Dantonio names four assistant football coaches

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State first-year head coach Mark Dantonio announced Thursday he has filled four positions on his coaching staff. Joining Dantonio in the move from Cincinnati to MSU are offensive coordinator Don Treadwell, defensive line coach Ted Gill, offensive line coach Dan Roushar and tight ends/tackles coach and recruiting coordinator Mark Staten.

"Staff continuity is important anytime you change managers," Coach Dantonio said. "Obviously, I have a lot of loyalty to my coaches from Cincinnati, but that's not the only reason why those guys are here. These coaches also produced positive results at Cincinnati, both on and off the field.

"These guys not only know the terminology; they know the system. And we have a system for everything we do – from recruiting to discipline, from academics to player management. These coaches know the system and the reason behind everything that we do, both on and off the playing field. For me, the key ingredients in our system are: unity, passion and energy."

Here's a look at the four new members of the Spartan coaching staff:

Don Treadwell:

Treadwell, who recently completed his 23rd season as a coach, has been an offensive coordinator at four schools, including the past three years on Coach Dantonio's staff at Cincinnati. Along with Dantonio, he also has experience in East Lansing, serving as the Spartan receivers coach from 2000-02.

Upon becoming Cincinnati's offensive coordinator in 2004, he put together a balanced offense that produced a 2,500-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver, while topping the 2,000-yard mark in both rushing (2,201) and passing (2,666), only the second time that feat had been accomplished in UC history. Working with the wide receivers, Treadwell tutored Hannibal Thomas, who compiled the fourth 1,000-yard receiving season by a Bearcat while earning all-conference honors. In addition, quarterback Gino Guidugli threw for 2,633 yards, the fifth-best single-season total in Bearcat history, while ranking 15th in the nation in passing efficiency (146.48 rating). Overall, Cincinnati ranked 30th in the country in total offense, averaging 405.6 yards a game. This season, Treadwell has mentored two quarterbacks in Dustin Grutza and Nick Davila. Grutza ranks among the national leaders in passing efficiency (123.86 rating) and total offense (168.09), while Davila orchestrated the offense in Cincinnati's 30-11 upset over then-No. 7 Rutgers on Nov. 18 as he completed 11 of 15 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown. In the victory over Rutgers, the Bearcats accumulated 402 yards of total offense.

Prior to Cincinnati, Treadwell served as offensive coordinator at Ball State in 2003, where he helped develop the Cardinal offense to school records for passing yards and passing TDs. During his three seasons at Michigan State, he tutored several top receivers, including Charles Rogers, the 2002 Biletnikoff Award winner and the No. 2 pick of the 2003 NFL Draft. Under Treadwell's tutelage, Rogers set MSU single-season receiving records in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions, and left MSU as the second all-time receiver in school history with 2,821 yards in just two seasons. In 2001, Treadwell coached one of the nation's top receiving duos in Rogers and Herb Haygood, who combined for 124 receptions, 2,278 yards and 18 touchdowns. Haygood was selected by Denver in the fifth round (No. 144 overall) in the 2002 NFL Draft.

Treadwell came to Michigan State following one season at North Carolina State, where he coached the running backs in 1999. The Oberlin, Ohio, native previously spent two years at Boston College where he served as the co-offensive coordinator while also working with the quarterbacks and wide receivers. Treadwell coached running backs under Tyrone Willingham at Stanford from 1995-96. He directed a Cardinal rushing attack that racked up 1,819 yards in 1995 - the ninth-best single-season total in school history.

His full-time coaching credits also include one season as a wide receivers coach at Cincinnati (1994), a two-year stay with his alma mater, Miami (Ohio) (1992-93), and a five-year stint with Youngstown State (1986-91). Treadwell spent all of those seasons at Youngstown State under former head coach and current Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel, along with Coach Dantonio, who served as YSU's defensive coordinator from 1986-90. Treadwell worked with the wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks at Youngstown State, and while serving as the offensive coordinator in 1991, he helped guide the Penguins to the NCAA I-AA National Championship. He also participated in the NFL's Minority Coaching Fellowship Program in 1989-90, working with the San Francisco 49ers.

"Don Treadwell and I first worked together at Youngstown State in 1986," Coach Dantonio said. "Don has a wealth of knowledge and experience, and he's done an outstanding job everywhere he's been. He's a tremendous family man, who'll have a positive impact on our players both on and off the field.

"In addition to his duties as offensive coordinator, Don will coach either the receivers or running backs, depending on our final hire on the offensive side of the ball."

