SPARTAN COACHING STAFF
PAT NARDUZZI DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR FIFTH SEASON
In his fifth season as defensive coordinator, Pat Narduzzi’s unit in 2011 is having its best showing since his arrival in East Lansing.
Dan Roushar is in his fifth year on the staff at Michigan State and his first as offensive coordinator. He also coaches the tight ends.
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in rushing defense (104.3 yards per game), total defense (272.7 ypg.), sacks (41), interceptions (16) and third-down defense (.337). In addition, the Spartans rank among the conference leaders in passing efficiency defense (second with a 110.4 rating), turnover margin (second at +0.54 per game), takeaways (third with 22), redzone defense (third at .771), passing defense (fourth at 168.4 ypg.) and scoring defense (fourth at 17.5 points per game).
A 27-year coaching veteran, this marks the fifth time that Roushar has been an offensive coordinator in his career. Roushar most recently served as offensive coordinator at Illinois during the 2004 season, and has also directed offenses at Northern Illinois (19982002), Ball State (1994) and Butler (1989-92).
MSU also ranks among the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Top 25 in seven statistical categories: fourth in sacks, fifth in total defense, ninth in scoring defense, 10th in pass efficiency defense, 11th in pass defense, 12th in rushing defense and 22nd in turnover margin. The Spartans have held five teams to their season lows in total offense (Florida Atlantic, Central Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana) and on five occasions, MSU has limited their opponent to seven points or less. The foundation of Michigan State’s defense is stopping the run, and Narduzzi’s unit once again proved it could stop the rush in 2011, ranking first in the Big Ten and 12th in the nation, allowing just 104.3 yards per game. Four teams (FAU, CMU, Ohio State, Michigan) have posted their season lows in rushing against the Spartans, and MSU has held six opponents to under-100 yards rushing. MSU will likely finish in the top 30 nationally in rushing defense for the third time in the past five seasons (30th in 2007; 24th in 2009). Every single MSU starter on defense - which featured only two seniors - received All-Big Ten recognition, either on the first team, second team, or honorable mention, establishing a school record. Three players earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, including junior defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, who also garnered consensus first-team All-America accolades. Worthy is the third Spartan to be named an All-American under Narduzzi, joining Jonal Saint-Dic (2007) and Greg Jones (2009-10). Senior safety Trenton Robinson (media), who tied for the Big Ten lead with four interceptions, and junior cornerback Johnny Adams (coaches), who leads MSU with nine passes defended, were also named to the first team. During Narduzzi’s five years at MSU, his players have earned All-Big Ten honors 41 times, including six different first-team selections. In addition to the three first-team selections, eight more Spartan defenders received All-Big Ten recognition on either the second team or honorable mention. Sophomore defensive lineman William Gholston and sophomore safety Isaiah Lewis were named to the second team by the coaches and the media, sophomore linebacker Max Bullough picked up second-team honors from the coaches, and sophomore linebacker Denicos Allen garnered second-team accolades from the media. Sophomore cornerback Darqueze Dennard, junior linebacker Chris Norman, senior defensive tackle Kevin Pickelman and red-shirt freshman defensive lineman Marcus Rush all earned honorable mention. For the second year in a row, Narduzzi was named the National Coordinator of the Week by Rivals.com following Michigan State’s victory over Michigan. The Spartans held Michigan to season lows in total offense (250 yards), rushing (82 yards) and points (14) in 2011. For Narduzzi’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
Under Roushar’s direction, Michigan State’s offense this season has been one of the highest scoring in school history. The Spartans are averaging 30.8 DAN ROUSHAR OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/ points per game, good for third in the Big Ten and currently the ninth-highest average in an MSU TIGHT ENDS season, and could set a single-season record for FIFTH SEASON most points scored. MSU has put up 401 points on the scoreboard this season - third most in the 115 years of Spartan football - and are 29 points away from tying the record of 430 set in 2007. The passing game, ranked second in the Big Ten, is led by fifth-year senior Kirk Cousins, who is the winningest quarterback in school history. In his final season wearing the Green and White, Cousins is having his best year, setting an MSU record with 24 passing TDs while throwing for a career-high 3,016 yards. Cousins is also the school-record holder for career touchdown passes (65), pass completions (696), completion percentage (.646) and passing efficiency (148.3 rating). Senior wide receiver B.J. Cunningham, a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media, has also set school records this season, becoming the program’s all-time leader in receptions (211) and receiving yards (3,020). Cunningham has had more 100-yard receiving games this season (8) than any Spartan in history and is just eight catches away from tying the single-season MSU record. A total of seven Spartans on offense received All-Big Ten recognition, including senior left guard Joel Foreman (first team), who became the first MSU offensive lineman to garner first-team all-conference honors since 2004. Cousins (coaches), Cunningham (coaches and media) and senior tight end Brian Linthicum (coaches) garnered secondteam accolades, while senior wide receiver Keshawn Martin, junior right guard Chris McDonald and sophomore running back Le’Veon Bell earned honorable mention. Linthicum leads all Spartan tight ends with 24 catches for 249 yards, sophomore Dion Sims ranks third on the team with three touchdown receptions, and fifth-year senior Garrett Celek has proven all season long to be one of the team’s leading blockers. In his four seasons coaching the offensive line at Michigan State (2007-10), Roushar’s linemen earned All-Big Ten recognition on eight occasions. Roushar arrived in East Lansing after serving as offensive line coach under Dantonio at Cincinnati for two seasons (2005-06). Prior to joining the Cincinnati coaching staff, he worked with the running backs at Illinois for two seasons (2003-04), adding the duties of offensive coordinator in 2004. Roushar spent six years as offensive line coach at Northern Illinois (1997-2002), where he also served as the offensive coordinator for the final five seasons. Roushar also has made coaching stops at Butler (1986-92), Rhode Island (1993) and Ball State (1994), where he also served as offensive coordinator. For Roushar’s complete bio, please visit msuspartans.com.
THE ROUSHAR FILE
THE NARDUZZI FILE YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Fifth. Joined staff on Dec. 6, 2006, from Cincinnati. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College - Graduate assistant coach (199091) and receivers coach (1992) at Miami-Ohio; linebackers (1993-97) and defensive coordinator (1998-99) at Rhode Island; linebackers coach at Northern Illinois (200002); defensive coordinator at Miami-Ohio (2003); defensive coordinator at Cincinnati (2004-06). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in physical education from Rhode Island in 1990; master’s degree in sports psychology from Miami-Ohio in 1992.
YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Fifth. Joined staff on Nov. 30, 2006, from Cincinnati. PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College – Offensive backfield coach (1986-88) and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach (1989-92) at Butler; offensive line coach at Rhode Island (1993); offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Ball State (1994); quarterbacks coach (1995) and offensive tackle/tight ends coach (1996) at Illinois; offensive line coach (1997) and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach (1998-2002) at Northern Illinois; running backs coach (2003) and offensive coordinator/running backs coach (2004) at Illinois; offensive line coach at Cincinnati (2005-06). EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in physical education from Northern Illinois in 1984.
PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College - Three-year starter at linebacker at Rhode Island (1987-89); one year at linebacker at Youngstown State (1985).
PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – Two-year letterwinner as a quarterback at Northern Illinois (1981-82).
POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach - 2003 GMAC Bowl, 2004 Fort Worth Bowl, 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl.
POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach – 1988 NCAA Division II Playoffs, 1991 NCAA Division II Playoffs, 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl.
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