Mark Dantonio has transformed Michigan State from "little brother" in the program's home state to a perennial contender in the Big Ten. With that in mind, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh took to the podium on Monday and showered Dantonio with an impressive amount of praise.
Harbaugh asserted that Dantonio has done "one of the best coaching jobs ever" in East Lansing and, frankly, it is pretty tough to argue. For one thing, Michigan State has owned Michigan in the recent past, taking seven out of the last eight meetings, including the 2015 classic that will not soon be forgotten on either campus.
Beyond that, though, Dantonio has led the Spartans to 11 wins or more on five occasions since 2010 and, even after a disastrous start to the 2016 campaign, the well-respected head coach owns a .700 winning percentage in East Lansing. It seems likely that pundits and, especially, fans will chalk Harbaugh's comments up to an opposing coach simply paying homage to this week's opponent and, frankly, some of that can be true. However, Mark Dantonio's performance at Michigan State remains wildly underrated and his counterpart and chief rival seems to respect his work in a way that few across the country can match.
