Mel Tucker being offered 10yr $95 million - craziness

Submitted by Wolverrrrrrroudy on November 19th, 2021 at 7:11 AM

Pays to be at the right place at the right time.  He's 16-13 as a head coach - with one season at Colorado and two at MSU.  If you take away 9 -1 record this season he was 7-12 coming into this season.  

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Macenblu

November 19th, 2021 at 7:58 AM ^

Sure it can and it will.  As long as wealthy boosters exist (breaking news: they aren't going away) they will continue to pay for this.  Having as much $ as possible coupled with trying to relive their college years are more worthy endeavors than some other causes that could be addressed in society to these people

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energyblue1

November 19th, 2021 at 8:08 AM ^

When the B10 TV contract is paying over 50 million a year and revenues are going up, 10 mil a year doesn’t sound like that much. Esp if boosters are donating more than the coaches salary.  Bigger question tbh is will they be able to afford assistants and a recruiting budget?  

Also it’s the world of cf.   Where does Michigan go when we get a new school president?  Are we more open to the NIL to win, open the checkbooks in NIL, open up admissions and really go after winning conf and national titles or we content with filling the big house and 8-10 win seasons.  Don’t care who the coach is, gotta be willing to compete at the highest level to get the highest results.  Revenue is there, everything is there.  Time to get it all!  

Joined: 03/19/2010

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FlexUM

November 19th, 2021 at 7:27 AM ^

I don't know how good of a coach he is but this msu team shouldn't have been able to walk and chew gum last year and they should have been an unmitigated disaster this year...yet they are not and he is 2-0 vs michigan. No matter how fluky, how screwed over UM was in the game this year msu is going to back up the brinks truck when a coach does that. I'm not saying I agree with it, btw.

His players play hard for him and he obviously has "something" it's just not clear to me how much that something is right place right time + luck that is multiplying the situation or if he is a genuinely top tier elite coach. 

I do imagine he is a top tier leader as far as getting players to buy in and play for him which goes a lot way with 18-22 year olds.

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energyblue1

November 19th, 2021 at 8:14 AM ^

Top tier elite coaches don’t get it handed to them by Purdue, and for all the talk, the late td’s made it look closer than it was and Tucker was an emotional mess after that game.  

That said, I also think the 2-0 over Michigan is the worst reason to give him that big a contract.  I digress, no matter how he got it, it is the record.  But a realist paying money should scrutinize as in, conditions, well covid, and half our nfl players sat out last year, a bunch more injured in that game. This year was a total assist by officials, and even if you don’t see it that way, you still see it as a win but must recognize the rest of cf pats you on the back for the win but didn’t respect the outcome as shown by the CFP ranking.  

Is he a good coach, obviously.  Is he a great coach and lock him up for 10 years with huge buyouts to keep him from the sec?  Idk, have not seen the reason to believe that yet.  But, big game agains Osu this week and big game against Psu… win those and win the b10 in year two would be impressive even if the assist was granted in the rivalry game.  

Joined: 03/19/2010

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energyblue1

November 19th, 2021 at 11:46 AM ^

That osu defense was weak giving up 26pts a game and it was a middle season game they had zero business losing.  This purdue team is much the same as that 2018 team.  Has a star rec, has qb's that can get the ball out passing and get hot.  Msu defense got it handed to them and couldn't get to the qb, couldn't stop the pass. 

We over rate the 2018 osu team largely because the outcome of the game.  You put a competent DC willing to adjust his coverage vs osu and Michigan wins.  Gmatt was right to get into it with Brown on the sidelines that game because all he had to do was make some 101 adjustments, tha'ts it.  That offense isn't a genius scheme that's unstoppable, never has been. 

Joined: 03/19/2010

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JonnyHintz

November 19th, 2021 at 8:31 AM ^

Yeah, I mean someone like Urban Meyer would never get their ass handed to them by Purdue. Not in a million years. 
 

https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401013348

That’s not a defense of Tucker, but as silly as you think it is for Tucker to get paid based on his work so far, it’s much more silly to try to judge any coach based on a single game. Meyer or Tucker are no better or worse as a coach because they lost big to Purdue. Top tier elite coaches can get their asses handed to them now and then too. 

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BlueTimesTwo

November 19th, 2021 at 8:29 AM ^

But they were terrible last year.  We just happened to be just as bad in a meaningless season.  Also, while it seems like he is mainly following the Dantonio model of preaching toughness and disrespect, his biggest accomplishment was utilizing the portal and processing kids out of the program at a level that made Nick Saban envious.  If you think that he will be able to pull a Kenneth Walker out of a hat on a regular basis and continue to get lots of luck and help from the zebras, then I guess that is a path to success.  Not sure how sustainable it is, especially once the pressure of expectations is there.

At that pay rate, anything less than a 10-win season every year would have to be considered a failure.  You also have to wonder if this is the boosters way of signaling to recruits that MSU will be willing to pay whatever it takes to be successful. *wink, wink*

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