OFFICIAL: The Jim Harbaugh vs. Mark Dantonio saga continues

In 2019, it appeared as if the Jim Harbaugh vs. Mark Dantonio saga of the Michigan football-Michigan State Spartans rivalry was over. Harbaugh is currently 3-2 against the Spartan legend, most recently winning in 2019 by 34 points ahead of Dantonio’s retirement. That said, with Mel Tucker all but out in East Lansing, the Harbaugh-Dantonio series is set to continue this year — we reported that Dantonio was rejoining the MSU football program, but it has now been made official that the ex-Spartan head coach will be an associate head coach for Michigan State throughout the remainder of the 2023 season.

The Jim Harbaugh vs. Mark Dantonio saga continues for Michigan football

Mark Dantonio had a rough exit at Michigan State despite his many years of success with the Green and White. After winning the Big Ten title and appearing in the College Football Playoff in 2015, Dantonio went 3-9 in 2016, 10-3 in 2017, and 7-6 in consecutive seasons (2018-19) before stepping down from his long-time role. Now, Dantonio — who is arguably Michigan State’s best coach of all time — will be returning to the sidelines in East Lansing as associate head coach.

Per reports from Chris Solari, Michigan State’s athletic director has already informed the team that Mark Dantonio will be associate head coach alongside interim head coach Harlon Barnett. This is all due to Mel Tucker being suspended amidst a sexual harassment investigation, which is said to stretch as far back as March of this year.

Dantonio has a 114-57 overall record with the Michigan State Spartans, including numerous Big Ten titles and wins over Michigan football. His most recent win over Jim Harbaugh was at the Big House during the infamous 2017 monsoon game, which the Spartans narrowly won.

Since leaving MSU, the Michigan football vs. Michigan State rivalry has changed quite a bit — this year, Jim Harbaugh and Mark Dantonio will take the field against one another for the first time in four years. This year’s game will be in East Lansing on October 21st for a night game at Spartan Stadium; regardless of records, it is bound to be an electric matchup.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!