Mel Tucker focused on Penn State, not contract extension
It’s been five days since the Detroit Free Press broke news of the proposed 10-year, $95 million contract extension for Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker, but neither the university or Tucker himself has confirmed that the contract extension has been signed.
“That’s not my focus, and that’s not the focus of my team,” Tucker said at his weekly press conference on Monday. “I’m not thinking about anything right now, I’m not focusing on anything right now, other than our upcoming opponent. That’s the only thing that I’m thinking about.”
Michigan State (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) will host Penn State (7-4, 4-4) this Saturday in the regular season finale. It will be ‘Senior Day’ for the Spartans, who are looking to go unbeaten at home in a season for the first time since 2015.
Michigan State is also one win away from their first 10-win season since 2017, and it would be just the ninth time in program history to reach the 10-win plateau.
Should Tucker and Michigan State come to an agreement on the proposed deal, it would make Tucker the second-highest paid head coach in college football, behind Alabama’s Nick Saban.
Should the Spartans earn their 10th win this weekend or in their bowl game, the two seasons it took Tucker to reach 10 wins in one year would be the fastest ever for a Michigan State head coach. Former Spartan head coach Mark Dantonio won 10 games in a season for the first time in his fourth season in East Lansing.
