Tom Anastos knows people are calling for his job, even though he said he doesn’t use social media much these days.

Michigan State is 1-11-1 away from Munn Ice Arena and 5-17-2 overall in Anastos’ fifth season as hockey coach. The Spartans are coming off a 3-2 overtime win over USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program but have lost eight consecutive games against NCAA Division I schools.

“I don’t want to make excuses,” Anastos said. “As our season has gone on, we haven’t been able to find consistency in all areas of our game at the same time. There were times where offensively we were generating lots of scoring chances. We were happy about that, but when we were doing that, our goals-against really creeped up high. We’ve adjusted to try and help reduce our goals-against and adjust some of our schemes to defend in a different way. That’s impacted our goal production. We’ve seen that decline. At times, our goaltending wasn’t what we were used to. We had to fight through that a little bit. We’ve had a variety of issues. There’s not one thing.”

Athletic director Mark Hollis told reporters last week during the Michigan Associated Press sports meeting at the Lansing State Journal: “Obviously, I’m spending hours watching over programs that need some recalibration, and hockey is one of those.”

Anastos agreed, although he maintains the five-year plan he laid out when he took the job was the right approach. Anastos was considered an outside-the-box hire by Hollis, in part because his only head coaching experience came at Michigan-Dearborn in the late 1980s. He was an assistant to Ron Mason at MSU for two seasons before serving as commissioner of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

Anastos said he understands the speculation about the hockey program’s future. His best season was his first, when the Spartans finished 19-16-4 and made the NCAA tournament.

“I’ll tell you emphatically I believe in our plan,” Anastos told the Free Press. “Now, during the course of time, you run into forks in the road that you have to readjust your plan.”

The Spartans lost their top-four defensemen after Anastos’ first season, including Torey Krug to the NHL. Since then, Krug is the only player Anastos has coached that reached the NHL, and only four others have played in the American Hockey League.

Part of Anastos’ long-term plan was to make sure the Spartans didn’t suffer as many losses on the blue line again in any one season.

Red Berenson had three consecutive losing seasons to start his coaching career at Michigan in the mid-1980s and didn’t win more than 24 games until his eighth season, when he went 32-9-3.

There’s no quick fix in college hockey recruiting like there can be in basketball. College hockey coaches are competing against not only other colleges for talent, but also against teams in the Canadian Hockey League.

One NHL executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said turning around a college program is tougher these days than 20 years ago.

“More players are going the major junior (route), so there’s less skill in college hockey,” the exec said. “Some people want to call it more parity. I think the game is watered down.

“Kids are leaving early. They’re going major junior. … The Unions and Quinnipiacs of the world are getting better. Those quote-unquote second-tier schools are becoming first-tier schools.”

A lack of skilled players seems to explain some of the Spartans’ struggles. The Spartans have averaged fewer than three goals a game in each of the past four seasons. Of the 60 NCAA Division I schools this season, 17 average at least three goals per game. The Spartans are tied for 44th, averaging 2.42.

“You have to peel back the onion to see some of the challenges and adversity we had to deal with as our plan has unfolded,” Anastos said. “I think the plan was right, but during the course of time, sometimes things happen that make you reassess, recalibrate, modify.”

Two unexpected departures and injuries on the blue line have been devastating to MSU this season, and that has affected the defense. Only seven schools nationally are allowing more than MSU’s 3.62 goals per game.

Defenseman Josh Jacobs, arguably Anastos’ best recruit in his MSU tenure, opted not to return for his sophomore season. Jacobs, a second-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2014, jumped to the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. Redshirt sophomore defenseman Brock Krygier graduated early and transferred to Arizona State, which is fielding its first NCAA Division I team this season. Incoming freshman defenseman Jerad Rosburg suffered a season-ending knee injury before he ever played a game. Defensemen John Draeger has had off-season surgery two of the past three seasons, which has hurt his development.

