Fickell Says He's Had Contact With Dantonio – But Focused On Cincy

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Luke Fickell -- the favorite to replace Mark Dantonio at Michigan State -- raised some eyebrows Wednesday when he acknowledged he's had contact recently with his would-be predecessor. 

The nature of those conversations aren't clear, but it sounds like the early groundwork may have been laid for Fickell to make the move from Cincinnati to East Lansing.  

“Obviously I am very good friends with Mark Dantonio. I’ve stayed in contact with him," Fickell told ESPN Radio on National Signing Day, via 247 Sports. "I have not communicated with anybody except Mark Dantonio in the last three to four weeks from Michigan State. I haven’t been thinking about it, haven’t been focused on it."

According to the Free Press, Michigan State plans to have a coach in place before the Board of Trustees meets on Valentines Day. Dantonio intimated at his retirement press conference Tuesday that he'll have a hand in the process. 

Along with Fickell, MSU is said to be considering Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi. Fickell, who's led Cincinnati to back-to-back 11-win seasons, remains the frontrunner. 

He acknowledged some of his signees reached out to him Wednesday in the wake of the MSU rumors. 

"I said, ‘Hey, we’re going to finish this thing up. What we discussed in recruiting hasn’t changed one bit,'" Fickell said. "I’ve talked to nobody. I don’t know what’s going on and all I can tell you is what I know. Every one of our guys that has called, I’ve talked with. I think they trust and believe in what it is I’m (saying) and what it is what we’re doing.”

The top-rated player in the Bearcats' class, quarterback Evan Prater, did suggest Wednesday that Fickell's future at UC is unclear, based off intel from the team's quarterbacks coach. 

“Coach Gino texted my mom and said take a deep breath. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do," Prater told Cincinnati.com. "Everybody’s waiting for that moment for the news to break. We’ll see where it goes from there." 

Fickell said he was surprised that Dantonio stepped down, and noted Dantonio's been a confidant for him during the course of his career. 

"Every time I have something going on, (if) there’s one guy who I bounce things off of, it’s him. It was a bit of a shock and how it all happened and as quick as it did," said Fickell. 

As for the other candidates, Narduzzi, who served as defensive coordinator under Dantonio for eight years, told reporters Wednesday he has no plans to leave Pitt. 

“The rumors, squash them, whatever you want call it. I said I got decisions to make, too, and I’m here at Pitt. I want to be here at Pitt, and that’s where I’m gonna be," he said. "Pretty simple." 

Shurmer, who's been in the NFL since 1999, and Saleh, one of the league's rising coaches, are likely longshots for the job. Both are Dearborn natives who once served as assistants at Michigan State.