During his three years as Michigan State's offensive coordinator, Don Treadwell has put together one of the most explosive offenses in the Big Ten, featuring a balanced attack full of talented playmakers. Treadwell also serves as the wide receivers coach.
A 26-year coaching veteran, Treadwell has been an offensive coordinator at four schools, including three years on Coach Mark Dantonio's staff at Cincinnati (2004-06). Along with Dantonio, he also has experience in East Lansing, serving as the Spartan receivers coach from 2000-02.
Last season, Michigan State featured the No. 2 scoring offense in the Big Ten Conference, averaging nearly 30 points per game (29.7 ppg). The Spartans were also second in the league in passing (269.4 yards per game) and third in total offense (406.2 ypg.).
MSU established a school record with 28 touchdown passes in 2009, and the 3,502 passing yards ranked second in the school record books. The offense also ranked among the best in school history in total offense (5,281 yards, sixth) and points scored (386, third).
Sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins, an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick by the media, finished the regular season ranked among the Top 10 Spartan single-season leaders in passing yards (2,680 - 4th), pass completions (198 - sixth) and touchdown passes (19 - tied for 7th).
MSU's passing game was built around wide receiver Blair White, who was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches. White recorded career highs in receptions (70), touchdown catches (9) and receiving yards (990), all of which rank among MSU's Top 10 single-season leaders. He also became the program's first Academic All-America First Team selection since 1993 for his 3.89 GPA in human biology. Overall, five Spartans on offense earned All-Big Ten honors.
In 2008, Treadwell's offense showcased one of the top running backs in the nation in Javon Ringer, who led the nation in carries (390), scoring (132 points) and touchdowns (22), while ranking fourth in rushing (125.9 ypg.) en route to being named a consensus first-team All-American. Ringer was the first Spartan running back to earn All-America honors since Lorenzo White in 1987. The consensus All-Big Ten first-team selection rushed for 1,637 yards, the second-highest single-season total in school history. Six other Spartans earned All-Big Ten honors on the offensive side of the ball, including second-team picks Roland Martin (right guard) and Jesse Miller (right tackle).
In his first season as offensive coordinator at Michigan State in 2007, Treadwell guided one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the Big Ten, as the Spartans were one of two conference teams and one of nine teams in the NCAA to average at least 200 yards or more in both rushing offense and passing offense during the regular season. The Spartans were among the Big Ten leaders in scoring offense (No. 2 at 33.1 points a game), rushing offense (No. 3 at 198.2 ypg.), total offense (No. 4 at 416.8 ypg.) and passing offense (No. 6 at 218.6 ypg.). It was one of the most productive offensive seasons in school history as the Spartans ranked first in points scored (430), third in total offense (5,418 yards), fifth in passing yards (2,842 yards), and sixth in scoring average (33.1) and total yards per game (416.8) in the school record books. In addition, MSU became the first Football Bowl Subdivision team in 2007 to feature a 2,000-yard passer (Brian Hoyer), a 1,000-yard rusher (Javon Ringer) and a 1,000-yard receiver (Devin Thomas), as the feat was accomplished in Game 11 against Purdue. Six Spartans earned All-Big Ten honors on the offensive side of the ball, including consensus second-team selections Ringer and Thomas. Ringer rushed for 1,447 yards, the sixth-best mark in MSU single-season history, while Thomas established school records in receptions (79) and all-purpose yards (2,590). Thomas' record-breaking season propelled him to become a second-round pick in the NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, while tight end Kellen Davis was selected in the fifth round by the Chicago Bears.
Upon becoming Cincinnati's offensive coordinator in 2004, he put together a balanced offense that produced a 2,500-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver, while topping the 2,000-yard mark in both rushing (2,201) and passing (2,666), only the second time that feat had been accomplished in UC history. Working with the wide receivers, Treadwell tutored Hannibal Thomas, who compiled the fourth 1,000-yard receiving season by a Bearcat while earning all-conference honors. In addition, quarterback Gino Guidugli threw for 2,633 yards, the fifth-best single-season total in Bearcat history, while ranking 15th in the nation in passing efficiency (146.48 rating). Overall, Cincinnati ranked 30th in the country in total offense, averaging 405.6 yards a game.
Prior to Cincinnati, Treadwell served as offensive coordinator at Ball State in 2003, where he helped develop the Cardinal offense to school records for passing yards and passing TDs. During his three seasons at Michigan State, he tutored several top receivers, including Charles Rogers, the 2002 Biletnikoff Award winner and the No. 2 pick of the 2003 NFL Draft. Under Treadwell's tutelage, Rogers set MSU single-season receiving records in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions, and left MSU as the second all-time receiver in school history with 2,821 yards in just two seasons. In 2001, Treadwell coached one of the nation's top receiving duos in Rogers and Herb Haygood, who combined for 124 receptions, 2,278 yards and 18 touchdowns. Haygood was selected by Denver in the fifth round (No. 144 overall) in the 2002 NFL Draft.
Treadwell came to Michigan State following one season at North Carolina State, where he coached the running backs in 1999. The Oberlin, Ohio, native previously spent two years at Boston College where he served as the co-offensive coordinator while also working with the quarterbacks and wide receivers. Treadwell coached running backs under Tyrone Willingham at Stanford from 1995-96. He directed a Cardinal rushing attack that racked up 1,819 yards in 1995 - the ninth-best single-season total in school history.
His full-time coaching credits also include one season as a wide receivers coach at Cincinnati (1994), a two-year stay with his alma mater Miami-Ohio (1992-93), and a five-year stint with Youngstown State (1986-91). Treadwell spent all of those seasons at Youngstown State under former head coach and current Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel, along with Coach Dantonio, who served as YSU's defensive coordinator from 1986-90. Treadwell worked with the wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks at Youngstown State, and while serving as the offensive coordinator in 1991, he helped guide the Penguins to the NCAA I-AA National Championship. He also participated in the NFL's Minority Coaching Fellowship Program in 1989-90, working with the San Francisco 49ers.
Treadwell was a four-year starter at wide receiver at Miami-Ohio (1978-81), earning first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors as a junior. He had 73 career receptions for 1,540 yards, averaging a school-record 21.1 yards per catch. He earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Miami-Ohio in 1982. Born June 10, 1960, Treadwell graduated from Oberlin High School in 1978 where he played quarterback.
Married to the former Lola Pinskey of Fostoria, Ohio, Treadwell and his wife have three children: Whittney, Blake and Spencer.
THE TREADWELL FILE
YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Seventh overall. Rejoined staff on Nov. 30, 2006, from Cincinnati.
PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: College - Quarterbacks, receivers, running backs coach and offensive coordinator at Youngstown State (1986-91); running backs and receivers coach at Miami-Ohio (1992-93); receivers coach at Cincinnati (1994); running backs coach at Stanford (1995-96); co-offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and receivers coach at Boston College (1997-98); running backs coach at North Carolina State (1999); receivers coach at Michigan State (2000-02); receivers coach and offensive coordinator at Ball State (2003); offensive coordinator at Cincinnati (2004-06).
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in physical education from Miami-Ohio in 1982.
PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College - Four-year starter as a wide receiver at Miami-Ohio (1978-81) and named captain as a senior.
POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Coach - 1987 NCAA I-AA Playoffs, 1989 NCAA I-AA Playoffs, 1990 NCAA I-AA Playoffs, 1991 NCAA I-AA National Champions, 1995 Liberty Bowl, 1996 Sun Bowl, 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl, 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic, 2004 Fort Worth Bowl, 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Valero Alamo Bowl.
