Five additional coaching candidates if Michigan State football makes a head coach change

There is a growing sentiment around the Michigan State football program, a shared feeling that Jonathan Smith is most likely coaching his final games as the head man of the Spartans. After an embarrassing blowout loss against UCLA, Smith has ultimately lost this fan base's trust, and it isn't likely that he is going to get it back.

While it never seemed like Smith would fail to make it through his second year, that is the reality new athletic director J Batt is going to have to live through.

Obviously, a move has not been made to fire Smith just yet, and there still may be an avenue for Smith to save his job, but things are most certainly trending in that direction.

On Saturday, Spartans Wire released ten names that we believe could be in contention as possible candidates for a Michigan State vacancy. After analyzing the list further, it is not out of the realm of possibility that those ten names could be a touch overzealous.

While I will maintain that the ten names on the first edition of the list all warrant a call, gauging their interest, and should be pursued if there is any interest, but here, I will name five different options that could seem more realistic for the Spartans.

Jake Dickert (Wake Forest HC)

A name that was featured on almost every coaching candidate list in 2023, Jake Dickert still has some very attractive qualities that would excite the Spartans.

A Wisconsin native, Dickert was previously the head coach at Washington State, where he compiled a 23-20 record in four years with the Cougars. Now, he has taken over at Wake Forest, where he currently sits at 4-2. More impressively, he did not have a first year fall off at a program that went 4-8 a year ago and lost over 30 players to the transfer portal.

Point blank, since taking the step to head coach in his career, Dickert has shown success and is on the rise in the coaching market.

Bob Chesney (James Madison HC)

Indiana struck gold when they hired Curt Cignetti away from James Madison, and the Dukes might just have another superstar leading their program. Bob Chesney is a 44-year-old that has been a winner everywhere he has coached.

A Kulpmont (PA) native, Chesney has been a head coach since 2010 for Salve Regina, Assumption, Holy Cross and James Madison. He has put together a 125-51 record to date. Chesney has quite literally gone from division three, to division two, to the FCS and now the FBS G5 level. He has been a winner at every stop, and it is lining up for his next stop to be at the power conference level, where the odds say he will continue to succeed.

One last point to note, after taking over for Cignetti, Chesney led the Dukes to a 9-4 season a year ago and has the team at 5-1 this year. This is impressive considering Cignetti gutted the program, taking over a dozen players with him to Indiana.

All in all, Chesney is a winner, and he will make the next program that hires him very happy.

Chris Klieman (Kansas State HC)

Tensions are rising in Manhattan, and I am not really sure why. Chris Klieman has compiled a 51-32 record in seven years at the helm of Kansas State and has made the program a relevant contender in the Big 12.

At 58-years-old, and the rising tension with his current fan base, a change of scenery could make sense for the final stretch of his coaching career.

Why would he be good for MSU? Well, he is the type of guy that is tough as nails, running a no nonsense, blue collar program. If that isn't attractive enough, Klieman has won eight or more games in five of his six years heading into this season. He possesses the blue collar qualities Spartan fans love, while also having tangible results to back it up.

Manny Diaz (Duke HC)

Manny Diaz had interest in this job two years ago, while being a defensive coordinator at Penn State, and there could be some renewed interest now.

After getting fired from Miami following three seasons, compiling a 21-15 record, he has revitalized his head coaching attractiveness at Duke. A 9-4 first season in Durham, Diaz has the Blue Devils at 4-2 this season with eight-plus wins firmly in their sights. Needless to say, Diaz has shown ability to coach at a high level.

A defensive mastermind, the 51-year-old Diaz would bring some fire to East Lansing, if there is some mutual interest between the two parties.

Chuck Martin (Miami-Ohio HC)

An honorary MAC mention, because the top coach in the league is always going to receive consideration. Martin has built Miami (OH) into one of the MAC's best programs.

A Midwest guy through and through, Martin led Grand Valley State to a 74-7 record in six seasons that included two national championships. From there, he went on to be an assistant with Notre Dame for four seasons before arriving in Oxford in 2014.

At Miami, Martin has compiled a 68-70 record that includes two MAC titles. If you take out his 5-19 record during his first two years of a rebuild, he holds a very impressive 63-51 mark, showing sustained success.

He obviously would not be the first choice, but he is a very nice option to have in the back pocket.

HM: Sean Lewis (San Diego State HC)

If Batt wants to make a young, splashy hire, Sean Lewis could be the perfect candidate. A 39-year-old that is considered to be one of the brightest offensive minds in the sport, Lewis is going to be a power conference candidate sooner or later.

A former Wisconsin tight end, Lewis has a ton of Midwest roots. He got his head coaching career started at Kent State, and found success at one of the hardest programs to win at in the nation. After a 2-10 rebuild in his first year, he went 22-21 over the course of his next four years that included an appearance in a MAC title game.

After a one year stint a Colorado's offensive coordinator, Lewis took over San Diego State. A 3-9 rebuild with a freshman quarterback in year one, it seems like Lewis is already turning things around. The Aztecs are 5-1 so far this season.

Lewis appears to have the resume that fits the bill for a Big Ten school, this would only really make sense if San Diego State wins 10 or 11 games this year.

HM: Tony Annese (Ferris State HC)

It has always been crazy to me that Tony Annese never made the jump to the MAC level. Compiling a 138-21 record in 13 seasons with Ferris State, including winning three out of the last four national championships, Annese is a superstar.

While it is almost a near certainty that it will not happen, Annese at MSU could be a really fun marriage for a few years.

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Five additional coaching candidates for Michigan State football