Mark Dantonio’s retirement was first announced via Twitter.

It was an abrupt and stunning end for Michigan State’s all-time winningest coach.

News of his likely successor was delivered in similar fashion.

At 1:13 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reported Colorado coach Mel Tucker agreed in principle to become the Spartans’ next coach. That was just a little more than 72 hours after Tucker tweeted he was “flattered” by interest from Michigan State but was “committed” to the Buffaloes.

Two moves – an unexpected departure and a seemingly unlikely arrival – happening within a little more than a week of each other.

Tucker reportedly agreeing to terms of a contract doesn’t make it a done deal. Michigan State’s Board of Trustees votes to approve the next coach but a meeting was announced Wednesday morning for 5 p.m. for discussion on a “personnel action.” That’s a pretty clear indication of what’s happening and the votes already being in place.

It could be a highly successful long run, it could be a short-lived failure. That’s the risk in every coaching hire. This process, however, is particularly interesting.

Michigan State reportedly plans to hire Colorado’s Mel Tucker as head coach

Amid speculation about his future, Dantonio on Nov. 19 said he planned on returning for a 14th season leading the program. He collected a $4.3 million bonus for remaining the head coach through Jan. 15 and was back on the road recruiting before changing his mind, stating the inability to commit to being there to see future players through their careers and the desire to spend more time with his family when announcing his retirement on Feb. 4.

Dantonio’s departure came one day after lawyers for Curtis Blackwell, Michigan State’s former recruiting director who is suing Dantonio and others in federal court, alleged potential NCAA violations in court documents. Dantonio said his retirement had “zero” to do with the lawsuit and Michigan State athletic director Bill Beekman said the allegations were “patently false,” but the timing looked bad. And, the timing overall, even without the lawsuit lingering, was far from ideal.

Most coaching searches take place right after the end of a season, not in February when big-time moves have already been made. And retirements are not typically announced less than 24 hours before the start of a new signing period for recruits, as was the case when Dantonio walked away.

The cumulative events put a spotlight on Michigan State and Beekman, whose lone coaching hire in two years on the job is for rowing. He acknowledged feeling the “weight of the Earth” on his shoulders in delivering a replacement for Dantonio and the top choice appeared obvious.

Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell, a former Ohio State player and longtime assistant for the Buckeyes who worked with Dantonio, appeared to be the goal. The pursuit became very public when Beekman was captured stepping off a private plane in Cincinnati on Saturday and then returned to Lansing on Sunday after reportedly interviewing him. That was after Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, Pittsburgh’s Pat Narduzzi and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said they planned on remaining in their current job or reportedly turned down interest from Michigan State.

Meet Mel Tucker, reportedly set to become Michigan State’s next coach

Moving up to a Big Ten program and likely receiving a raise that would likely double his salary could have been enough to sway Fickell, but it wasn’t. He announced his decision to stay at Cincinnati on Monday, citing family and relationships.

With that news, Michigan State’s first major coaching search in the Twitter era turned into a meltdown for many Spartan fans while the Bearcats rejoiced. It carried over to a new week publicly appearing to be headed back to a restart before ending just as abruptly as it was announced.

Tucker, 48, possesses desirable qualities Beekman and Dantonio outlined in finding the next coach. As an Ohio native, he has Midwest ties and can recruit the area. He has first-hand knowledge of the Big Ten and Michigan State after playing at Wisconsin, starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Spartans, and working with Dantonio while with the Buckeyes. Tucker also worked for Nick Saban at three different schools, spent a decade in the NFL and is coming off his first season as a head coach at Colorado, finishing with a 5-7 record.

The resume Tucker has checks off the same boxes as the one Fickell possesses. It appears he wasn’t the first choice but there’s plenty to like about what Tucker would bring to Michigan State, including new blood, which was what the Spartans got the last time a search was conducted.

Dantonio did what few thought was possible when he was hired away from Cincinnati in November 2006 by reviving Michigan State and turning it into a Big Ten power. That included posting a record of 36-5 from 2013-15 while winning a pair of conference titles, notching wins in the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl and earning a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Spartans are just 27-24 in the four seasons since and that resulted in grumbling from part of the fan base looking for a change.

Well, that’s coming. Michigan State is about to enter a new era. It wasn’t one that, a little more than a week ago, wasn’t expected to take place. But it’s here now and it happened quickly.

Related Michigan State football stories:

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Tom Izzo remains confident in Michigan State football’s complicated coaching search

Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell cites family, relationships as reasons for turning down Michigan State