Michigan State's Dantonio discharged from hospital

[October 05, 2010]  EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio was released from a hospital Monday after treatment for a blood clot that was discovered less than two weeks after surgery following a mild heart attack.

Dantonio was admitted last Thursday with a blood clot in a leg and missed the Spartans' 34-24 victory over Wisconsin on Saturday. He has missed two games following the heart attack Sept. 19.

A routine postoperative exam revealed the blood clot, which is common after a variety of surgical procedures.

No. 17 Michigan State (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) plays at No. 18 Michigan (5-0, 1-0) this weekend in a matchup of unbeaten teams. A school spokesman said shortly after Dantonio's release that his role this week was still to be determined, but athletic director Mark Hollis posted an upbeat message Monday night on Twitter.

"Coach D is feeling great," the post said. "If his doctor gives the green light, he will be at the game on Saturday."

Dantonio was at practice last week and was planning to coach against Wisconsin from a box above the field, but the blood clot put that on hold. Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell has run the Spartans in his absence, although coaches indicated Saturday they had some contact with Dantonio during the game.

Dantonio's heart attack came shortly after he led his team to an overtime victory over Notre Dame two weeks ago. He was released from the hospital a couple days later but skipped a win over Northern Colorado on Sept. 25.

Since taking over the Spartans in 2007, Dantonio has embraced the rivalry with Michigan. Michigan State beat the Wolverines the last two seasons, its first back-to-back wins in the series in more than 40 years.

The Spartans are off to their first 5-0 start since 1999, when Nick Saban was their coach.

[Associated Press]

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