Michigan State Football: Taking a Dive into Mel Tucker
Like it or not, the Big Ten Conference was the first Power 5 conference to cancel the 2020 football season back in early August.
However, earlier this week the league announced they'd return to the gridiron October 23-24.
With Mark Dantonio announcing his retirement in early 2020, Mel Tucker was hired as the 25 head coach of Spartan football after Michigan State’s first choice, Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell, turned down the MSU offer.
Tucker’s relationship with MSU goes back all the way to 1997, when he was a graduate assistant under Nick Saban. Tucker reported directly to Mark Dantonio, who was an assistant coach at the time.
Tucker’s resume goes deep with 23 years of experience, including 10 seasons in the NFL.
As a full-time coach in the FBS, Tucker has collected a 106-36 record (.746) including 11 post-season bowl games. He’s coached 160 games in the NFL, primarily as defensive coordinator for both the Browns and the Jaguars.
In his coaching career, Tucker has coached eight NFL first-round draft picks in the likes of cornerback Chris Gamble, linebacker A.J. Hawk, linebacker Bobby Carpenter, cornerback Donte Whitner, cornerback Marion Humphrey, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, linebacker Roquan Smith and most recently, cornerback Deandre Baker.
He has also recruited NFL first-round picks such as the likes of safety Malcom Jenkins.
Speaking of recruiting, Tucker is widely known and national recognized as a top recruiter who develops talent during their time in college.
Which means in return, Tucker’s path to success relies on recruiting. The more four and five star recruits commit to Michigan State, the more tools Tucker will have.
With just under a quarter of century of coaching experience, when the right players are handed to him, Tucker can develop them into an effective player on the field.
He’s got some work to do in East Lansing, but his resume suggests that he can handle the task.
Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
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