Saban helped MSU in Coaching Search/Endorsed Tucker
Thought the board would be interested to know that Saban sought to help MSU out with their coaching search.
Key quote:
"'I'm very interested in Michigan State having the right person,'" Saban said in the phone call, according to the source.
I wonder how often such back channels occur for these type of things where a coach from another school helps a school on their coaching search, unsolicited.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:08 PM ^
That sort of thing likely happens a lot.
Personally, I've referred folks to old employers. I may not be there any more but I appreciate the role they played in my life journey/career.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:13 PM ^
Not really.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:19 PM ^
Probably because you're unemployable.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:40 PM ^
The dude edited his original post, anyway, no I am. I have held the same job for years, but thanks for the personal attack.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:50 PM ^
No he didn’t, not in any meaningful way at least. I saw his post and your response.
February 12th, 2020 at 6:30 PM ^
You're welcome
February 12th, 2020 at 8:28 PM ^
Tough talk coming from an unemployed analrapist and supposed thespian....
February 12th, 2020 at 5:35 PM ^
agreed. Falls under the reference category...
And good on you for helping out a potential candidate and employer
February 12th, 2020 at 6:35 PM ^
I may be completely misremembering this, but didn’t Harbaugh say he consulted with Belichick on the Don Brown hire?
February 12th, 2020 at 6:41 PM ^
He did. This happens all the time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It means very little.
February 12th, 2020 at 6:49 PM ^
agree -- except in that situation, you had Harbaugh soliciting the opinion of others, not the other way around. seems to indicate either Saban still wants to see MSU succeed or really hates Michigan/Harbaugh and wants to maximize their competition for them to fail, or (and most likely) both.
February 12th, 2020 at 7:28 PM ^
The article suggests to me that MSU reached out to Saban, not the other way around. It mentions them asking him about Tucker.
February 12th, 2020 at 7:52 PM ^
not to belabor the point, but here's why it seemed Saban reached out to MSU:
After Dantonio stepped down a week ago after 13 seasons, Saban quickly called a longtime Michigan State acquaintance. That eventually led to the coordination of a lengthy phone conversation between Saban and athletic director Bill Beekman and deputy athletic director Alan Haller.
February 12th, 2020 at 8:43 PM ^
tom izzo = 'longtime Michigan State acquaintance'?
February 12th, 2020 at 7:58 PM ^
Fair, a 3rd option for your theory is Saban knew that MSU had screwed the pooch and was in a terrible spot, and smelled a nice payday for a friend.
February 12th, 2020 at 8:58 PM ^
Tucker was on Saban’s staff at MSU and at Bama (maybe Saban was his coach too, I’m too lazy to care). They are likely friends and Saban probably likes the guy.
Coaches can be regular people too.
February 12th, 2020 at 9:03 PM ^
I hope most of my old employers get infected with viruses that cause them to eat each others brains. But that's just me.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:09 PM ^
February 12th, 2020 at 5:17 PM ^
They will suck. This dude will last 2 years MAX.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:29 PM ^
Just logged in to downvote the asshole from Australia.
February 12th, 2020 at 11:27 PM ^
February 12th, 2020 at 6:41 PM ^
No kidding. This is Mel Tucker mania. Nobody heard of this guy 4 days ago.
I do think it is time people stopped creating MSU OPs now.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:19 PM ^
It was probably a courtesy call.
Saban : "Yeah, I remember him. Good guy. Worth an interview."
Then, put through the Sparty spin cycle:
Comparoni : National champion coach Nick Saban endorses the hiring of Tucker! Read more for JUST $9.95 a month!
February 12th, 2020 at 6:38 PM ^
More like:
”He didn’t work out for me, but he’d be great for you.”
February 12th, 2020 at 5:21 PM ^
So whatever. Doesn't mean the guy will be a good HC. Plus he looks like a wanderer. He will make Harbaugh look like a Redwood tree movement wise.
He has many obstacles. Some maybe not even clear yet.
