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.”

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.