OT: Freep reporting MSU to offer Tucker $95m/10 year contract
November 17th, 2021 at 3:27 PM ^
This shows you that if you beat Michigan you will never not be revered there. He’ll have to match recruiting expectations to the money now.
November 17th, 2021 at 3:57 PM ^
Well obviously. Imagine if Harbaugh could beat OSU.
November 17th, 2021 at 4:43 PM ^
Right, but MSU will need to move their measuring stick from absolutely must beat Michigan and contend for the big ten championship to must contend for the big ten championship, CFP and win the National championship.
Huge props to Tucker’s agent. That’s massive money for anyone. I get the logic from MSU. Definite interest from other schools, having a great year, he’s only 49. Strike while the iron is hot. They could have the next Nick Saban.
November 17th, 2021 at 5:39 PM ^
Tucker is not the next Saban and is not worth that kind of money.
November 17th, 2021 at 5:45 PM ^
This reminds me of Notre Dame’s rush to lockup Charlie Weis for the long term.
November 17th, 2021 at 6:12 PM ^
Which is ironic since MSU had THE Nick Saban and let him walk.
November 17th, 2021 at 8:16 PM ^
How do you know he isn’t? Nobody knew Nick Saban was going to be NICK SABAN before he went to LSU. But I forgot this is MGoBlog so any MSU success that Michigan fans feel threatened by it must be just random fluke. Wake up guys. MSU is here to stay. They got a guy that they’re backing and based on the contract will probably put as many resources behind him as possible. So now it is up to Michigan to stay ahead of the curve.
This isn’t John L Smith Michigan State anymore guys. Hasn’t been for a long time and it looks like they’re going to do whatever they can to not slide back that way. So accept it and hope Michigan stays ahead of the curb.
November 17th, 2021 at 9:34 PM ^
How does he know Tucker isn't Nick Saban? Well, Saban is the greatest college coach of all time. So I think he's playing the odds that Tucker is not going to be the greatest college coach of all time when his career is over.
November 18th, 2021 at 9:15 AM ^
You’re playing the current results while it is impossible for Tucker to be that at this moment. I’m not saying he’s going to be but to us you never know and to MSU they might not want to run the risk of running off what could be a generational coach for them.
Plus, we can’t talk too much here. Mel Tucker is 2-0 against Michigan but the fan base hubris is going to poo poo it and mock it. What if he beats OSU Saturday? What if they get into the big ten championship? What if they get into the College Football Playoff? That’s all on the table in his second year. And yet the knee jerk reaction is to say oh well MSU got lucky in the Michigan win. That’s always the excuse. The only time I’ve felt they got away with one was the dreaded “trouble with the snap” play. Or, once Kenneth Walker leaves they are done. They just got lucky. How do you know this to be absolute? They can just try to find another Kenneth Walker. Get your heads out of your arses. MSU is here to stay.
That doesn’t mean Michigan isn’t. But it’s going to be a long 10 years.
November 18th, 2021 at 11:22 AM ^
For now, Tucker is MSU’s best option and they don’t want teams poaching him, aka LSU. MSU has found success against Michigan and those folks in East Lansing believe they can build on this. They want Dantonio 2.0, which I think Tucker is. As a Michigan fan, it sucks that he’s 2-0 already against Michigan. This could swing the balance of control of the state towards MSU again. Ugh, I think I threw up in my mouth a little bit….
God, I hope I’m wrong and they’re just really lucky….
November 17th, 2021 at 6:06 PM ^
Tucker has had one good season as a coach and it came about because he worked the transfer portal masterfully. Not sure he will always be able to do that and with that kind of money he better win some nattys. I don’t think he’s good enough to do it. Time will tell but I wouldn’t pay him that kind of money if I was MSU
November 17th, 2021 at 6:06 PM ^
Imagine how much Tucker could get if he could beat OSU
November 17th, 2021 at 3:28 PM ^
This would make Mel Tucker the highest paid coach in the nation. And for what? Beating Michigan twice and exploiting the transfer portal so badly that they made a rule to stop him? Seems a bit much. Same thing will happen to him that happens to every MSU coach, MSU ends up brazenly average.
