Michigan State football: A name to consider at head coach: LSU DC Matt House
A little more than a week ago, USA TODAY released a story outlining the sexual harassment allegations made against then Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker.
Now, Tucker has been placed on an unpaid suspension, and, as Lansing State Journal’s Graham Couch speculates, has potentially coached his last game in East Lansing.
Given the circumstances, many Spartan fans and local media members have started speculating who the next leader of the MSU football program could be. Spartans Wire made a list of 20 potential candidates, outlining who could be available.
One name not on the list but who could be a strong candidate is LSU defensive coordinator Matt House. He has not been talked about very much, but he has ties to MSU.
Below, we look at House and what makes him an appealing candidate:
Who is Matt House?
Name: Matt House
Age: 44
Hometown: Harrison, Michigan
Alma mater: Michigan State (2000)
Scheme: Multiple: 3-4 and 4-3
Resume
House has deep experience at the power conference and NFL levels.
2001-02: Michigan State – Graduate Assistant
2003-04: North Carolina – Defensive Assistant
2005: Gardner-Webb – Defensive Line
2006-07: Buffalo – Defensive Backs, Recruiting Coordinator
2008: Carolina Panthers – Special Teams Assistant
2009-11: St. Louis Rams – Quality Control Coach, Defensive Assistant Linebackers Coach
2012-14: Pittsburgh – Secondary Coach (2012); Defensive Coordinator (2013-14)
2015: Florida International – Defensive Coordinator
2016-18: Kentucky – Inside linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator (2016); Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers (2017-18)
2019-21: Kansas City Chiefs – Linebackers
2022-present: LSU – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Stats as DC
House has had a successful run as a defensive coordinator everywhere he has gone. Here is a breakdown of how his defenses ranked in the NCAA (total defense – yards per game allowed):
2013: Pitt – 33rd
2014: Pitt – 34th
2015: FIU – 74th
2017: Kentucky – 91st
2018: Kentucky – 23rd (6th in scoring defense)
2022: LSU – 41st
Analysis
Ultimately, hiring House would give the “best of both worlds” to Michigan State fans. While he is an alumni of Michigan State, he has been away from the program since 2002, meaning it still feels like a fresh new hire. Many Spartan fans on Twitter/X have voiced the desire to go outside the family for this hire, but I believe that House can provide both sides of that coin while allowing a Spartan to take over the program.
House has had solid defenses everywhere he has gone, leading Pitt to back-to-back top 35 defenses, improving Kentucky from 91st total defense in 2017 to 23rd in 2018 while being sixth in scoring defense. Now, LSU is a top-40 defense in the country. Furthermore, he played an integral role with the Kansas City Chiefs defense from 2019-2021, leading to a Super Bowl win. There is no questioning his ability to coach up a good defense.
This would be a solid hire for MSU, bringing home a Spartan who is ready to get the chance to take his over his own program.
