Fromer Michigan State football coach Denny Stolz passes away at 89
Many of the former head coaches who roamed the sidelines in East Lansing have names that are familiar to your average Michigan State football fan. Mark Dantonio, Nick Saban, George Perles, Duffy Daugherty and Biggie Munn likely all ring a bell to most Spartan fans.
Even most of the younger members of the fan base are likely familiar with Daugherty, who coached the Spartans for 19 seasons from 1954 to 1972, claiming four national titles in 1955, 1957, 1965 and 1966.
However, another name who the fan base should remember is the man who succeeded the legendary Coach Daugherty. That is Denny Stolz, who passed away this week on May 25 at the age of 89.
Stolz was a Michigan native who was born in Lansing in 1933 and spent much of his life in mid-Michigan. He graduated from Mason High School as a three-sport athlete (football, basketball and baseball) in 1951. He then went on to continue his baseball and football career at Alma College, where he earned all-conference honors as a quarterback in 1954.
After his time at Alma, Stolz began his coaching career at Haslett High school just east of Lansing where he spent eight years on the side lines. Stolz also severed as an assistant coach at Lansing Eastern High School before returned to his alma matar, Alma College, as the head coach in 1965.
Stolz spent six season at Alma, and recorded a record of 35-15, while winning three conference titles and earning one conference Coach of the Year honor in 1967. In 1971, Stolz joined Duffy Daugherty's staff at Michigan State as the program's defensive coordinator. Two years later, Stolz assumed the role of head football coach in East Lansing.
During Stolz's three years as head coach from 1973 to 1975, the Spartans accumulated a record of 19-13-1, including back-to-back seven-win seasons in his final two years. Stolz was winless against Michigan, but his team did notch a victory over rival and No. 7-ranked Notre Dame in his final season.
However, the pinnacle of the Stolz era came the year before in 1974 when the Spartans knocked off No. 1 Ohio State by a final score of 16-13, thanks to an 88-yard touchdown run by fullback Levi Jackson with just 3:17 remaining in the game and a controversial goal-line stand to end the game.
The Spartans would go on to a 7-3-1 record that season, and a final ranking of No. 12 in the Associated Press Poll. Coach Stolz was also named the Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Ironically, the win over Ohio State may have triggered events that led to Stolz's resignation in the spring of 1976. Michigan State was found guilty by the NCAA of over 30 recruiting and fundraising violations, which resulted in a three-year TV and bowl ban. The NCAA placed the blame on Stolz's assistants, but Stolz took responsibility for the violations.
In 1975, the New York Times reported that "The Spartans blame (Ohio State head Coach Woody) Hayes for 'blowing the whistle' on them because of his feeling about the 1974 Michigan State upset."
Following his tenure at Michigan State, Denny Stolz coached at Bowling Green for nine season where he amassed two league titles and two additional Coach of the Year honors.
Stolz finished his career with three seasons at San Diego State. During that time, the Aztecs won their first and only WAC title (in 1986) and Coach Stolz won his fifth Coach of the Year award in four difference conferences.
Denny Stolz was inducted into the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 for his many accomplishments.