Dantonio steps down as Michigan State HC

Mark Dantonio announced Tuesday that he is stepping down as Michigan State head coach effective immediately.

The 63-year-old said he'll remain with the Spartans' athletic department in a role involving specialized projects. He spent 13 seasons with the team.

"The job has always been a 24/7, 365 day-a-year position," Dantonio said in a statement. "There is no downtime and it is filled with the demands and challenges of managing games, players, coaches, recruits, donors, staff, media, an enthusiastic fan base, and competition at the highest level. I will miss it all but I feel the sacrifices that I have made away from my family must now become my priority."

Dantonio, who was hired in 2007, is the program's all-time leader in wins. He accumulated a 115-57 record overall and three Big Ten titles. He also reached the College Football Playoff in 2015 and won the Rose Bowl in 2014.

After a successful run from 2010 to 2015, Michigan State failed to meet expectations in recent years. Dantonio's squad sported a 27-24 record over its last four seasons.

The announcement comes a day after Dantonio's former recruiting director, Curtis Blackwell, accused the coach of committing NCAA recruiting violations, claiming in a new filing of the ongoing lawsuit that Dantonio violated NCAA rules by bringing him on a recruiting trip to a high-profile recruit's home. The former Spartans staffer also alleged that Dantonio helped arrange employment for the parents of two MSU players.

Dantonio's defense team called the case a "sham." The head coach said later Tuesday the lawsuit had "zero" impact on his decision to step down, per ESPN's Dan Murphy.

The 63-year-old's exit also comes nearly three weeks after he collected a $4.3-million rollover bonus from the school, and a day before National Signing Day.

The front-runner to replace Dantonio is reportedly Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell, sources told Chris Solari of The Detroit Free Press.