February 12th, 2020 at 6:41 PM ^
The guy could be the second coming of Nick Saban and it'll still probably take til his 3rd year to be competitive with us based on their current roster and recruiting classes. Dude has A LOT of work ahead of him and that's if none of the current scandals end up affecting their scholarship numbers or further tank their image to potential recruits
February 12th, 2020 at 6:51 PM ^
Not to mention the damage going 3-9 next year will do to recruiting anyway. Just doesn’t seem to be much upward trajectory in this job.
February 12th, 2020 at 8:51 PM ^
Yeah like recruiting. How are you gonna go into somebody’s living room and sell your program when you just lied/bailed on your only full class? Yep we are trying to build something real here at MSU but if a powerhouse program calls I’m gonna have to dip.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:24 PM ^
This happens all the time. Tucker started as a GA for Saban and they’ve known each other for over 20 years. He’s just looking out for one of his guys.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:26 PM ^
Cool, go discuss it on their message boards.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:31 PM ^
Well, Saban fucked MSU over before - maybe he’s doing it again?
February 12th, 2020 at 5:39 PM ^
Hmm....let’s see...no I can’t remember even one person endorsing their friend for a huge payday during our basketball coaching search.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:40 PM ^
He also did this for Mel before coming to CU.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:43 PM ^
It will be interesting to see who Tucker brings in as his assistants. Dantonio was a good coach but handicapped by MAC level assistants. Mel needs to find a high quality staff, particularly due to the fact he has little experience and is in the 2nd toughest division in CFB.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:54 PM ^
The one good thing for MSU football that came from this is that Mel got them to up the assistant pool while he was holding them hostage.
I’ll still be entirely dismissive of them because it’s fun and *gestures at tire fire* but I guess that part turned out ok.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:54 PM ^
Sounds like they are offering Vince Marrow close to $1M to come over. That would be a good hire.
February 12th, 2020 at 6:58 PM ^
Oy. that is a good get if they can pull it out. No way around that.
February 12th, 2020 at 5:55 PM ^
Part of the deal is a huge package for assistants and conditioning... These folks may not stay long (and they may not win with all of the other challenges up there) but it MSU will at least have good assistant coaching support.
February 12th, 2020 at 6:20 PM ^
...and Saban used to coach at MSU, so you would think he has some affinity for them as well. I'm not the only one who remembers that. Right?
February 12th, 2020 at 6:27 PM ^
Surely that's not true! Sparty would have at least had two national titles and a handful of all Americans if they had Saban! /s
February 12th, 2020 at 6:36 PM ^
Interesting they value Saban's input but not Mike Dantonio's.
February 12th, 2020 at 6:46 PM ^
*Mitch” Dantonio.
February 12th, 2020 at 7:22 PM ^
Mork DiGiorno
February 12th, 2020 at 7:28 PM ^
I wonder if we're ever going to come up with a name for Mel Tucker.
February 12th, 2020 at 8:07 PM ^
Meal Trucker aka pizza delivery driver
February 12th, 2020 at 11:31 PM ^
I like it. Has legs.
February 13th, 2020 at 3:22 AM ^
”Smell Tugger”, perhaps? Kinda gross; seems to imply onanism. I dunno, just workshoppin’.
And I gotta say it for maybe the last time: Mook D’Ambrosio.
Edit: you could also go with the same “not important enough to get it right” theme as Mork, and go with ‘Mel Torme’.
February 12th, 2020 at 6:48 PM ^
So, there is a reason he has been coaching since 1997 and he just started as a head coach last year. People talk about him like he's Sean fucking McVay; he's almost 50.
Typically, when guys like him go from job to job to job and don't get calls... it's not because they forgot about him.
In one of the biggest jobs he has had on his own, which was the DC for the Bears, their defense was absolutely fucking abysmal.
I said it with Fickell, and I'll say it with this guy. State fans need to stop treating him like he's Knute Rockne. He's a risk. Could pay off. Could fail massively.
February 12th, 2020 at 6:51 PM ^
Hmmm??? A similar Big Ten hire about 5 years ago that worked out really well! Their fans were really enthused as well!