Mel Tucker Bio | Wiki
Mel Tucker ( Full Name: Melvin Gene Tucker II) is a popular American football coach and former player. He was a head football coach at Michigan State University from 2020 until 2023 and was the head football coach at Colorado for the 2019 season. Mel was the interim head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) for the final five games of the 2011 season.
Mel has served as the defensive backs coach at Ohio State and Alabama and as the defensive coordinator for both the Chicago Bears of the NFL and the University of Georgia. In November 2021, he became one of the highest-paid coaches in college football history, receiving a guaranteed 10-year, $95 million contract from Michigan State, the third-largest contract ever given to a football coach at a public university. In September 2023, after allegations of sexual harassment, Mel was fired by Michigan State.
Mel spent the 2015 season with the Alabama Crimson Tide as assistant head coach and defensive backs coach, during which the team won the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship. In 2016, Mel moved to Georgia as the defensive coordinator, where he remained through 2018. On December 5, 2018, Mel signed an agreement to become the Colorado Buffaloes football head ball coach starting in 2019. In his lone season at the helm, Mel’s Buffaloes posted a 5–7 record (3–6 in the Pac-12).
Mel Tucker Age
Mel was born on January 4, 1972, in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. He is 51 years old. Mel celebrates his birthday on January 4, every year.
Mel Tucker Height
He is a man of above-average stature. Mel stands at a height of 6 ft 3 in ( Approx 1.91m ).
Mel Tucker Family
He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Tucker Sr. and Brenda Tucker. Mel’s dad graduated from high school in 1965. His mother is from Toledo. The Tuckers had family that had moved from the South. His father had told him about the marches and protests on campus at Toledo in the 1960s.
Mel Tucker Father
His father Tucker Sr graduated from high school in 1965.
Mel Tucker Wife | Married
Mel is married to his wife Jo-Ellyn Tucker an enthusiastic community leader and former practicing attorney with a deep passion for organizational leadership, nonprofit volunteer service, and stewardship. The two married in 2000. Mel and his wife have two sons Joseph Tucker and Christian Tucker.
Mel Tucker Son
He has two sons born on the same day (Feb. 18) two years apart, Joseph and Christian. Christian is a goalkeeper for the Lansing Catholic Lacrosse team.
Mel Tucker Education
He studied at Cleveland Heights High School where he was a football standout. Later on, Mel joined the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he played defensive back for the Wisconsin Badgers football team. He graduated in 1995 with a degree in agricultural business management. Mel signed a contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League following graduation but fell ill during training camp due to chickenpox and was cut from the team. After the CFL, Mel sold meat from the trunk of his car as a job after college.
Mel Tucker Contract
His contract at Michigan State was worth $5.5 million annually for six years; more than double his contract at Colorado (five years, $14.8 million) and more than $1 million annually over previous head coach Mark Dantonio ($4.3 million per annum). On November 24, MSU and Mel agreed to a 10-year, $95 million contract extension. This decision caused considerable surprise among college football observers, as Mel had a career record of 16–14 at the time. Michigan State suspended Mel after two games and he was officially fired on September 27, 2023.
Mel Tucker Statement
Suspended Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker responded on September 19, 2023, to the school’s notice that it intends to fire him for cause, saying in a statement that “other motives are at play” and there has been a “bias” against him throughout the process. Following getting notified of the school’s intention to fire him, Mel was given seven days, per his contract, to respond to the notification in the wake of a pending sexual misconduct case brought by Brenda Tracy, a sexual assault awareness speaker. In Mel’s statement to ESPN on Tuesday morning, he said his firing was a “miscarriage of justice” and came because of “Ms. Tracy’s improper public disclosure of the entire 1,200-page investigation file regarding her baseless complaint against me.
Mel Tucker News
– On September 10, 2023, USA Today published a story detailing alleged sexual harassment by Mel of Brenda Tracy a rape survivor and anti-sexual violence advocate.
– Michigan State suspended Mel after two games and he was officially fired on September 27, 2023.
Mel Tucker Memes
As the hearing looms in the sexual harassment case against Mel Memes of him have circulated including a meme of him fired.
Mel Tucker Record | Coaching Record
On November 24, 2015, MSU and Mel agreed to a 10-year, $95 million contract extension. This decision caused considerable surprise among college football observers, as Mel had a career record of 16–14 at the time.
Mel Tucker MSU | Michigan State| Michigan State Football
Mel is the former head football coach at Michigan State University from 2020 to 2023. On February 12, 2020, Mel resigned as Colorado’s head coach to accept the same position at Michigan State. Mel’s contract at Michigan State was worth $5.5 million annually for six years; over double his contract at Colorado (five years, $14.8 million) and over $1 million annually over previous head coach Mark Dantonio ($4.3 million per annum).
At the time of signing, Mel became the 12th-highest-paid head coach in the FBS and fourth in the Big Ten. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a late start for Big Ten teams in the 2020 season, Mel’s Spartans made their debut on October 24, 2020. MSU turned the ball over seven times in Mel’s head coaching debut and lost to Rutgers, 38–27. MSU rebounded the after week to defeat in-state rival Michigan, 27–24, for Mel’s first win as a Spartan. Following lopsided losses to Iowa and Indiana, Michigan State upset No. 8-ranked Northwestern, 29–20, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season. Mel would finish the abbreviated 2020 season with a 2–5 record. In September 2023, after allegations of sexual harassment, he was fired by Michigan State.
