Keith Nichol transcript

Ok kids, let's all just step back and take a deep breath.

Keith Nichol is gone, days after he went on camera with me and stated that Michigan State fans had nothing to worry about. I know it hurts, but it's the kid's decision to make.

I've taken some flack from some forum posters on SpartanTailgate...which is very flattering considering that this blog is about two weeks old. Hopefully I'll stir up some more controversy with my future work.

I though that to clear the air and get us all on the same page, I would reprint the transcript of Keith and I's conversation.

Couple things to keep in mind:

1.) I AM NOT DOING THIS TO MAKE KEITH NICHOL LOOK LIKE A LIAR. This interview was conducted before the announcement that Dan Enos would not be retained was made public, and at the time of our talk Keith truly believed what he was saying. Events that transpired in the following days led him to reconsider his stance.

2.) How did I, a lowly reporter who has only interviewed him a couple of times, happen to get 5 good minutes with Keith Nichol? Your guess is as good as mine. I caught him leaving a basketball game, and he agreed to talk to me when I asked. Simple as that. I lobbed some general questions at him and he took it from there. Apparently he didn't notice my jaw hit the floor when he was through talking, but I had the feeling that he was getting pumped up as he spoke. Somehow I ended up with some of the greatest soundbites in the state of Michigan, only to have them dumped on two days later. Such is life.

Anyways, here's what went down at 9pm on Tuesday, November 28 at Lansing Eastern High School:

Terpstra: So you received a visit from Bob Stoops this week, what are your thoughts about him and what did you take away from that visit?

Nichol: Oklahoma has been with me since I committed to MSU, and he just wanted to come down and put his two cents in. He understands the situation, so he's just recruiting, like any other coach would do, that's interested. But he understands the situation, he knows I'm with MSU, so he's just trying to sway me his way. But I'm pretty Michigan State, I'm just gonna take my visit, and that's just to reassure my decision, and I don't think anyone has anything to worry about.

Terpstra: Let's talk a little bit about the visit, you're going there later this week. What do you expect from that? Is it just a courtesy or are you looking for anything in particular?

Nichol: I'm just trying to see what else is out there. I haven't really been outside of the Big 10, besides Notre Dame. So I'm just trying to see what other colleges are like, understand what it's like out there, and get a better feel of what it's like to compare other schools to Michigan State.

Terpstra: State made the big hire with Dantonio. What was the first thing that you thought about when you heard that he was the new coach?

Nichol: I was surprised. I think he is a really nice guy. He recruited me at Cincinnati, and I was excited to hear that I recognized the guy that they brought in.

Terpstra: Do you have any personal feelings about him, anything that during your recruitment you said, 'hey, I kinda like this about this guy'?

Nichol: Yeah, I think he's gonna bring in the right people to do the right job. I'm sure that regardless of any situation that he's gonna help MSU perform well.

Terpstra: So, you've been committed to MSU for a while, now this whole deal with OU is happening...does it feel weird to be recruited again or are you still feeling strong in your decision?

Nichol: Yeah, it kinda feels weird to be recruited, cause I haven't really done it since my junior year, back when I got offers through the mail and stuff like that. It's flattering, it's nice to be recognized like that, but I don't think that a lot of people have anything to be worried about, I'm with Michigan State, and that's where I stand.


Amazing how quickly things can change. Good luck at OU Keith, just make sure not to win any National Championships at the expense of the Wolverines.

Keith Nichol flips his decision...and Spartan Nation flips out

Wow...pretty crazy 48 hours for me.

First off, I trip into one of the biggest stories in Michigan while innocently covering the Lowell girls basketball game for FOX 17. I get a tip that Nichol is there rooting on the girls squad, and I somehow get a one-on-one with him in the hallway after the game. He blows me away by telling me that he is fully committed to MSU and is taking the OU visit more as a fact-finding courtesy visit. FOX 17 takes off with this story, and Bakita plays my full interview w/ Keith Wednesday morning "On The Bench", which is the morning sports-talk show that I produce.

Then the egg comes flying onto my face. Dantonio announces that he will not retain Dave Enos as the quarterbacks coach as MSU. Nichol gets blown away by the OU pitch. And just like they have all season, Spartan fans are left scratching their heads, wondering what the hell happened.

Well this morning I got Paul Konyndyk, who broke the story for Spartan Mag, and Noel Dean (who accompanied Keith Nichol to OU), to come on to the show with Bakita and shed some light on the subject. Here is a summary of what they had to say:

First up was Paul, who is extremely close to the Nichol family and Keith. He got the call from Gary Nichol last night when the news broke of Keith's decomitment. Paul said the decision was based on a couple components-

1.) The announcement that Dan Enos would not be retained was a serious blow, since he was the coach that Keith was closest too on the current staff and was really the last recognizable face left around town since Dantonio moved in. It was thought that Mark D. would keep Enos on staff b/c of their previous relationship at Cincinnati, but that has proved not to be the case.

2.) The loss of Enos was a kicker especially since Keith had already lost the man who originally recruited him, current St. Louis Rams quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier. Paul said that when Coach Nuss left that it "ripped Keith's heart out". Fortunately for State, Enos (who recruited Keith to come to Cincy) showed up and gained the kid's trust. Now Nichol lost his second quarterbacks coach since his recruitment, and has no connection with anyone on Dantonio's staff.

