Big Ten's three new coaches facing unique challenges
No one knows if Mark Dantonio can prevent Michigan State's annual October nosedive, or if Tim Brewster can take Minnesota to a relevant bowl game, or if Bill Lynch can take Indiana to any bowl game.
Those answers won't come for months.
But judging by first impressions, and in August that's all we can go on, the three newest Big Ten coaches are well suited for their schools -- and for the unique challenges facing them.
Michigan State needs a stabilizing force after the program lost respect nationally and, more important, among its own faithful. The Spartans too often reflected the madcap nature of John L. Smith, who climbed Kilimanjaro and ran with the bulls but could never win a significant late-season game.
In Smith's four seasons as coach, the Spartans won only once in November and went 4-16 after Oct. 18. Their September national rankings became comical, as midseason collapses followed on cue.
Enter Dantonio, who lacks Smith's pep but has an extensive résumé, highlighted by his post as defensive coordinator for Ohio State's national championship team in 2002.
Asked Tuesday at the Big Ten media sessions about Michigan State's soft reputation on defense, Dantonio was brief but believable.
"We won't accept a soft defense," he said.
More significantly, Dantonio understands his constituency, whose yearly frustrations were echoed, if nonsensically, by a talk-radio host and MSU alum whose 15-minute on-air rant after Michigan State's collapse against Notre Dame last season became infamous.
"We will measure up," Dantonio said. "We need to win back the respect of our fans."
Minnesota didn't need a rebuilder as much as it did an igniter, especially with an on-campus stadium opening in 2009. The Gophers reached bowl games in each of Glen Mason's final five seasons, but they did so behind weak nonconference schedules, finishing above .500 in Big Ten play just once.
Brewster sets a greater goal. He recapped Minnesota's glory days of the 1930s, 1940s and 1960s during an animated address to reporters Tuesday. Since January, Brewster's coaching staff has visited every high school in Minnesota, with Brewster stopping by at about 100.
"I drink a lot of coffee," said Brewster, who captained Illinois' 1984 Rose Bowl team. "And I don't sleep much, either. I love what I'm doing."
He has faced an early test after four players were investigated in a sexual assault case. Though no charges had been filed against three of the players, Brewster dismissed all four and backed up his stance Tuesday.
Lynch faces an entirely different task at Indiana after the June death of coach Terry Hoeppner. After filling in as interim coach for two games last year when Hoeppner fell ill, Lynch must guide a grieving team.
Northwestern faced a similar situation last summer after Randy Walker's death. Lynch, who coached Indiana in spring practice, noted that his team has had a longer adjustment period, but he wisely doesn't stiff-arm the impact.
"There's going to be some emotion to it," he said. "We'll find out as we get there."
Lynch's extensive head-coaching experience (14 years) and familiarity with Hoeppner and the players is critical for a talented Indiana team, which last year finished only one win shy of its first bowl game since 1993.
"They've got to do what Hep wanted them to do on Aug. 16 if it's 90 degrees and we've got two practices," Lynch said. "That's taking care of things step by step, moving forward the way he'd want them to."
arittenberg@dailyherald.com