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Well this is awkward.
While I am flattered to be considered for the HC job @MSU_football, I am committed to @CUBuffsFootball for #TheBuild of our program, its great athletes, coaches & supporters. #UnfinishedBusiness #GoBuffs
— Mel Tucker (@Coach_mtucker) February 8, 2020
We are #Relentless #Culture #TheBuild
First-year coach Mel Tucker is pulling the old Willie Taggart, publicly committing to Colorado and then flipping around and heading back east to Michigan State after the sudden retirement of Mark D’Antonio. This was after an initial, public rebuff by Tucker. Yikes.
BREAKING: #CU coach Mel Tucker has agreed in principle to become the new head coach at #MichiganState, per sources. After Tucker turned down initial interest, MSU power brokers came back repeatedly to Tucker’s reps w/ an offer that was impossible to ignore https://t.co/qjOH0qKirQ
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 12, 2020
Good news: Barring a surprise coaching hire like Eric Bieniemy, the departure of Mel Tucker will make the Cal 2021-22 schedule much easier, as the Bears flip Utah and Arizona State for Arizona and Colorado. And if Colorado does go in another direction and pick up a Graham Harrell or Andy Avalos, it could weaken a Pac-12 rival.
Bad news: The Pac-12 has now lost two coaches in two months to mid/bottom-tier SEC/B1G programs because of the growing revenue gap between the two conferences. Michigan State offering their new, unproven coach DOUBLE what Colorado provided in their base contract. Given the state of the Pac-12 contract, that is unlikely to change.
Look... it sucks that Mel Tucker is leaving Colorado after 1 year after saying he way staying but is he supposed to turn down MSU who offered him, his assistants, training staff, recruiting support, and resources more than double what Colorado gave them?
— George Wrighster III (@georgewrighster) February 12, 2020
NOPE. pic.twitter.com/FkxfboYLeu
Basically, will Cal overpay to keep Justin Wilcox like Jeff Tedford? That is a pressing concern. We don’t know .