The Michigan State football program will undergo a major change in 2020. Ahead of the season, longtime head coach Mark Dantonio announced he would be stepping down from his position with the Spartans. But now the team has its replacement.
According to a report from Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Colorado Buffaloes head coach Mel Tucker will be leaving Boulder to take over the Michigan State program in East Lansing.
The news comes just a few days after Tucker said he would be staying put with Colorado.
“While I am flattered to be considered for the head coaching job at Michigan State, I am committed to CU Buffs Football for the build of our program, its great athletes, coaches and supporters,” he said in a statement on February 8.
Last season under Tucker, the Buffaloes went 5-7.
#GoGreenTucker’s decision to take over Michigan State allows him to return to where his coaching career began as a graduate assistant in 1997. He would later make stops at LSU and Ohio State before nearly a decade in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Chicago Bears.
Tucker would return to the collegiate level in 2015 as the assistant head coach and defensive backs coach at Alabama before taking over as defensive coordinator at Georgia. He would ultimately turn that gig into his first head coaching opportunity with Colorado which lasted just one season.
An official announcement can be expected sooner rather than later.
That is all the information that is available at this time. This article will be updated with new and relevant information should it become available at any time. If there is anything that we missed, please feel free to send an email to editor@teamcoed.com and we will respond as soon as possible.