Ted Gill:

Gill has 32 years of coaching experience and has spent the last four seasons as the defensive line coach for Cincinnati. The Bearcat defensive line rewrote the school record books after Gill arrived in 2003. During his tenure, Antwan Peek set season and career records for sacks as well as the career mark for tackles for loss before earning All-Rookie honors in the NFL with the Houston Texans. Trent Cole and Andre Frazier finished second in career tackles for loss and sacks, respectively. Three lineman from the 2004 team, Cole (fifth-round pick by Philadelphia) , Frazier (free agent, Pittsburgh) and Mike Wright (free agent, New England), advanced their careers in the NFL. Another protege, Adam Roberts, was the star of the 2005 defensive line, ultimately earning a berth in a postseason all-star game. This season, Gill's unit helped the Bearcats to the No. 27 rushing defense in the country.

Gill's resume includes stops at almost every level of football. He coached in the professional ranks with the Carolina Panthers of the NFL (1996-98), the Los Angeles Extreme of the XFL (2001) and the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL (2002).

His collegiate career includes four seasons as defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Ball State (1978-81), where he built a defense that led the nation in scoring defense in 1978, helping Ball State to a 10-1 overall record and the Mid-American Conference title.

Gill began his coaching career as offensive line coach at Utah (1974-76), and has also coached at New Mexico State (1977), Cornell (1982), Army (1983), North Carolina (1984-87) and Rice (1988-89). He moved on to Iowa in 1990, working with the defensive line for Hawkeye teams that made three bowl appearances, including the 1991 Rose Bowl. He left Iowa in 1995 to become defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State for one season.

"One of Ted Gill's greatest assets is his experience," Dantonio said. "He has experienced success at both the collegiate level and in the National Football League. Ted helped Iowa win its share of Big Ten games and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl while serving as an assistant coach under Hayden Fry in the early 1990s. He worked with Dom Capers at the Carolina Panthers and coached in the NFC Championship Game.

"When I took over as head coach at Cincinnati in 2004, Ted was the only assistant I retained from the previous coaching staff. He develops a great relationship with his players because of his leadership and direction."

Dan Roushar:

Roushar arrives in East Lansing after serving as offensive line coach under Coach Dantonio at Cincinnati the past two seasons. He has coached a multitude of positions in his 23 seasons as a coach.

He went to Cincinnati in 2005 after spending the previous two seasons at Illinois. Roushar served as the Illini running backs coach in 2003 and added the duties of offensive coordinator in 2004. Roushar was the offensive coordinator for the final five years of his six-year coaching stint at Northern Illinois (1997-2002), where he also tutored the offensive line. During his tenure at NIU, the Huskies set school marks for total yards and produced four 1,000-yard rushers.

A two-year letterman as a quarterback at Northern Illinois under Hall of Fame coach Bill Mallory, Roushar launched his coaching career at his alma mater as a student assistant in 1984 while completing his bachelor's degree. Roushar spent seven seasons at Butler, the first three (1986-88) as offensive backfield coach and the final four (1989-92) as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. The Bulldogs won five conference titles and made two Division II playoff appearances during his tenure.

Roushar has also made coaching stops at Rhode Island (1993) and Ball State (1994). He served two years at Illinois as quarterbacks coach (1995) and offensive tackles and tight ends coach (1996).

"Dan Roushar coached the offensive line at Cincinnati for the past two seasons, and he really helped develop toughness in that unit," Dantonio said. "He's a tremendous offensive line coach because he's such a meticulous teacher. He has a great rapport with his players because he pushes and challenges them to reach their full potential.

"Dan has great knowledge of the game, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for three different programs. He's also quite familiar with the Big Ten, with two coaching stints at Illinois."

Mark Staten:

Staten brings a mix of professional playing experience with a solid coaching background. He landed his first full-time assistant position on Coach Dantonio's staff in Cincinnati in 2004, and made an immediate impact working both as a tight ends coach and the program's recruiting coordinator. Brent Celek set a UC record for touchdown receptions by a tight end with eight en route to earning second-team All-Conference USA honors, while Anthony Hoke earned C-USA All-Freshman honors.

Staten expanded his role to include coaching the offensive tackles in addition to his tight end duties in 2005. The tight end position continued to play a key role in the passing game, with Celek finishing second on the team in both receptions (32) and receiving yards (361). Two more products of the recruiting efforts, Mike Mickens and Corey Smith, earned Freshman All-America honors.

The previous two seasons Staten served on the Ohio State staff, where he contributed to the Buckeyes' 2002 National Championship. As the offensive graduate assistant, Staten worked with the offensive lineman, tight ends and long snappers.

A four-year starter at defensive tackle at Miami (Ohio), Staten earned All-Mid-American Conference honors as a senior. He made the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad as a free agent in 1993 and was a member of the New England Patriots for the end of the 1993 season and in 1994. Staten was drafted by the Barcelona Dragons of the World Football League in 1995, but sustained a career-ending knee injury.

