Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker names biggest coaching influence

Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker has coached ten seasons in the NFL, coached along the likes of Kirby Smart, Jim Tressel and Nick Saban and played under Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin. On College GameDay, the Spartans head man opened up on his biggest coaching influence.

“I’d probably say Nick Saban,” Tucker said on College GameDay. “He really laid the foundation for me here in 1997-98, right here in East Lansing where I got my start, and he really taught me everything: recruiting, offense, how to run an organization. ‘The Process.’ And he’s been a great mentor to me.”

Tucker began his coaching career in 1997 as a graduate assistant for the Spartans under Saban, who served as the Michigan State head coach from 1995-1999. Tucker followed Saban to LSU in 2000 as defensive backs coach, but left for the same position at Ohio State after just one season. Tucker reunited with Saban, as assistant head coach and defensive backs coach in 2015 before taking the defensive coordinator role at Georgia under Kirby Smart from 2016-2018.

Now, in just his second season as Michigan State’s head coach — and his third season as a head coach in any capacity — Mel Tucker has led the Spartans to an undefeated record, and emerged as a candidate for the LSU job.

Tucker would be following in the footsteps of his biggest influence, as Saban left Michigan State for LSU after the 1999 season. Saban went on to lead the Tigers to a 48-16 record in five seasons and a BCS national championship in 2003.

The Michigan State head coach, who will be looking for his second consecutive win over Michigan on Saturday, was asked about his interest in the LSU job.

“My focus is on the upcoming game against the school down the road,” Tucker told media. “That’s where my concentration and my focus is, and I really appreciate you understanding that.”

 Mel Tucker is faced with a once-in-a-half-century matchup with Michigan this weekend, as the No. 6 Wolverines and the No. 8 Spartans face off as AP top-10 teams for the first time since 1964.

Michigan State-Michigan is the hottest ticket in town this Saturday, as the Spartans host not just the Wolverines, but also ESPN’s flagship college football show, College GameDay.

Saturday marks the first time College GameDay has traveled to East Lansing since Sept. 12, 2015, when then-No. 5 Michigan State topped No. 7 Oregon, 31-28.