Michigan State, Mel Tucker agree to contract extension
Michigan State has agreed to a contract extension with football coach Mel Tucker, according to Tucker himself via social media. The Detroit Free-Press previously reported the deal is worth $95 million over 10-years but the terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed. If the reported numbers are correct, it makes him the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten and the nation’s highest-paid Black coach across all sports.
Tucker made a huge splash in the transfer portal last offseason, when he landed Wake Forest transfer Kenneth Walker III. Walker has become a Heisman contender this season, leading the nation with 148.3 rush yards per game — a stark contrast to last year when Michigan State’s run game was almost non-existent.
Tucker thanked those involved while commemorating the moment.
More about Mel Tucker
After the departure of long-time coach Mike D’Antonio, Michigan State went after Mel Tucker. Despite just one season at Colorado, he was viewed as a rising star in the industry with time spent at Alabama and Georgia as an assistant.
The Spartans went 2-5 in Tucker’s first season, which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. But Michigan State hit a new gear this year, now 9-1 over the first 10 games. They are now ranked No. 7 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, with a win over No. 6 Michigan and an upcoming game against No. 4 Ohio State.
LSU interest
Last month, FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman listed Tucker as a top candidate to replace Ed Orgeron at LSU. The Tigers announced Oct. 17 they will part ways with Orgeron, the coach since 2016, at the end of the season. The news came on the heels of LSU’s 49-42 victory for the Tigers against Florida, but negotiations had been in the works before then.
“I am told that there are some very influential people inside LSU who are really, really high on Mel Tucker,” Feldman said. “Mel Tucker was an assistant at LSU on Nick Saban’s staff. He knows the SEC very well. He was at Colorado and now Michigan State. Would he make another move in a short period of time? But this I know: People who are inside LSU who matter are really high on Mel Tucker.”
Tucker makes sense given his trajectory and the familiarity with the SEC’s most successful coaches. He has continued to be a popular name in connection to the LSU opening, which will be filled by athletic director Scott Woodward. The Louisiana native has a history of splashy hires, including Jimbo Fisher’s $100 million, 10-year deal signed at Texas A&M.