MSU was 3-9.
I think all three programs made the wise decision in their respective circumstances. Helfrich was proving to be unable to keep the program on track, falling hard and fast from the heights Chip Kelly had established. The biggest thing was that recruiting was falling short of where the program expected to be. Taggert has come in and given them a real upgrade in recruiting. We will see what he can do on the field.
Helfrich needed to go asap because he was taking a program that had only recently established itself and sinking it. Unlike Helfrich, Brian Kelly has built his own past success and gets another year to see if he can recapture it. The fan But he will have a short leash and will be gone if he can't bring back the 10 win seasons. Probably needs at least 8 this year to keep his job, and if he doesn't, ND isn't competing with LSU or Texas for the top candidate.
Dantonio is tough. On one hand, he has had impressive, consistent success, most recently making the CFP and winning the B1G(sob). On the other hand, there are some massive problems in the program that, to my mind, have been building up for years under poor moral leadership. I think his on the field success bought him one more chance to right the ship, but if they don't get back above .500 AND keep their noses clean, he is a goner.
As far as Texas goes, it was Mack's time to go. He wasn't recruiting like he should, his teams were not competing for national championships. That wasn't a poor decision by a program that should ALWAYS be elite. But they obviously made a mistake in hiring Charlie Strong. I don't think he's a bad coach, but he didn't work there. I think Herman will turn the program around, but if he can't start making the playoff every 2-3 years, he won't last either.
