Luke Fickell looking likely for Michigan State job?

Michigan State is working hard to find a new football coach, but the list of candidates is shrinking against their wishes.

Colorado coach Mel Tucker pulled his name from consideration for the job Saturday, joining San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh in declining to interview for the position. That, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, has essentially made the Spartan coaching search Luke Fickell or bust.

We’ve reported all along that this search has felt like Luke Fickell or bust. With Saleh declining to meet with MSU officials and Tucker pulling out, that notion continues to loom large. https://t.co/RctdosClS8

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 8, 2020

Fickell now holds all the cards here, as he’s the big name remaining in the search. He has a good gig with Cincinnati, so he can ask for a lot of money and use his leverage to his advantage if he does want to take the job. While it’s been reported that he’s a top target since Mark Dantonio’s departure, he has so far claimed to have no contact with anyone from Michigan State.

Michigan State isn’t a bad job, but the late date of Dantonio’s exit is likely making it hard to get top targets fully interested. If the pursuit of Fickell falls short, the Spartans are likely to stick with interim coach Mike Tressel for at least one season.