George Julius Perles was an American football player and coach. He was a defensive line coach, defensive coordinator, and assistant head coach for the National Football League (NFL)'s Pittsburgh Steelers from 1972 to 1982 and the head football coach at Michigan State University from 1983 to 1994. Perles was elected to MSU's board of trustees in 2006. He retired from his position on the board November 29, 2018, citing health reasons and wanting to spend time with family. On January 7, 2020, Perles died from Parkinson's disease. He was 85 years old.

Hugh Duffy Daugherty was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Michigan State University from 1954 to 1972, compiling a record of 109–69–5. His 1965 and 1966 teams won national championships. Daugherty's tenure of 19 seasons at the helm of the Michigan State Spartans football team is the longest of any head coach in the program's history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1984.