Michigan State DL coach announces departure from program
Michigan State longtime defensive line coach Ron Burton appears to be moving on from the program. The nine-year Spartans veteran assistant released a statement on Sunday.
Saturday, Michigan State announced the hiring of Brandon Jordan as the program’s pass-rush specialist. While he was expected to have a primary focus on the defensive ends, it was thought Burton would shift into a role with the defensive tackles.
It doesn’t appear that will be the case after all, though.
“First off, I would like to thank Coach Mark Dantonio and Coach Mel Tucker for the opportunity to be the Defensive Line Coach at Michigan State,” Burton wrote. “For nearly a decade I’ve had the privilege to coach some of the finest young men in front of one of college football’s best fan bases.
“As I look for new opportunities I wanted to let you know that East Lansing and Michigan State will always hold a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
— Ron Burton (@CoachRonBurton) January 16, 2022
Burton joined the Michigan State staff in 2013 as the defensive line coach under Dantonio. He was then moved to coach defensive tackles from 2017-19 and was shifted back to defensive line when Tucker took the job in 2020.
Burton has been in the coaching ranks since 1992, when he started as a graduate assistant at North Carolina. He coached and developed some great players along Michigan State’s defensive line during his nine-year run in East Lansing.