How has Mel Tucker been named B1G Coach of the year?

Submitted by lebriarjr on November 30th, 2021 at 1:03 PM

I don’t get this how is Mel named the B1G Coach of year over Harbaugh? 
 

Tucker got help from the refs to beat Uof〽️ and get destroyed by Ohio State and loses to an unranked Purdue team.  
 

Thoughts…

Watching From Afar

November 30th, 2021 at 1:07 PM ^

MSU was predicted to be worse than Michigan this year, after a season in which they finished last in the East.

MSU didn't win the East, but they were 1 game out with a win over the East Champ.

I don't have much of a problem with it. 1 more game to go win and claim everything greater than MSU can, and Harbaugh seems comfortable in who he is and what he has accomplished this season (donating back his bonuses for example).

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Watching From Afar

November 30th, 2021 at 1:46 PM ^

I've said it before, but I'm generally fine with how the MSU game played out. Couldn't be too upset by it, just a few unlucky breaks, but no systemic failure that bore out to show Michigan to be the lesser team.

I think as the season progressed it's clear now though that the gap between Michigan and MSU is closer to the 30-14 score it was in the 2nd half that it was 37-33 at the final gun. Michigan is the better team. Play that game 10 times and Michigan wins it 7 or 8 times.

Tucker can have the COY award. They got trounced by OSU, lost to an unranked Purdue, and needed Michigan to give up a 16 point 2nd half lead including an unforced fumble and two 2 point conversions. Clear to me that MSU is the 3rd best team in the East, but they weren't expected to be that when the season opened.

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TrueBlue2003

November 30th, 2021 at 1:45 PM ^

Yeah, I could see an argument for both.  Very impressive job by both coaches this year.  In most other years this would be a no brainer for Harbaugh but it came in a year when a guy scraped together a team from the transfer portal and beat the other contender for the award to go from last place to 10-2 and third in the division.

It's close enough not complain much. Still would have given it to the guy that revamped his coaching staff and went from second to last in the division to first.

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IDKaGoodName

November 30th, 2021 at 2:07 PM ^

I see your point and get the logistics. One thing I find comical, at least as a M fan, is the thought of what this and the entire perception of Mel Tucker would have been had the strip sack TD right before half time not been miraculously over-turned based on the video evidence. That play stands, we win (obviously not a given, but also, a given), Mel Tucker looks more like an average-to-good coach this year, he may or may not get a ridiculous extension, Aidan Hutchinson can add more stats to his ridiculous resume, and that fumble recovery probably lands him on the Bednarik watch list, since clearly a fumble recovery TD was the only thing he was needing to be included, Jim Harbaugh wins Big Ten COTY, we are arguing with people about whether its us or UGA that should be #1...obviously taking some liberties here, but the idea/thought is still there. 

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flashOverride

November 30th, 2021 at 2:20 PM ^

That, the Nebraska punt screw-up, a close game in the snow against Penn State...7-5 was mere feet away.

But they got 10-2 and fought for it. He's doing solid things there. Do I think the success is going to be as easily replicated in the future, given HOW he did it, as Sparty fans seem to think it is? No. But he earned it this year, I'm cool with it.

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TonyinLA

November 30th, 2021 at 2:53 PM ^

^ This.  We may not think much of MSU and their future with our maize tinted glasses but 10-2 is a good year and they were picked to be last in the BIG East.  

If you told Michigan fans before the beginning of the season that the team's record would be 10-2 at the end of the season, not a single person would turn that down.  

I don't know if Mel is going to be a good coach in the long term but we should tip our caps to the job he has done this year even if we think Harbaugh is better.  

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Blue Vet

November 30th, 2021 at 1:07 PM ^

You're right but Coach of the Year is rarely the best coaching job of the year but the best story. Staee winning 10 games and beating Michigan is an easy story to understand.

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Blue Vet

November 30th, 2021 at 2:58 PM ^

It's a GREAT story, more decenter than the EL story (BoCan), b/c AA is decenter of the CFB universe (XM).

But despite BPONE, losses to rivals, etc., Michigan is still considered a blue-chip program so the thrill we feel is 10 wins isn't as dramatic to the Indianas & Northwesterns & Nebraskas, as Staee's 10 wins.

Obviously though "Michigan-wins-again" isn't as dramatic, Harbaugh's a better coach, Michigan's schedule was tougher, its wins more impressive.

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BlueTimesTwo

November 30th, 2021 at 1:38 PM ^

The way he coached the Nebraska punter to kick away from his entire coverage team was genius.  Not to mention how he coached the refs to overturn the strip sack touchdown against us.  That's some high level coaching.  Not just any coach can get his team ranked #33 in SP+ (just 32 others, in fact).

They had a nice little season, with two bad losses, even when everything went their way.  Now they are tied long-term to a coach with a very thin resume.  Let's see if they can keep up with expectations.

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FreddieMercuryHayes

November 30th, 2021 at 1:08 PM ^

Eh, it's not like he doesn't deserve it.  They vastly exceeded expectations.  Vastly.  Yes, they are fortunate to get 10 wins looking at the advanced stats are were very heavily reliant on a home run transfer that I'm not sure can be replicated.  But still, they won 10 games.  

But yes, I think Harbaugh exceeded them more considering won 11 games and beat OSU and won the division.  I think voting may take place before the OSU game, kind of like Heisman voting takes place before all the games are finished.  I wonder if results would be different if voting took place only after Championship games.

Also reminds me of the 2011 season when Hoke won over Dantonio despite MSU winning the division.  In that case, MSU still had two loses, same as UM, but relative to expectations UM outperformed after MSU was coming off a good 2010 season I believe.

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WGoNerd

November 30th, 2021 at 1:08 PM ^

All fairness to Tucker: He legitimately did a very good job this year. Props to him.

*whispers*: Mel Tucker has never finished better than 3rd in the Big Ten East and doesn't even know how to get to Indy.

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rice4114

November 30th, 2021 at 1:53 PM ^

Strange that a similar season for PSU (lost to UM but won the division) Franklin has been looked as the better coach of the two between him and Harbaugh. And Harbaugh blew him out that year and a fluke play gave PSU the win over OSU. Strange how these goalposts keep on moving. 

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njvictor

November 30th, 2021 at 1:08 PM ^

Expectations vs Performance

Michigan outperformed their expectations of being decent and has been very good

MSU outperformed their expectations of being bad and has been good

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saveferris

November 30th, 2021 at 1:10 PM ^

MSU was picked to finished dead last in the East and they didn't.  I also think that Jim Harbaugh is probably not as popular amongst the rest of the Big Ten Coaches fraternity.

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