Mel Tucker facts for kids
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Tucker with Georgia in 2018
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 4, 1972 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1990–1992 | Wisconsin |
| 1994 | Wisconsin |
| Position(s) | Defensive back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1997–1998 | Michigan State (GA) |
| 1999 | Miami (OH) (DB) |
| 2000 | LSU (DB) |
| 2001–2003 | Ohio State (DB) |
| 2004 | Ohio State (co-DC) |
| 2005–2007 | Cleveland Browns (DB) |
| 2008 | Cleveland Browns (DC) |
| 2009–2011 | Jacksonville Jaguars (DC) |
| 2011 | Jacksonville Jaguars (interim) |
| 2012 | Jacksonville Jaguars (AHC/DC) |
| 2013–2014 | Chicago Bears (DC) |
| 2015 | Alabama (AHC/DB) |
| 2016–2018 | Georgia (DC/DB) |
| 2019 | Colorado |
| 2020–2023 | Michigan State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 25–21 (college) 2–3 (NFL) |
| Bowls | 1–0 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
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Melvin Gene Tucker II, born on January 4, 1972, is an American football coach and former player. He was the main football coach for Michigan State University from 2020 to 2023.
Tucker also served as an interim (temporary) head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the National Football League (NFL) for five games in 2011. He has worked as a coach for defensive players at several top universities like Ohio State and Alabama. He was also a defensive coordinator (the coach in charge of the defense) for the Chicago Bears in the NFL and the University of Georgia.
In November 2021, Mel Tucker signed a very large contract with Michigan State. It was for 10 years and $95 million, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football at the time. However, in September 2023, Michigan State ended his contract due to serious concerns about his behavior.
Contents
Early Life and College Football
Mel Tucker was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He went to Cleveland Heights High School, where he was a great football player. After high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison. There, he played as a defensive back for the Wisconsin Badgers football team.
He finished college in 1995 with a degree in agricultural business management. After college, he tried to play professional football for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League. However, he became ill during training and was released from the team.
Coaching Journey
Starting in College Football (NCAA)
Tucker began his coaching career in 1997 at Michigan State. He worked as a graduate assistant under head coach Nick Saban. In 1999, he coached defensive backs for the Miami University Redhawks. The next year, in 2000, he followed Coach Saban to Louisiana State University (LSU) to coach defensive backs for the LSU Tigers.
In 2001, he became the defensive backs coach for Ohio State under coach Jim Tressel. In 2002, Tucker helped Ohio State win a national championship. In 2004, he was promoted to co-defensive coordinator for the team.
Coaching in the NFL
In 2005, Tucker moved to the National Football League (NFL) to coach for the Cleveland Browns. He coached defensive backs from 2005 to 2007. In 2008, he became the defensive coordinator for the Browns. Under his leadership, the Browns' defense was often ranked among the top teams in the league.
In 2009, Tucker joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as their defensive coordinator. In the 2011 season, he took charge of calling defensive plays. The team's defense quickly became one of the best in the NFL. On November 29, 2011, Tucker was named the Jaguars' interim head coach after the previous coach was let go. He coached the last five games of the season, winning two and losing three. His first win as a head coach was a big 41–14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Jaguars later hired a new permanent head coach, but Tucker stayed on as defensive coordinator and also became the assistant head coach.
In 2013, Tucker became the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears. After a tough defensive season in 2013, some changes were made to the coaching staff. In 2015, Tucker was replaced by a new defensive coordinator.
Back to College Football
After his time in the NFL, Tucker returned to college football. In 2015, he worked with the Alabama Crimson Tide as an assistant head coach and defensive backs coach. That year, the team won the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship.
From 2016 to 2018, Tucker was the defensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs.
Coaching the Colorado Buffaloes
On December 5, 2018, Mel Tucker became the head coach for the Colorado Buffaloes. In his only season there in 2019, his team had a record of 5 wins and 7 losses.
Leading the Michigan State Spartans
On February 12, 2020, Tucker left Colorado to become the head coach at Michigan State. This move earned him the nickname "Midnight Mel." His contract at Michigan State was much larger than his previous one.
The 2020 season started late due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tucker's first game with Michigan State was on October 24, 2020, which they lost. However, the next week, they defeated their rival, Michigan, 27–24, giving Tucker his first win as a Spartan coach. He finished the shortened 2020 season with 2 wins and 5 losses.
2021 Season Highlights
The 2021 season was a great one for Tucker's Spartans. They started with 8 wins in a row, including an exciting comeback victory against their rival, Michigan. This win made Tucker the first Michigan State coach to beat Michigan in his first two games against them. The Spartans climbed to No. 5 in the national rankings.
Michigan State finished the regular season with 10 wins, which was their best record since 2017. They also won all their home games. The Spartans then went on to defeat Pittsburgh in the Peach Bowl with a score of 31–21. This gave them 11 wins for the season, their highest since 2015. They ended the season ranked No. 8 and No. 9 in the national polls.
Because of this successful season, Michigan State and Tucker agreed to a new 10-year, $95 million contract on November 24. On November 30, Tucker was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year.
2022 and 2023 Seasons
The 2022 season started with Michigan State ranked in the polls. However, after winning their first two games, they lost their next four. They ended the season with 5 wins and 7 losses, and did not play in a bowl game.
In the 2023 season, Michigan State won their first two games. However, Mel Tucker was suspended after these two games. He was officially fired by Michigan State on September 27, 2023, due to serious concerns about his conduct. In July 2024, he filed a lawsuit against the university.
Coaching Records
NFL Record
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| JAX* | 2011 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 4th in AFC South | – | – | – | – |
* – Interim head coach
College Record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Buffaloes (Pac-12 Conference) (2019) | |||||||||
| 2019 | Colorado | 5–7 | 3–6 | 5th (South) | |||||
| Colorado: | 5–7 | 3–6 | |||||||
| Michigan State Spartans (Big Ten Conference) (2020–2023) | |||||||||
| 2020 | Michigan State | 2–5 | 2–5 | 7th (East) | |||||
| 2021 | Michigan State | 11–2 | 7–2 | 3rd (East) | W Peach† | 8 | 9 | ||
| 2022 | Michigan State | 5–7 | 3–6 | 5th (East) | |||||
| 2023 | Michigan State | 2–0 | 0–0 | (East) | |||||
| Michigan State: | 20–14 | 12–13 | |||||||
| Total: | 25–21 | ||||||||
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