Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio lost his father on Sunday night. Justin Dantonio was 86 years old and died in Zanesville, Ohio.
↵Mark traveled to Zanesville last week while his father underwent a medical procedure, and defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi took over the program while Dantonio was gone. Dantonio will return to Zanesville for his father's funeral, but he will be back in time for Friday's game against Youngstown State.
↵↵↵"Even on the day he passed (Sunday) he said, 'What are you doing here? You need to get back to work,'" Dantonio said. "But that's him. So by coming back last week when he was a little bit stable, I was honoring his wishes. By coming back after he passed, it's very surreal, but I was back doing what he wanted me to do. I'm honoring his memory by doing that."
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Here's more from Dantonio on his late father:
↵↵↵"My father was a great man," Dantonio said. "My father was a guy, you know, who always told me as he told me in the last few days you have to take the good with the bad. And he always told me to complete my circles. In other words finish what you started."
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My thoughts go out to Dantonio and his family.