November 17th, 2021 at 3:36 PM ^
what rule did they make to stop him?
November 17th, 2021 at 4:20 PM ^
Because of COVID they allowed changes to the transfer portal that allowed things like MSU taking 32 players to happen. As of next season that will be limited to 7 players per team:
https://theathletic.com/news/ncaa-d-i-council-approves-1-year-signing-limits-waiver-to-account-for-transfers/rO2GwQvo6YDt/
November 17th, 2021 at 4:33 PM ^
Upvote, I did not no this and it is a big deal.
November 17th, 2021 at 5:07 PM ^
Yeah I didn't realize he grabbed 32 freakin guys. No wonder he was able to hit a lottery pick outta that group. They are definitely in for a regression based on that alone
November 17th, 2021 at 8:13 PM ^
Is that an exaggeration? I only count 20, but maybe my source isn’t all inclusive. Regardless, it really shows what a shot job dantonio did the last few years.
November 18th, 2021 at 8:48 AM ^
He didn't, 18 guys announced transfer-in, and 14 actually signed.
6 of them are starters.
Basically every one a 3 star out of HS
November 17th, 2021 at 5:00 PM ^
Looks like Mel Tuckers secret strategy to re-enact the movie "The Replacements" every year will not work in the future. Is he a one-trick pony or can he actually scout and recruit well enough to sustain this success? That's a lot of money to gamble with.
November 17th, 2021 at 6:13 PM ^
Did you even read the article? Because that's not what it says, it says up to 7 players above the 25 per year limit if you had transfers. There is no limit to how many of those 25-32 can be from the portal.
November 17th, 2021 at 7:20 PM ^
I have my popcorn ready for Mel Tucker to take 0 incoming freshman and 32 transfers every single year.
November 18th, 2021 at 8:44 AM ^
MSU signed 18 transfers in, not sure how you made up 32, as if that number of transfers and 20+ new recruits are possible in one class. Seriously 52 in one year, play better.
The point is he's beating a UM team with a brand and talent levels which should not occur.
If MSU wants to over pay to that level, who cares, 8-9 million will become the top ten coaching salary soon.
Mel Tucker is not a top ten coach.
November 17th, 2021 at 4:00 PM ^
They gave him the Jimbo deal for winning 3 games where he was outgained and greatly aided by turnover luck, absolute sheer stupidity (thanks Frost), and some all time awful officiating. He also plucked a Heisman candidate out of the transfer portal. It has shades of 2011 Brady Hoke all over the place (Brady didn’t pluck a Heisman candidate but got lucky Denard decided to stay and then proceeded to completely misuse him in a pro I-form but still go 11-2). There’s some big time schadenfreude ahead for us folks.
The saddest part of this all is the priorities of MSU donors. Their university is struggling so hard to pay dining hall workers high enough wages that they’re asking faculty to volunteer… but cut a ˜$100M check for a football coach like it’s nothing.
The unanswered question here that hasn’t been reported and we don’t know yet: what’s the new buyout figure? that’s the only thing that’ll quiet down LSU chatter
November 17th, 2021 at 4:24 PM ^
Obviously I'm biased here, but I feel like this contract is going to look absurd in a few years when Tucker reverts to his historical mean and MSU is paying the guy top dollar for 7-5 seasons and they have to pay an enormous buyout if they want to fire him
November 17th, 2021 at 8:51 PM ^
Considering coaches' salaries almost always only go up, this deal will probably look pretty reasonable in a few years, especially if he keeps racking up victories against Michigan.
November 18th, 2021 at 4:00 PM ^
I think you're putting too much stock into some concept of his "historical mean", given that as a head coach so far he's had 1 full season at Colorado, a covid season at MSU, and this partial season. Small sample to confidently judge that, don't you think?
November 18th, 2021 at 8:04 PM ^
Same could be said about the people willing to pay him $95 million over 10 years.
November 17th, 2021 at 4:35 PM ^
The guy can obviously recruit.
Their class is similiar to ours and has probably several players that we would have wanted.
