While the Michigan State Spartans are in dire need of a new head coach, they are supposedly gauging the interest of other college football head coaches for their vacancy. Harlon Barnett may be filling in for Mel Tucker in the interim, but we have to believe that the Michigan State program is going to look at an outside hire to help reset the once-strong culture in East Lansing. They really need it...
On Wednesday afternoon, Michigan State insider Justin Spiro reported that Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold interviewed for the vacancy on Tuesday. Although Leipold should have plausible deniability in the matter, as that is what agents are for, he would be an incredible fit for the Spartans. In pretty much any other scenario, he would leave Lawrence for East Lansing, but this feels different.
The scandal that brought to an end the Tucker era has left a bad stench on the Michigan State program. All things equal, Michigan State is in a group of about six programs good enough to contend for the College Football Playoff every year, but lacks the upward trajectory to ever win it all. You could put teams like Oklahoma State in this group with Auburn, Oregon and Penn State being slightly better.
Kansas is a bottom-feeder program in the Big 12 historically, but Leipold is building something great.
MSU interviewed Kansas coach Lance Leipold yesterday.
— Justin Spiro (@DarkoStateNews) November 8, 2023
To be frank, if Leipold gets the financial guarantees he needs from Kansas, he is never leaving KU.
Michigan State rumors: Kansas head coach Lance Leipold has interviewed
No matter where Leipold has coached at before, he has won, prolifically. Whether that be at Wisconsin-Whitewater, Buffalo or now with Kansas, Leipold has shown an innate ability to elevate the talent of his rosters almost immediately. Kansas was not winning games, like hardly any at all. Now the Jayhawks are a consistent bowl team, one that could be playing for a trip to Arlington this December.
I think it will come down to one thing and one thing only: Money. It is always the case, but probably not more so than with regards to leaving a great thing right now at Kansas, for essentially a flaming dumpster fire in Michigan State. Kansas has a good athletic department, but KU will always pick basketball over football since the Jayhawks are one of the most undeniable blue-bloods in the sport.
Michigan State is a tick below that on the college hoops side, but they too have a strong athletic department. Given that the university has many big-pocketed boosters, most notably long-time Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and newish Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia, Michigan State could outspend more Power Five programs than you would think. You have to really consider this.
Leipold leaving Kansas now would be crazy, but so would giving up $8 million annually with Sparty.