Michigan State fires head football coach Mel Tucker

East Lansing — Upon further review, the call stands.

Michigan State University has officially fired head football coach Mel Tucker, the university announced Wednesday, less than two years after Tucker signed a historic 10-year, $95 million contract extension that made him one of the highest-paid football coaches in the country, and the highest-paid Black coach in all of American sports.

Michigan State informed Tucker last week that it intended to fire him for cause in the wake of sexual-misconduct allegations levied against him by rape survivor and advocate Brenda Tracy. Michigan State believes it has legal standing to get out of the eight-plus years and more than $80 million remaining on Tucker's contract.

More:Kirkpatrick: Tucker coming for MSU in court

Tucker's legal team has signaled it intends to fight the decision in court.

Wednesday's announcement comes two days after Tucker's lawyers delivered a 25-page letter to Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller, responding to Haller's letter to Tucker last week informing the coach the university planned to fire him. Tuesday was the soonest Michigan State could officially fire Tucker, under the terms of his contract, given the timing of the letter of intent. Tucker's lawyers, in their response, painted Tucker as the victim, and blasted the university for investigating his personal life, which included what he has called a consensual relationship with Tracy.

"Simply put, Mr. Tucker's response does not provide any information that refutes or undermines the multiple grounds for termination for cause set forth in the notice," Haller said in a statement. "Instead, his 25-page response, which includes a 12-page letter from his attorney and a 13-page 'expert report,' provides a litany of excuses for his inappropriate behavior while expressly admitting to the problematic conduct outlined in the notice."

Michigan State, in a press release just after noon Wednesday, argued Tucker's "admitted and undisputed behaviors" have "brought public disrespect, contempt and ridicule upon the university," saying his actions "constitute a material breach of his agreement, and moral turpitude."

Michigan State had no immediate plans for a press conference. A message to Tucker's agent, Neil Cornrich, seeking comment wasn't immediately returned Wednesday.

Michigan State hired Tucker in February 2020, luring him away from Colorado, with whom he had just finished his first year as a head coach. Tucker's first year at MSU was the COVID season, but he righted the ship in a big way in 2021, when the Spartans were 11-2, including a win over Michigan, and a win over Pittsburgh in the Peach Bowl.

During that season, fearing it might lose Tucker to another school — notably, LSU — Michigan State extended Tucker's contract, with the help of donations from mega boosters Mat Ishbia and Steve St. Andre.

Michigan State has gone 7-9 since that Peach Bowl victory, and is 2-2 this season, which now is under the direction of former Spartans player and longtime assistant Harlon Barnett. He will be interim coach for the rest of the season.

Tucker coached the first two games this season, wins over Central Michigan and Richmond, despite Michigan State knowing in March that a claim of sexual misconduct had been made against Tucker by Tracy.

The alleged incident, a late-night phone call with Tracy during which Tucker masturbated, took place last year. Tucker, who was on an MSU-paid trip in Florida when the call took place, doesn't dispute that it happened, but insists it was consensual; Tracy has said it was not and filed a formal complaint in December. An outside Title IX investigation, through MSU's Office of Civil Rights, was launched in March and completed in July.

A hearing to determine a resolution remains scheduled for Oct. 5 and 6, when Tracy and Tucker will be able to question each other through their lawyers. It's not clear if Tucker will participate; Tracy has said she will.

Tucker previously has called the investigation a "sham."

Michigan State, though, decided to cut ties with Tucker before the hearing, signaling that even a positive result for him wouldn't be enough to save his job. Michigan State is citing the "moral turpitude" clause in Tucker's contract in firing him for cause; his contract states he can be fired if he brings ridicule upon a university that continues to reel from the Larry Nassar scandal. Haller said in his letter to Tucker last week that the coach failed to live up to the contract clause calling for him to behave "professionally and ethically ... at all times."

On Wednesday, MSU released Haller's termination letter to Tucker.

"Your unconvincing rationalizations and misguided attempts to shift responsibility cannot and do not excuse your own behavior," Haller wrote to Tucker on Wednesday. "Had you not engaged in this inappropriate and unprofessional conduct, the university would not be subject to public disrespect and ridicule regarding your actions."

Michigan State officials suspended Tucker without pay Sept. 10, hours after USA Today published Tracy's account. Tracy said she only went public after learning her name had been leaked to another media outlet. Michigan State is investigating the source of the leak. Haller and interim president Teresa K. Woodruff, while already aware that an investigation was ongoing, said they only learned specific details from the USA Today story, prompting their actions to initially suspend him.

On Sept. 18, Michigan State announced its intention to fire Tucker, triggering a seven-day window during which Tucker could respond with arguments for keeping his job. That response came in just before 5 p.m. Monday, though Tucker's lawyers said they reserved the right to add to the response when Tucker is able. Tucker has claimed to be dealing with a serious health issue, for which he requested leave through the Family Medical Leave Act after Haller announced his suspension. Haller didn't respond to Tucker's request, according to Tucker's agent, who has declined to give details about the health issue. Tucker has previously used the FMLA, which delayed his imminent firing as defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears.

Tucker's lawyers have claimed Michigan State is making Tucker a "fall guy" as the university continues to try and rehabilitate its image in the wake of Nassar, the convicted serial molester who is serving a life sentence in prison. His lawyers claim the relationship with Tracy, who first met Tucker when she was paid to come to campus and speak to his players, was consensual, and that it was out of bounds for Michigan State to investigate the personal life of Tucker, who is estranged from wife Jo-Ellyn.

Tucker is expected to sue Michigan State, and litigation, without settlement, could last up to two years and cost the university more than $2 million in legal fees, lawyer Tom Mars told The News this week. Mars said Tucker's case is flimsy, but that Michigan State might be motivated to settle rather than have the story continue to play out in the media for months and months. Mars said Tucker also should have the motivation to settle, even for a fraction of the more than $80 million, rather than see details of his personal life constantly in the public eye.

"It really comes down to a game of chicken," said Mars, who has represented multiple coaches in for-cause firings.

Tucker, 51, a Cleveland native who played collegiately at Wisconsin, was 20-14 in three-plus seasons at Michigan State and is 25-21 overall as a head coach. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at MSU and also has coached Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, LSU and Miami (Ohio) in college, and with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns in the NFL.

Michigan State (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) travels to Iowa (3-1, 0-1) on Saturday, for its first road game of the season, which Barnett said this week could be a good thing given all the turmoil in East Lansing. With Tucker's firing, the transfer portal immediately opens for Michigan State players for 30 days; earlier this week, Barnett and players said no players had indicated their intentions to leave, though two recruits have decommitted since Saturday.

"I told them today: I love this team. I love this team," Barnett said Monday. "Guys could've said, 'I'm shutting it down, I'm done, we haven't had any of that.

"Keep fighting, keep pushing, and this thing is going to turn."

tpaul@detroitnews.com

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