Mel Tucker Wife JO Ellyn
Mel’s wife Jo-Ellyn Tucker is an enthusiastic community leader and former practicing attorney. She is currently a Board Member for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region, a Founding Partner and Board President of the Investment Club, and a Board Member for the Capital Area Humane Society. Jo-Ellyn holds a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School.
Mel Tucker Contract Extension | Extension
He signed a 10-year, $95 million contract extension in the midst of the 2021 football season. That time, the Spartans went 11-2, defeated rival Michigan in a Top 10 showdown, reached as high as No. 3 in the College Football Playoff committee rankings, and ultimately won the Peach Bowl. In 2023, his contract was cut short after allegations of sexual harassment, and was fired.
Mel Tucker Coach | Coaching Career
He began his coaching career in 1997 as a graduate assistant for Michigan State under head coach Nick Saban. In 1999, Mel served as a defensive backs coach for the Miami University Redhawks and then in 2000 followed Saban to Louisiana State University to fill the same position with the LSU Tigers. In 2001, Mel became defensive backs coach for Ohio State under coach Jim Tressel.
He was the defensive backs coach as Ohio State won a national championship in 2002, and in 2004 he was made co-defensive coordinator. In 2005, Mel entered the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Browns. Mel coached defensive backs from 2005 until 2007 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in the 2008 season after the firing of Todd Grantham. Under Mel, Cleveland consistently ranked fifth in the league, with the defense making 73 interceptions. Following the firing of Browns’ head coach Romeo Crennel, Mel was replaced by Rob Ryan.
Mel Tucker Story
Brenda Tracy alleged Tucker of sexually harassing and abusive behavior, with one notable instance coming in April 28, 2022, when Brenda alleged him of making sexual comments about her over the phone and masturbating without her consent. Mel was in a Florida hotel at the time.
Mel Tucker Teams Coached
– Michigan State Spartans football
– Colorado Buffaloes football
– Georgia Bulldogs football
– Jacksonville Jaguars
Mel Tucker Colorado
On December 5, 2018, Mel signed an agreement to become the Colorado Buffaloes football head ball coach starting in 2019. In his lone season at the helm, Mel’s Buffaloes posted a 5–7 record (3–6 in the Pac-12).
Mel Tucker Press Conference
He held his weekly press conference on September 4, 2023, afternoon inside the north end zone media center at Spartan Stadium. Mel reviewed the season-opening win over Central Michigan and previewed the upcoming game against Richmond on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 3:30 p.m. in Spartan Stadium. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Mel Tucker Tracy
On September 10, 2023, USA Today released a story detailing alleged sexual harassment by Mel of Brenda Tracy. Brenda, a rape survivor and anti-sexual violence advocate, had come to Michigan State’s campus many times to speak with the team. She alleged a pattern of inappropriate behavior, culminating in Mel masturbating during a phone call.
The incident is alleged to have happened in April 2022. Mel characterized the phone sex as consensual. Michigan State suspended Mel without pay later that day, with Harlon Barnett taking over as interim head coach. On September 18, the university reported it had begun the process of terminating Mel for cause as a result of the allegations while allowing an ongoing university investigation to continue. In a letter from his attorneys, Mel disputed the allegations. He was officially fired by Michigan State on September 27, 2023.
Mel Tucker Bonus
He signed a 10-year, $95 million deal to remain with the Spartans in November 2021 amid rumors linking him to job openings at LSU and USC. The clause that offers for the $100,000 staff bonus was carried over into that pact from the initial contract he signed when Mel was hired away from Colorado in 2019.
Mel Tucker Chicago Bears | Bears
On January 18, 2013, Mel was named defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears. After one of the worst defensive seasons in Bears’ history in 2013, Mel was criticized by the media. As a result, the team fired two of Mel’s assistant coaches, linebackers coach Tim Tibesar and defensive line coach Mike Phair. The Bears replaced them with Paul Pasqualoni as defensive line coach and Reggie Herring as linebackers coach. On January 20, 2015, after another record-setting low defensive season for the Bears in 2014, Mel was replaced by former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, under new head coach John Fox.
Mel Tucker Salary
As a Michigan State head coach, Mel has a base salary of $5.9 million per year.
Mel Tucker Net Worth
Mel got his wealth from his work as a former head football coach at Michigan State University. Therefore, Mel has accumulated a decent fortune over the years. Mel’s net worth is $95 million.
Is Mel Tucker Married
He is married to Jo-Ellyn and they share two sons named Joseph and Christian.
How Much Does Mel Tucker Make
Mel’s net worth is $95 million due to his work as a coach.
Where Does Mel Tucker Live
He resides in Colorado
Who Is Mel Tucker
He is a football head coach who has worked for teams at the college and professional level. Mel is best known for being the head coach at Michigan State University where he led the team to an 11-2 record and victory at the Peach Bowl in 2021. Mel was previously the head coach at the Colorado Buffalos. He started his career playing as a defensive back for the Wisconsin Badgers. He started coaching in 1997 as a graduate assistant at Michigan State University Spartans.
Mel Tucker Social Media Account
Twitter – @CoachM_Tucker