Scott Tolonen

Dec 4, 2023 | spartanavenue.com | Scott Tolonen

New head coach Jonathan Smith has quickly put together a top-notch staff. By top-notch, I mean keeping the best position coach (wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins) while replacing everyone else. It has been announced that he is bringing his offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren with him, but his defensive coordinator, Trent Bray, has been named head coach of Oregon State.

Nov 28, 2023 | spartanavenue.com | Scott Tolonen

There’s plenty of excitement surrounding the Michigan State football program with the introduction of new head coach Jonathan Smith. The hire is a calculated risk as he has had success at a school where it’s hard to win, but the West Coast is all he has known throughout his coaching career. While the Spartan culture is new to him, he said he is eager to learn the rich history of the program while implementing his own mantras and philosophies to bring success back to East Lansing.

Nov 26, 2023 | spartanavenue.com | Scott Tolonen

With the Michigan State football season coming to a close, I ask myself if this season went by in five minutes or five years. I remember the preseason was filled with so much optimism and promise, pouring over rosters and schedules and bending over backward to find a pathway to 10 wins. We counted down the hours until kickoff against Central Michigan, only to be stunned in the first quarter.

Nov 20, 2023 | spartanavenue.com | Scott Tolonen

As the year comes to a close, there’s less daylight and what seems like less hours in a day. Of course, I would love to have the time to write three well-researched, full-hearted Michigan State articles but life just didn’t see it that way this week. So, I’ll condense it into one action-packed blog with all the hits.

Nov 16, 2023 | spartanavenue.com | Scott Tolonen

There are so many rumors and names flying around for who the next Michigan State football head coach will be. It has ranged from elite hires like Urban Meyer to disaster hires like Pat Narduzzi, Tony Elliott, Chris Creighton, Harlon Barnett, and Dave Clawson. I’m not as low on Jason Candle as some but still not my top pick. Who is my realistic top pick? It’s a coach who has resurrected a program, coached at a major Power Five program, and could come in relatively cheap.