Saints hire Roushar as RB coach
The New Orleans Saints' gain is Michigan State's loss.
Michigan State announced Saturday that offensive coordinator Dan Roushar has left the school to become the Saints' running backs coach.
"The New Orleans Saints and Michigan State are built on similar models, with a focus on character and people," Roushar said in a statement. "New Orleans has won a Super Bowl, and over the last five years, the Saints have been one of the winningest organizations in the NFL.
The Saints also announced Roushar's hiring as well as moving Bret Ingalls over as the offensive line coach. He had coached New Orleans' running back since 2009.
Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said in a statement that he was "thrilled for Dan and his family, and we wish him nothing but the best in the NFL."
"I've had an opportunity to work for Mark Dantonio -- in my opinion, the best college football coach in America -- for the last eight years, including the last six seasons at Michigan State," Roushar said. "Now, I have an opportunity to work for arguably the best coach in the NFL, in Sean Payton. Professionally, this is an opportunity I simply couldn't pass up. Now as a running backs coach, I have the chance to learn the interworking of the NFL."
Roushar was with Michigan State since 2007. He worked his way up from an offensive line coach to offensive coordinator in 2011. He has worked in the college ranks for 28 years.
Prior to coming to the Saints, Ingalls was also a longtime coach in college, most recently at Northwestern. Much of his experience involved coaching the offensive line. Ingalls and Payton worked together at San Diego State in 1989.
