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Andre Rison Returns To Michigan State As Receivers Coach

Andre Rison will be joining the Michigan State Spartans as a student assistant coach this fall when he returns to the university to complete his degree in communications.

By Matt Brigidi
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On Friday afternoon, the Michigan media outlet MLive.com reported that former NFL star and Michigan State Spartan standout Andre Rison would be returning to MSU in the form of a student assistant coach while he returns to the university to finish his communication arts degree.

Rison hopes to return to Michigan State to take classes this summer and is around 30 credits shy of finishing his degree. He cited fatigue and a busy schedule as to why he failed to complete his degree in 1988, but a commitment to his family has motivated him to finish the program now. Via MLive:

"I promised my mother, father and grandparents that I would go back and finish my degree one day," Rison said. "This will also enable me to be part of the coaching staff at Michigan State and I am very thankful to (head coach) Mark Dantonio for giving me the opportunity. I've always been close to the Michigan State program and have wanted to give back by coaching for a long time."

In addition to the academic benefits, Rison believes he can help guide the Spartans' receivers to achieve greatness:

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me and I know I'll be able to help Michigan State's receivers better their game," said Rison, who spent the last two seasons as the coach of his alma mater, Flint Northwestern High School. "I have a lot of experiences in college, the NFL and through my coaching that I can pass along. I am really looking forward to coaching with Mark Dantonio because he cares about the right things, the fundamentals of the game."

Rison still remains one of Michigan State's greatest receivers, sitting second on the college's all-time list with 2,992 receiving yards and third with 146 receptions. He won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 1996 and was a five-time Pro Bowler.

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