3.) The Oklahoma situation is far superior to that of MSU, and Bob Stoops and his crew were able to convince Keith of this. Paul said that even the most diehard of State fans can realize that especially right now, OU is head and shoulders above them as a program. Also, with Rhett Bomar being kicked off the team, there is a distinct possibility for Keith to contribute right away. At MSU he'd be probably be sitting two years behind Hoyer, suffering through a reclamation project. OU is a program that is expected to be a part of the BCS mix every year. When you stack the two schools against each other, the OU situation is better for a variety of reasons.


I was also able to catch up with Keith's high school football coach, Noel Dean, as he was stuck in the Oklahoma City airport waiting for a flight that could get them back to snowy West Michigan. When he came on the show Coach was candid about the trip and made a couple of interesting points-

1.) Coach Dean reiterated that the loss of both quarterback coaches was a big factor. He also said State fans should give thanks for Tom Izzo. He said that Izzo's visit to the Lowell-Muskegon game and his contact with Keith was the real reason that Nichol was still hanging on to MSU.

2.) Coach also talked a little more in-depth about the pitch OU made. The opportunity is just plain better. He said quote: "...right now there is not a better opportunity in the nation for a true freshmen quarterback".

3.) One thing that Coach Dean brought up that Paul didn't touch too much on was the administration's contact with Keith. After John L. was fired, Coach said there really wasn't anyone looking out for Keith at MSU (and he admitted that it was b/c they are a big institution and didn't have to time), but that during that time period of a coaching search, doubts about his future with the program started to creep into Keith's head. And then came OU knocking at the door. Coach went on to say that if MSU wasn't currently concerned with Nichol, then "...so why shouldn't Keith take some consideration for himself?" He made the point that Keith was not actively looking to get out of his commitment, but he had to listen to Stoops and take the OU visit.


Both Paul and Coach Dean stated that when Keith got on the plane, he considered himself a solid MSU verbal and had no intention of flipping his position. Most of us have no idea what it's like to be recruited to play a sport in college, let alone by one of the top programs in the country. Keith Nichol is just a 17-year old kid trying to make the best choice for himself. The choice wasn't easy, but you have to give the guy credit for having the courage to make a switch to a situation that he feels will be the best for him and his future; no matter what that means for Sparty.

Keith Nichol opens up about his decision

Keith Nichol, the stud quarterback from Lowell High School that's been committed to Michigan State since his junior year, has had it. Had it with the rumors floating around about his supposed departure from the MSU program due to the coaching change, had it various "experts" and radio talk show hosts making conjectures about what he should and shouldn't do. The only person who should know and DOES know is Keith, so I asked him.

As I type this, Nichol is on his way back from an official visit to Oklahoma, the only big-name program of consequence to make a run at Nichol despite his verbal commitment to MSU. A lot has been made about OU's involvement, mainly because State is still trying to pick up the mess left by John L. Smith, and Oklahoma is one of the country's top programs and is led by the highly regarded Bob Stoops.

Lately many State fans have their panties in a bunch over whether Nichol is going to jump ship and head to OU. Seems like a smart football move, but as Keith told me on Tuesday night, it's not a move that he's looking to make.

I managed to catch up with Keith at the Girls Basketball quarterfinals on Tuesday, where he was cheering on the Lowell girls as they beat Lansing Eastern. Since I was working for FOX, I asked if he could chat on camera with me for a couple of minutes, and he graciously agreed.

I expected to hear the same old "I'm happy for the opportunity to visit this school, I'm looking to make my final decision after I've taken all my trips..." recruit speak that I basically get every time I talk to Muskegon's Ronald Johnson (some day I'll get him to say something!). However, something sparked Keith to be candid about his thoughts of the OU visit and his feelings towards his verbal commitment to MSU.

Keith told me that OU has been in contact with him since the beginning, so their interest does not come as a surprise. He was impressed with Bob Stoops, said he made a nice pitch and it was flattering that he made the trip to visit the Nichol household on the first day that the NCAA allows contact with recruits. However, he did not seem overly impressed for a 17-year old kid who had just been visited by a coach who wears a National Championship ring on his finger. He explained that the visit is more of an excursion into Big 12 territory to see how things are done out there. He admitted he really hadn't visited outside of the Big 10, and was going to quote, "re-affirm my decision". He followed that up by saying that MSU fans "don't really have anything to worry about".

I was surprised to hear Nichol lay it out that candidly, but the kid just seems sick of everyone making predictions about what he should/might/will do. At 17 I didn't want anything to do with adults making predictions about my future, and Keith is no different.

Trying to gage his feelings on what has become a bit of a media circus regarding his decision, I asked him if it felt weird to go through the recruitment process again, especially since he's been a verbal for MSU for so long. He admitted that it was a bit weird, but also flattering, and then he finished the interview with this statement: "...you know, I don't think many people have anything to worry about. I'm with Michigan State, and that's where I stand."

For all the reports floating out there about what Keith is going to do...for all the radio show hosts who say their "sources" tell them that he is enamored with Oklahoma...Keith's got one message: I'm with Michigan State.

And as a U of M fan...I couldn't be unhappier.