College Football Playoff

Mark Dantonio served as the head coach at the University of Cincinnati from 2004-06 and Michigan State University from 2007-19, compiling a career record of 132-74. In his 13 seasons at Michigan State, he led the Spartans to 12 bowl games, three Big Ten Conference titles and a berth in the 2015 College Football Playoff. His 114 career wins in East Lansing made him the winningest head coach in Michigan State history, and in 2015, he became the first head coach in Big Ten history to win at least 11 games in five of six seasons. Based on these career accomplishments, Dantonio was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and the Michigan State Ring of Honor in 2024.

Dantonio began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio University before making stops at Purdue, Ohio State (where he served two years under Earle Bruce) and five years on Jim Tressel's staff at Youngstown State. In 1991, he joined Glen Mason's staff at Kansas before Nick Saban became the head coach at Michigan State in 1995 and brought Dantonio on staff. In 2001, Dantonio reunited with Tressel at Ohio State as the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator for three seasons, including a national championship campaign in 2002.

Dantonio grew up in Ohio as an all-state safety before becoming a three-year letterman as a defensive back at the University of South Carolina. He received his bachelor's degree from South Carolina and his master's degree from Ohio University.