EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State introduced former Colorado head coach Mel Tucker as the new football head coach during a press conference Wednesday.
He was reportedly signed to a five-year deal worth $5 million per season.
Watch Tucker’s first public comments as coach in the video below.
Tucker originally announced he would stay with Colorado despite Michigan State’s interest, but after MSU’s top choice, Luke Fickell, decided to remain at Cincinnati, the Spartans revisited Tucker. This time, he agreed to take the job.
He was head coach at Colorado for one season, going 5-7.
Tucker is familiar with East Lansing. He was a graduate assistant under Nick Saban in the late 1990s.
The feeling around the Michigan State campus is one of relief. The Spartans landed someone qualified despite the difficult timing of Mark Dantonio stepping down from a position he held for 13 seasons.
Michigan State’s Board of Trustees met at 5 p.m. Wednesday to approve the new contract.
The coaching search reached a breakneck pace after Dantonio stepped down. It took just eight days, with candidates coming and going so fast fans could hardly keep up.
Fans have mixed reactions, but they are warming up to Tucker quickly. He’s no stranger to Michigan State or those on the search committee.