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| | Friday, December 3 | |||||
| EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State assistant Bobby
Williams is a popular choice to step in for Nick Saban and coach
the Spartans in the Florida Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1.
Williams was a running backs coach for 10 years until he was
promoted to assistant head coach this season by Saban, who left
Michigan State on Tuesday to coach at LSU.
When acting athletics director Clarence Underwood told the team Williams would coach them in the Citrus Bowl, there was a loud ovation. "This is a great opportunity for me," Williams told the team. "It's a game I want to commit to win, not for me, for you. Everything from this point on is moving forward. We're going to get it done." Defensive back Amp Campbell told the team: "We've got to show our character right now. I want to be 10-2." Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo made an appearance at the team meeting, too. "Who's kidding who? The players play the game," Izzo said. "It's your players who will make the difference." Michigan State president Peter McPherson was out of town and had no comment Tuesday on Saban, said university spokesman Terry Denbow."This was an opportunity for Nick and his family, both professional and personal, and we wish him the best of luck at LSU," Denbow said. He said Michigan State conducted "absolutely no bidding war" in order to keep Saban.As far as a successor, Denbow said Michigan State will "get the best person for this position at this time." He said there was no timetable for picking a new coach but said the school will make its choice "in a relatively short period of time." "We're not operating under the gun. We'll do it expeditiously, but not hurriedly or recklessly," Denbow said.Saban had a 34-24-1 record at Michigan State. He also was a defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns for four seasons and the secondary coach for the Houston Oilers for two years. | ALSO SEE Saban a hit for LSU, a miss for Florida Citrus Bowl
Michigan St. reaction to Saban departure varies
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