“If you told me we’d lose three guys that we were planning for, plus a fourth that is going to fight through these kind of injuries, out of six (defensemen) who play, I’d tell you that’s going to be a challenge,” Anastos said.

“You can’t always plan for injuries or early departures. At the same time, I believe in our plan. I’m very confident we’re going to get where we want to get to. And I’m very excited for what’s in store ahead. We’ve gotta keep grinding through the adversity.”

Does Anastos feel he’s on the hot seat?

“I may be, but that’s not for me to determine, so I don’t give that much consideration,” he said. “I’m going to go do my job every day. To ask me that question is irrelevant. Maybe I am on the hot seat. But I don’t think about that. I don’t have time to think about that. One hundred percent of my energy goes into our team, preparing our team, looking ahead, working for the program.

“With all sincerity, that’s not something I give much thought to, because that’s not my decision.”

Anastos’ detractors expressed themselves on social media and message boards seeing the Spartans outscored, 15-5, and swept in a home-and-home series with Michigan to start 2016.

The rivals meet again Feb. 5, and the Spartans could be in for a similar drubbing. Michigan has risen to No. 6 in the rankings and is averaging more goals per game (4.86) than any other school in the country.

“There’s going to be people that aren’t pleased, obviously,” Anastos said. “We’re not pleased. We’re not pleased with our results. But there’s a plan in place we’re dealing with. As you work through the challenges that come up that aren’t necessarily planned for, you just have to readjust, reassess and keep moving forward.”

The next couple of recruiting classes will be crucial to that turnaround. Anastos pointed to the freshmen this year as positive signs of the future.

“Mason Appleton is a heck of a player,” Anastos said, referring to the freshman forward who leads the Spartans with 13 assists and is tied for the team lead in points (17). “We think Jerad Rosburn is going to be an excellent player. Zach Osburn is going to be an excellent college player. I think Cody Milan and Brandon Sanford are going to be excellent college players.

“I believe our classes looking ahead are excellent. We’re excited about the prospects. It’s going to continue to upgrade our talent and skill level. We’ll continue to strategically lay out our recruiting classes so they have better flow, rather than have two bigger groups and two smaller groups.”

The Spartans signed five players for next season, including Muskegon (USHL) defenseman Mitch Eliot, 89th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings for the 2016 NHL draft. Youngstown (USHL) defenseman Ty Farmer (5-9, 173), currently out with an undisclosed injury, has drawn comparisons to Krug. Salmon Arm (British Columbia Hockey League) forward Taro Hirose has 57 points in 44 games, and Green Bay (USHL) forward Sam Saliba has 30 points in 35 games.

Anastos said he’s confident he’ll be in East Lansing to coach those players in the future.

“I don’t spent a millisecond thinking about anything other than that,” he said.

While Anastos admits this season has been difficult, he’s buoyed by the resolve of his players.

“We have great leadership, and that has not changed,” he said. “Anybody can lead during good times. The real test of a person is how they respond when all hell breaks loose. I love the way our leadership is responding. We’re not where we want to be, but those guys are doing the right things.”

Anastos said the success of MSU’s football and basketball teams is inspiring, and he believes he’ll get the hockey team competing for national titles again.

“I wouldn’t have taken on the role if I didn’t have the confidence I’d fulfill the expectations of Mark, the president, the fan base, the university and, quite frankly, myself,” Anastos said. “I’m every bit as confident today as I was then.”

Contact George Sipple: gsipple@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgesipple.

Spartans’ struggles

Tom Anastos’ best season as

Michigan State’s hockey coach was his first season, when he made his only NCAA tournament appearance. His worst has been this season. A look at his record:

2011-12: 19-16-4 overall, 14-11-3 and fifth in CCHA.

2012-13: 14-26-3 overall, 9-18-11 and 11th in CCHA.

2013-14: 11-18-7 overall, 5-9-6 and fifth in Big Ten.

2014-15: 17-16-2 overall, 11-7-2 and second in Big Ten.

2015-16: 5-17-2 overall, 1-7-0 and sixth in Big Ten.