November 17th, 2021 at 5:01 PM ^
Who are all these players that we probably would have wanted? I haven’t heard of many players that we are both after that have chosen MSU
November 17th, 2021 at 4:43 PM ^
Exploiting the transfer portal?? This is a idiotic take lol
November 17th, 2021 at 3:28 PM ^
I’m not convinced he’s all that.
November 17th, 2021 at 3:36 PM ^
Amazing DISRESPEKT for.....Mork Dee'Antonio!
November 17th, 2021 at 4:00 PM ^
....and John L.....
November 17th, 2021 at 5:17 PM ^
I really miss the John L version of Sparty
November 17th, 2021 at 7:55 PM ^
THE COACHES...ARE SCREWIN IT UP
November 17th, 2021 at 3:45 PM ^
Seems likely they end 9-3 with lucky wins against us, Neb, IU, and arguably WKU with a Heisman transfer RB.
Now that's not nothing given the state of program he inherited, and lucky or not, he deserves credit for the big win against us this year and for bringing in Walker, but yeah, I'm not buying that he's anything special at this point.
That said, it would also be foolish for MSU to not try to do whatever they can to keep him if he's got legit interest from an LSU etc. because who else are they gonna find?
November 17th, 2021 at 3:48 PM ^
Matt Campbell???
November 17th, 2021 at 4:00 PM ^
"Lucky" wins lol
Not every close game is "lucky." Take off the glasses.
November 17th, 2021 at 4:08 PM ^
Play the UM game tomorrow but with NFL officials…feel confident in a spartan win?
November 17th, 2021 at 4:20 PM ^
Let's go one by one.
Beat Michigan while getting outgained by 157 yards. Converted 2/2 2 pt conversions and 2/2 4th down attempts. Obviously also benefited from terrible overturned fumble by at least 4 pts. According to ESPN at one point Mich had a 88.5% chance of victory.
Beat Nebraska while getting outgained by 188 yards. 188 yards yep. Needed a late PR TD on a Nebraska special teams gaffe to get to OT. According to ESPN at one point Neb had a 93.6% chance of victory.
Beat IU while getting outgained 322-241. Also trailed in the second half. Won because back up Tuttle threw 2 picks including a pick 6. Lucky to have not played Penix and still only won by one score while once again getting outgained.
Beat WKU while getting outgained once again and almost giving up 500 yards through the air. This was the least lucky, but generally giving up 560 yards is not a recipe for success.
If you don't think MSU has been lucky this year, you haven't been paying attention. 4-1 in games where they averaged a yardage deficit of 120 yards.
November 17th, 2021 at 4:31 PM ^
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
- John Adams
November 17th, 2021 at 5:42 PM ^
Evidently John Adams never heard of social media.
November 17th, 2021 at 4:32 PM ^
Mostly agree, but MSU was never really in trouble against WKU.
November 17th, 2021 at 4:35 PM ^
It got tight at the end. WKU looked like they were on their way to cutting it to a one score lead in a game they couldn't be stopped. But yeah that one wasn't so much lucky I guess as just an embarrassing defensive effort.
November 17th, 2021 at 4:54 PM ^
Getting "out-gained" is not a big deal with the defense they run and doesn't mean they deserved to lose all of those games. They play loose coverage until the 20 yard line in order to keep receivers in front of their marginal secondary. The do seem tighten up in the red-zone (except against Purdue).
November 17th, 2021 at 5:41 PM ^
No, they play loose coverage because their secondary sucks ass and they don’t want to get beat over the top. Then in the redzone they play “tight” because there’s no more room. Teams run the ball more in the redzone (again, because there’s less room to run routes) MSU has a good run defense.
They don’t play any special kind of defense. They don’t intentionally let you throw all over them and then decide to play defense in the redzone. It just happens that their glaring weakness is harder to exploit when the field shrinks.
November 17th, 2021 at 7:01 PM ^
Since we are keep track of things, the second 2-point conversion should not have counted. Turner knocked the ball free from Reed as he was falling to the ground and Turner actually came up with the ball. Had the officials even taken a half hearted look at the scoring replay, they should have waived that second 2-point conversion off. Seth did a great write up on it in his 'Upon Further Review' Defense vs. MSU main page article.
November 17th, 2021 at 10:55 PM ^
"I'd rather be lucky than good," said everybody, everywhere.