Staten started his coaching career in 1999 as an assistant coach at Crespi Carmelite High in Encino, Calif. He returned to Miami (Ohio) in 2000 as a student assistant coach and was promoted to graduate assistant in 2001. Staten coordinated on-campus recruiting arrangements while he was at Miami (Ohio) and Ohio State, and he oversaw junior college recruiting efforts by the Buckeyes. He earned his bachelor's degree at Miami (Ohio) in 2001.

"Mark Staten is a Michigander, so this is his homecoming," Dantonio said. "I gave Mark his first full-time job at Cincinnati and I've been so impressed by work ethic. He's a tireless worker with great energy. Mark is not only a talented position coach, but also an outstanding recruiter because of his people skills. He really has a bright future in this profession."

ASSISTANT COACHES AT A GLANCE

THE TREADWELL FILE:

PERSONAL DATA:

Born June 10, 1960. Family: wife Lola; daughter Whitney (20), sons Blake (15) and Spencer (13).

PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE:

College - Quarterbacks, receivers, running backs coach and offensive coordinator at Youngstown State (1986-91); running backs and receivers coach at Miami (Ohio) (1992-93); receivers coach at Cincinnati (1994); running backs coach at Stanford (1995-96); co-offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and receivers coach at Boston College (1997-98); running backs coach at North Carolina State (1999); receivers coach at Michigan State (2000-02); receivers, offensive coordinator at Ball State (2003); offensive coordinator at Cincinnati (2004-06).

EDUCATION:

Bachelor's degree in physical education from Miami (Ohio) in 1982.

PLAYING EXPERIENCE:

College - Four-year starter as a wide receiver at Miami (Ohio) (1978-81) and named captain as a senior.

BOWL/POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE:

Coach - 1987 NCAA I-AA Playoffs, 1989 NCAA I-AA Playoffs, 1990 NCAA I-AA Playoffs, 1991 NCAA I-AA champions, 1995 Liberty, 1996 Sun, 2000 Florida Citrus, 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic, 2004 Fort Worth Bowl.

THE GILL FILE:

PERSONAL DATA:

Born Oct. 3, 1948. Family: wife Pamela; son John (25), daughters Libby (30), Nikki (28), Seneca (27), Erica (22) and Tracy (21).

PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE:

College - Graduate assistant coach at Idaho State (1971-73); offensive line at Utah (1974-76); defensive line at New Mexico State (1977); defensive line/coordinator at Ball State (1978-81); defensive coordinator at Cornell (1982); defensive line and linebackers at Army (1983); defensive line and linebackers at North Carolina (1984-87); defensive line at Rice (1988-89); defensive line and linebackers at Iowa (1990-94); defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State (1995); defensive line at Cincinnati (2003-06). Pro - Defensive line at Carolina Panthers-NFL (1996-98); defensive line at Los Angeles Extreme-XFL (2001); defensive coordinator at Montreal Alouettes-CFL (2002).

EDUCATION:

Bachelor's degree in education from Idaho State in 1973.

PLAYING EXPERIENCE:

College - Two-year letterwinner as a linebacker and nose tackle at Idaho State (1968-69).

BOWL/POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE:

Coach - 1986 Aloha, 1991 Rose, 1991 Holiday, 1993 Alamo, 2004 Fort Worth.

THE ROUSHAR FILE:

PERSONAL DATA:

Born Sept. 27, 1960. Family: wife Patti; daughters Marissa (8), Mallory (7), Maura (3) and son Danny (1).

PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE:

College - Offensive backfield (1986-88) and offensive coordinator/offensive line (1989-92) at Butler; offensive line at Rhode Island (1993); offensive coordinator/quarterbacks at Ball State (1994); quarterbacks (1995) and offensive tackle/tight ends (1996) at Illinois; offensive line (1997) and offensive coordinator/offensive line (1998-2002) at Northern Illinois; running backs (2003) and offensive coordinator/running backs (2004) at Illinois; offensive line at Cincinnati (2005-06).

EDUCATION:

Bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois in 1984.

PLAYING EXPERIENCE:

College - Two-year letterwinner as a quarterback at Northern Illinois (1981-82).

BOWL/POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE:

Coach - 1988 NCAA Division II Playoffs, 1991 NCAA Division II Playoffs.

THE STATEN FILE:

PERSONAL DATA:

Born Oct. 8, 1970. Family: wife Dana; son Quinn (1).

PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE:

College - Graduate assistant coach at Miami (Ohio) (2000); graduate assistant coach at Ohio State (2002-03); tight ends/tackles and recruiting coordinator at Cincinnati (2004-06).

EDUCATION:

Bachelor's degree from Miami (Ohio) in 2001.

PLAYING EXPERIENCE:

College - Four-year starter as a defensive tackle at Miami (Ohio) (1989-92).

BOWL/POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE:

Graduate Assistant Coach - 2003 Fiesta, 2004 Fiesta, 2004 Fort Worth.