Michigan State University Athletics
Staff Directory
Devon Spalding
- Title:
- Running Backs Coach
- Email:
- Phone:
- 355-1647
Devon Spalding arrived in East Lansing as the program's running backs coach in January 2026 after spending the previous three seasons (2023-25) in the same position at Wisconsin.
Spalding coached two running backs who earned All-Big Ten honors at UW, including Braelon Allen, a second-team selection in 2023 who ranked third in the conference with 984 rushing yards while averaging a Big Ten-best 5.44 yards per carry. He also tied his career high with 12 rushing touchdowns. Allen, who finished his Badger career with 3,494 rushing yards, ninth-most in program history, was a fourth-round NFL Draft pick by the Jets and has played the last two seasons in the NFL.
In 2024, Tawee Walker was honorable mention All-Big Ten for the Badgers after leading the team with 864 yards and 10 touchdowns.
At the onset of Spalding's first season in Madison, he was named to the 247Sports "30 Under 30" List for 2023 as one of college football's rising stars in the profession.
Prior to coaching in the Big Ten at Wisconsin, Spalding spent three years (2020-22) at Youngstown State. During his time at YSU, Spalding coached record-breaking running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who was named the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 after rushing for 1,588 yards. Between two seasons at Division II Notre Dame College and two seasons at Youngstown State, McLaughlin set the NCAA all-division career rushing record with 8,166 career yards.
In the spring season of 2021, McLaughlin was a second-team All-MVFC pick as he rushed for 634 yards in the final five games. He improved to first-team honors in the fall after gaining 1,139 yards and 12 TDs in just 10 games, including six 100-yards games and a 242-yard performance in the season opener.
Spalding began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Cincinnati in 2019 as the Bearcats went 11-3 and claimed a victory in the Birmingham Bowl.
Spalding played running back and wide receiver at Central Michigan from 2014-18. During the 2016 season, he started 10 games at running back and rushed for 765 yards and six TDs. As a senior in 2018, he earned the team's Dustin Preston Leadership Award. Overall, he rushed for 1,457 yards and scored 13 touchdowns in 41 career games.
The Canton, Michigan, native was an all-state running back at John Glenn High School and ran for 1,761 yards and a school-record 27 touchdowns as a senior in 2013. He rushed for 491 yards against Livonia Churchill during his senior campaign, the third-highest single-game total in MHSAA history.
THE SPALDING FILE
PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE:
Graduate assistant at Cincinnati (2019)
Running backs coach at Youngstown State (2020-22)
Running backs coach at Wisconsin (2023-25)
PLAYING EXPERIENCE:
College: Played five seasons (2014-18) and was a three-year letterwinner (2014, 2016, 2018) as a wide receiver and running back at Central Michigan.
Spalding coached two running backs who earned All-Big Ten honors at UW, including Braelon Allen, a second-team selection in 2023 who ranked third in the conference with 984 rushing yards while averaging a Big Ten-best 5.44 yards per carry. He also tied his career high with 12 rushing touchdowns. Allen, who finished his Badger career with 3,494 rushing yards, ninth-most in program history, was a fourth-round NFL Draft pick by the Jets and has played the last two seasons in the NFL.
In 2024, Tawee Walker was honorable mention All-Big Ten for the Badgers after leading the team with 864 yards and 10 touchdowns.
At the onset of Spalding's first season in Madison, he was named to the 247Sports "30 Under 30" List for 2023 as one of college football's rising stars in the profession.
Prior to coaching in the Big Ten at Wisconsin, Spalding spent three years (2020-22) at Youngstown State. During his time at YSU, Spalding coached record-breaking running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who was named the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 after rushing for 1,588 yards. Between two seasons at Division II Notre Dame College and two seasons at Youngstown State, McLaughlin set the NCAA all-division career rushing record with 8,166 career yards.
In the spring season of 2021, McLaughlin was a second-team All-MVFC pick as he rushed for 634 yards in the final five games. He improved to first-team honors in the fall after gaining 1,139 yards and 12 TDs in just 10 games, including six 100-yards games and a 242-yard performance in the season opener.
Spalding began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Cincinnati in 2019 as the Bearcats went 11-3 and claimed a victory in the Birmingham Bowl.
Spalding played running back and wide receiver at Central Michigan from 2014-18. During the 2016 season, he started 10 games at running back and rushed for 765 yards and six TDs. As a senior in 2018, he earned the team's Dustin Preston Leadership Award. Overall, he rushed for 1,457 yards and scored 13 touchdowns in 41 career games.
The Canton, Michigan, native was an all-state running back at John Glenn High School and ran for 1,761 yards and a school-record 27 touchdowns as a senior in 2013. He rushed for 491 yards against Livonia Churchill during his senior campaign, the third-highest single-game total in MHSAA history.
THE SPALDING FILE
PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE:
Graduate assistant at Cincinnati (2019)
Running backs coach at Youngstown State (2020-22)
Running backs coach at Wisconsin (2023-25)
PLAYING EXPERIENCE:
College: Played five seasons (2014-18) and was a three-year letterwinner (2014, 2016, 2018) as a wide receiver and running back at Central Michigan.
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