The highs and lows of Mark Dantonio's career

One of, if not the most successful eras in Michigan State football came to an end Tuesday with Mark Dantonio's surprise retirement.

THE SPARTANS... ARE LOSING OUTFOR NOW... ON THREE-STAR RUNNINGBACK JORDANSIMMONS OUT OF GEORGIA.THE FORMER COMMIT SAID... HEWANTS TO QUOTE 'TAKE SOME TIME'TO WEIGH OUT HIS OPTIONS.AND WHILE DANTONIO EXCEEDED EVENTHE MOST-OPTIMISTIC FAN'SEXPECTATIONS -- THEREWERE SOME BUMPS ALONG THE WAY.FOX 47'S KELLAN BUDDY HAS A LOOKBACK AT SOME OF THE HIGHS ANDLOWS.WHEN MARK DANTONIO WAS HIRED IN2006 MICHIGAN STATE WAS COMINGOFF THE DISASTROUS END OF THEJOHN L.

SMITH ERA.DANTONIO IMMEDIATELY SET GOALS-- BEAT MICHIGAN AND GET BACK TOTHE ROSE BOWL.

HE ACCOMPLISHEDTHE FIRST ONE IN HIS SECONDSEASON WHEN THE SPARTANS GOTTHEIR FIRSTWIN IN MICHIGAN STADIUM IN 18YEARS.M-S-U FINISHED WITH THEIR BESTRECORD SINCE 1999 AND PLAYED INA NEW YEAR'S DAY BOWL.THE PROGRAM'S REPUTATION TOOK AHIT IN LATE 2009 WHEN DANTONIOSUSPENDED EIGHT PLAYERSKICKED TWO OTHERS OFF THE TEAMFOLLOWING AN ASSAULT AT AFRATERNITY GATHERING.THE SHORT-HANDED SPARTANS LOSTTO TEXAS TECH IN THE ALAMO BOWL.ONE OF DANTONIO'S MOST-MEMORABLEWINS CAME IN SEPTEMBER OF 2010WHEN HE CALLED "LITTLE GIANTS"--AN FAKE FIELD GOAL IN OVERTIMETO STUN NOTRE DAME 34-31.

BUTJUST HOURS LATER THE COACHCHECKED HIMSELF INTO A HOSPITALFOR CHEST PAINS.HE HAD A HEART ATTACK AND WASN'TON THE SIDELINES FOR THE NEXTTWO GAMES.DESPITE THAT -- THE TEAM WON ASHARE OF THEIR FIRST BIG TENTITLE IN 20-YEARS.2011 BROUGHT ANOTHER MEMORABLEWIN -- A HAIL MARY TO BEATWISCONSIN ON THE LAST PLAY --AND A CRUSHING DEFEAT TO THESAME TEAM IN THE BIG TENCHAMPIONSHIP GAME.A LATE PENALTY COST THE SPARTANSA TRIP TO THE ROSE BOWL.BUT THEY DID GET THEIR FIRSTBOWL WIN UNDER DANTONIO.THE PROGRAM BROKE THROUGH IN2013 -- MAKING IT TO THEIR FIRSTROSE BOWL IN 25-YEARS WHERETHEY BEAT STANFORD TO FINISHRANKED THIRD IN THE COUNTRY.THAT WAS JUST THE START OF ANINCREDIBLE RUN.THE SPARTANS WENT 11-AND-TWO THENEXT YEAR AND BEAT BAYLOR IN THECOTTON BOWL.THEN IN 2015 THEY PULLED OFF THEMIRACLE AT MICHIGAN -- RETURNINGA BOTCHED PUNT FOR ATOUCHDOWN IN THE FINAL PLAY OFTHE GAME TO WIN 27-23.

THEY WENTON TO WIN THE BIG TEN TITLE ANDA BERTH IN THE COLLEGE FOOTBALLPLAYOFF... WHERE THEYWERE DEFEATED BY EVENTUALNATIONAL CHAMPION ALABAMA.THAT WAS THE HIGH-WATER MARKUNDER DANTONIO.M-S-U WENT THREE-AND-NINE THENEXT YEAR.AND THEN IN 2017 THREE PLAYERSWERE KICKED OFF THE TEAM AFTERTHEY WERE CHARGED WITH SEXUALLYASSAULTING A WOMAN AT A PARTY.JOSHUA KING... DONNIE CORLEY...AND DEMETRIC VANCE EVENTUALLYPLEADED GUILTY TO LESSERCHARGES.A FOURTH PLAYER -- AUSTONROBERTSON PLEADED GUILTY TOSEXUAL ASSAULT IN A SEPARATECASE AND ISCURRENTLY IN PRISON.ROBERTSON HAD A HISTORY OFSEXUAL MISCONDUCT IN HIGHSCHOOL.DANTONIO'S CAREER ENDED WITHBACK-TO-BACK SEVEN-AND-SIXSEASONS.HIS TEAM SENT HIM OFF WITH AVICTORY IN THE PINSTRIPE BOWLLAST DECEMBER.KELLAN BUDDY FOX 47 NEWSA LAWSUIT FILED BY FORMERSTAFFER CURTIS BLACKWELLCLAIMS..

DANTONIOIGNORED THE ADVICE OF AT LEASTONE ASSISTANT COACH..

WHO URGEDHIM NOT TO ALLOW ROBERTSON ON