MSU officially fires Mel Tucker as head football coach

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Michigan State University (MSU) announced Mel Tucker has been fired as head coach for its football team.

MSU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Alan Haller, with the support of the interim president and the board of trustees, terminated Mel Tucker’s employment contract on Wednesday.

See the termination letter below:

Mel Tucker's Termination Letter by Samantha on Scribd

Tuesday marked the final day of Tucker’s contracted seven days to respond to his contract termination from Sept. 18 when MSU’s athletic director announced that Tucker would be fired.

Tucker became embroiled in controversy after a USA Today report alleged Tucker had nonconsensual phone sex with a woman working with the football team on violence education. The report said a woman working with the football program on violence education claimed that Tucker performed nonconsensual phone sex with her.

The woman, identified as Brenda Tracy, is also a rape survivor. The report alleges that Tracy filed a complaint against Tucker to the university in December 2022, which resulted in a Title IX investigation into Tucker’s behavior.

According to MSU leadership, an outside investigator was brought in when the initial report was filed in December. In July 2023, the investigator recommended a formal hearing regarding the allegations.

After his contract was terminated without cause, Tucker responded with a statement that read:

“I can only conclude that MSU does not care about my rights, the truth, or its future liability for policing its employees’ private lives. Ms. Tracy manufactured false allegations against me. MSU ignored its own policies in pursuing a biased investigation into them. MSU was supposedly going to let that flawed process play out before deciding what to do, but has now reneged on even that. While this miscarriage of justice has devastated me and my family, I find solace in knowing that the investigator concluded we had a “personal relationship.” Ms. Tracy expressed consent to every facet of our relationship. I look forward to one day obtaining discovery against MSU, including the Trustees and the Athletic Department, to see what they really knew and said about this matter, as well as their motives in handling the entire investigative process. MSU now claims that after having already terminated my employment, it is committed to completing the “formal grievance process”—a process that expressly calls for confidentiality (which MSU publicly acknowledged failing to provide)—to determine if I violated any school policy. The public can decide if any of this rings true or fair”
Mel Tucker

On Monday, Sept. 25, Mel Tucker’s attorney responded to the termination with a 12-page press release highlighting their reasons why Tucker should not be fired with reasons such as the following:

“Based on the aforementioned reasons, the reported behavior
Did not occur on-campus or off-campus in a University-sponsored program or activity as required by RVSM Policy III(E)(1)(c)(i-iii), and
Did not lead to continuing adverse effects on the campus or on a University-sponsored program or activity as required by RVSM Policy III(E)(1)(c)(iv), and Would not meet a definition of prohibited conduct, even if proven.”

Read the full 12-page response below:

Mel Tucker responds to termination in 12 page press release by Brendan Vrabel on Scribd

The hearing for Tucker to respond to his allegations is scheduled for October.

MSU officials aid this action does not conclude the ongoing Office for Civil Rights case—the process will continue.

Acting Head Football Coach Harlon Barnett is now named as interim head coach, subject to board approval during its October hearing.

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