Michigan State fires head football coach Mel Tucker amid Sex Harassment Scandal

By | Niranjan Bhargav 27 Sep, 2023

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

Tucker was notified last week that he would be fired for a reason after sexual-misconduct claims leveled against him by rape survivor and advocate Brenda Tracy. Michigan State thinks it has the legal right to terminate Tucker’s contract, which has eight years and more than $80 million remaining.

Tucker’s legal team has indicated that the judgment would be challenged in court.

The announcement comes two days after Tucker’s attorneys submitted a 25-page letter to Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller in response to Haller’s letter to Tucker last week alerting him that the university intended to terminate him. Given the timeliness of the letter of intent, Michigan State could only officially terminate Tucker on Tuesday, according to the rules of his contract. Tucker’s attorneys responded by painting Tucker as the victim and blasting the university for looking into Tucker’s personal life, which includes what he has described as 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 stated 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 cited Tucker’s “admitted and undisputed behaviors which have brought public disrespect, contempt, and ridicule upon the university” in a press statement issued just after noon Wednesday, stating his actions “constitute a material breach of his agreement and moral turpitude.”

There are no immediate plans for a news conference at Michigan State. A message left for Tucker’s agent, Neil Cornrich, seeking comment was not returned immediately Tuesday.

Tucker was hired by Michigan State in February 2020, enticing him away from Colorado, where he had just completed his first year as head coach. Tucker’s first year at MSU was the COVID season, but he quickly turned things around in 2021, when the Spartans went 11-2, including a win over Michigan and a Peach Bowl victory over Pittsburgh.

During that season, Michigan State extended Tucker’s contract in order to avoid losing him to another school, specifically LSU, thanks to donations from mega-donors Mat Ishbia and Steve St. Andre.

Tucker coached the first two games of the season, victories over Central Michigan and Richmond, despite Michigan State knowing in March that Tracy had filed a sexual misconduct accusation against Tucker. The claimed encounter occurred last year during a late-night phone chat with Tracy, during which Tucker masturbated. Tucker, who was on an MSU-paid vacation in Florida at the time of the conversation, does not deny it occurred but believes it was consensual; Tracy has stated that it was not and filed a formal complaint in December. An outside Title IX inquiry was begun in March by MSU’s Office of Civil Rights and concluded in July.

Tracy and Tucker will be allowed to question each other through their attorneys in a hearing to establish a settlement on Oct. 5 and 6. Tucker may go; Tracy has stated that she will.

Tracy informed the university’s independent investigator that she believes Tucker pretended to be an ally in her cause in order to gain intimate access to her.

“It’s like he sought me out just to betray me,” she explained.

Tucker has denied sexually abusing Tracy, although he has admitted masturbating and making sexual jokes during the conversation, claiming that he and Tracy had a romance that resulted in consensual “phone sex.”

The university ruled that the issue fit inside its sexual harassment standards since Tracy was a university vendor, and Tucker’s alleged acts damaged her continued commercial relationship with the institution.

Tucker’s dismissal might herald the start of further difficulties for Michigan State in what could be a protracted and costly legal struggle. Tucker and his counsel have hinted that they would sue the school for wrongful termination and seek restitution for the nearly $80 million remaining on his contract.

Regardless, the hearing is scheduled to resume next week, and the stakes remain high. Tracy has expressed concern that Tucker would harm her career and legacy by portraying her as a lady who juggles work and personal relationships and files fraudulent reports. A fault finding against Tucker would reduce his chances of securing another coaching position.

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