys.”

Until then, Michigan State is leaning on Harlon Barnett to finish the season as interim head coach in an attempt to salvage the season on the gridiron and build on it’s 2-1 start to the 2023 season. They begin Big Ten play against Maryland on Saturday at home, but are seven-point underdogs in Vegas. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET live on NBC.