 This was the last year for head coach Nick Saban, who left the program on December 5 to take the head coaching position at LSU.During the bowl game, the Spartans were coached by interim head coach Bobby Williams, who led the Spartans to a 37–34 victory in the 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl over the Florida Gators of the Southeastern Conference, with a last second, game-winning field goal by kicker Paul Edinger.This Spartan team featured the likes of Plaxico Burress, T. J. Duckett, and Renaldo Hill, and goes down as one of the best Spartan teams in the BCS era.