Michigan State is searching for a new head coach after Mel Tucker was officially fired on Wednesday, and two top candidates have reportedly emerged for the job.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic was told by a source that there are two names at the top of Michigan State’s list — Washington State head coach Jake Dickert and Kansas head coach Lance Leipold.
Dickert, a former defensive coordinator, has helped stabilize the Washington State program during what has been a tumultuous time period. The Pac-12 has been completely gutted, with the Cougars and Oregon State the only two members that remain committed to the conference. Washington State had a mediocre 7-6 season last year under Dickert, but they are off to a 4-0 start this season with two wins over ranked opponents.
Leipold was hired at Kansas in 2021 when the Jayhawks were coming off a 0-9 season under Les Miles. Kansas went 2-10 in Leipold’s first season, which continued a 12-year stretch of them winning no more than three games in a season. The Jayhawks then went 6-7 last season and played in their first bowl game since 2008. They are off to a 4-0 start this year.
Other potential candidates for Michigan State that were mentioned by Feldman include Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck and Duke head coach Mike Elko. Another candidate who has been linked to the Spartans job ruled himself out this week.
