The Michigan State football team has been etched in controversy and allegations regarding head coach Mel Tucker for the past few weeks. Both the program and Tucker have gone back and forth, but moving on from Tucker always seemed to be the obvious decision for the Spartans. Now, Michigan State is officially set to fire Tucker for cause, as Pete Thamel of ESPN reported.
‘Michigan State University is expected to fire football coach Mel Tucker for cause Wednesday, formally completing a process that was initiated last week, sources told ESPN. Tucker is under university investigation for a sexual misconduct complaint brought forward by Brenda Tracy, a sexual assault awareness speaker.'
Tucker was suspended in September after allegations surfaced regarding sexual harassment, although both he and his attorney have been vocal about the claims and the fact that he is being fired for cause. The school sent a termination letter to Tucker detailing the decision, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN:
The Michigan State football head coach has $79 million left on his contract after inking a 10-year, $95 million deal with the Spartans. With the expectation of him being fired for cause, Michigan State wouldn't need to pay him that money or pay him any sort of buyout.
Mel Tucker's short time in East Lansing is coming to an end after he came over from the Colorado Buffaloes, and he will finish with a 20-14 record, with his best season coming in 2021 as the Spartans finished 11-2 and won the Peach Bowl.
What happens next for Michigan State remains to be seen, and there are plenty of coaches who should have an interest in a top-tier job such as this one. For now, Harlan Barnett is the interim head coach, and the Spartans are 2-2 with a road game against Iowa coming up.