10 years, $95 Million for Mel Tucker. Contract FULLY GUARANTEED

[Franisdaman]

Double what KF makes.

The 49-year-old Cleveland native is set to become among the highest-paid coaches in the country.

Alumni Mat Ishbia and Steve St. Andre will donate the private funding to the university for Tucker’s raise. Ishbia, a walk-on member of the Spartans’ 2000 national championship basketball team and a 2003 graduate of MSU’s Eli Broad College of Business, is chairman, president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, which went public in January. The 41-year-old also made a $32 million cash donation in February to help construct a new football facility.

It is not clear if Tucker's assistant coaches salary pool - $6 million according to the contract he signed in 2020 — will increase under this new contract.

The deal surpasses the estimated $7 million contract of Penn State’s James Franklin that is the highest salary in the Big Ten in 2021, according to a USA TODAY salary database. Only former MSU coach Nick Saban at Alabama ($9.753 million) is making more this season than Tucker will under his reworked contract, according to the database. LSU's Ed Orgeron is the second-highest-paid coach in college football this year at $9.012 million.

Tucker's $5.632 million in total compensation this season was fourth among Big Ten coaches and 13th nationally, according to USA TODAY.

 

[LarryMullenJr.]

Odds have shown in about year 5 or 6 they'll regret it. But good for Mel!

 

[jonesy5960]

That's NFL money right there.

 

[cidsports]

Good to see Mel and his family looking to remain close to family. Not surprised to hear this being the case.

Nick Saban wasn't a Midwesterner. Mel and his wife are to my knowledge.

 

[EpenesaEpenesa]

Outrageous

 

[stanzithemanzi12]

Absolutely insane. I don't even think MSU is that good this year. Their defense is terrible, and they were extremely fortunate to beat Michigan. I wouldn't be shocked at all if they lose out and lose their bowl game.

 

[gahawk1108]

Can’t fault the man for getting payed! Most have one hell of an agent.

 

[David1979]

Double what KF makes.

View embedded media

That’s really dumb

 

[HawkLogic]

Sounds like a good way to get the Athletic department into money trouble in the future.

 

[Franisdaman]

Odds have shown in about year 5 or 6 they'll regret it. But good for Mel!

He and his agent must be leveraging all of the "Mel Tucker to LSU/USC" talk

 

[MitchLL]

Good for him.

Now the trick will be maintaining success.

 

[Franisdaman]

Good for him.

Now the trick will be maintaining success.

Now watch them lose their next 3 games (including the bowl game)

 

[ichawk24]

Wow, that is a lot to pay for one year of Transfer Portal U. They'd better hope his methods work year-in and year-out.

His career record coming into this season was 7-12.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

It's not that surprising, is it? Essentially, once a coach gets a shot at a power 5 school he can establish his future financial security with one really successful season. It's leverage to sign a better deal with his current school or it's what gets him a big deal at a different school. Either way, taking an msu team from floundering to contender in one season turns into a big payday.

 

[ichawk24]

LOL, the only MSU team that was floundering was the one he coached last year.

 

[CO_hawk]

Jealous

 

[bdg8]

It’s not like he has had sustained success as a head coach

and I thought Barta did some dumb shit when handing out contracts. This is just ridiculous

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Well, he has been a HC for 29 games, and won 16 of them - which is more than half.

$9.5 million a year sounds about right.

 

[Franisdaman]

That's NFL money right there.

Only three NFL coaches in 2021 are making more than Tucker's new deal: New England's Bill Belichick ($12.5 million), Seattle's Pete Carroll ($11 million) and New Orleans' Sean Payton ($9.8 million).


San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich ($11 million) is the only other NBA coach making more than Tucker.

In college basketball, MSU's Tom Izzo ($3.984 million) ranked seventh in total compensation, while Kentucky's John Calipari was No. 1 at $8.095 million.

 

[jonesy5960]

I think he should actually be complaining that this deal still pays less than what Scott Frost is getting on a per win basis.

 

[thomanje]

Sounds like a good way to get the Athletic department into money trouble in the future.

Except, per the article, it's apparently privately funded by 2 alumni, so it's not really even athletic department money

 

[nbanflfactory]

What a foolish ad

 

[Franisdaman]

What a foolish ad

its interesting that its being privately funded

 

[nbanflfactory]

its interesting that its being privately funded

Foolish alumni then. Should be spending millions buying players these days!

 

[Franisdaman]

Foolish alumni then. Should be spending millions buying players these days!

One of the donors, Ishbia, is currently paying EVERY football and men's basketball player $500/month

 

[MepoDawg#]

Sounds like a good way to get the Athletic department into money trouble in the future.

Right after they cut the mens/womens swimming and diving teams.

 

[Franisdaman]

Right after they cut the mens/womens swimming and diving teams.

it appears these 2 very rich alumni like football and men's basketball A LOT

$32M for the new football facility
$40M to cover Tucker's raise

$500/month for EVERY football and men's basketball player

I think Ishbia/his company donated additional money to the men's basketball program as well

 

[iahawkeyes17]

He's going to pull a Fleck and go 0-2 after his extension. I still have nightmares of how inept his defenses were when he was DC for the Bears. I'm most interested in what his buyout is on this new deal.

 

[lakeguy641]

This is just idiotic. He has one good run this year (year not over yet and could lose last 3 games) and you commit almost $100m to the guy? Wow, can’t wait to see the fan base go nuts when they are back to winning 3 games a year and half their team in jail 😬

 

[nbanflfactory]

One of the donors, Ishbia, is currently paying EVERY football and men's basketball player $500/month

That doesn't buy the east let alone a natl ship....a few mill a year might though

 

[DewHawk]

Good for him but D1 coaches salaries are absurd IMO!

 

[SansSouci]

LOL, the only MSU team that was floundering was the one he coached last year.

Yeah, then he recruited like twenty players in the portal. That’s pretty good. He’s doing something right or wrong.

 

[TonyTheTiger.1865]

For 1 good year? Wow! MSU is going to regret this.

 

[Franisdaman]

Good for him but D1 coaches salaries are absurd IMO!

Looks like MSU will fund roughly $5.632 million/ year and the 2 donors will fund the rest

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

He sure found some better peaks after Colorado. John Denver is FOS!

 

[LakeviewHawkeye]

Looks like MSU will fund roughly $5.632 million/ year and the 2 donors will fund the rest

That makes more sense. Still, who does Tucker really work for under this new deal, the donors or the AD?

 

[bumpstock]

That makes more sense. Still, who does Tucker really work for under this new deal, the donors or the AD?

Pretty simple math unless you're an MSU grad.

 

[nbanflfactory]

Pretty simple math unless you're an MSU grad.

How much of the 5.6mill also came from donors?

 

[LakeviewHawkeye]

Pretty simple math unless you're an MSU grad.

Maybe it's not that different than being the Moon Family Head Coach. That said, I'd have a hard time agreeing to boosters directly donating to salaries if I were an AD.

 

[ChiDoc]

MSU has the worst passing defense in fbs cfb and takes on tOSU passing attack on Saturday….

”Opposing teams are averaging 329 yards per game through the air against Michigan State, which is nearly 25 more than any other team in the country has allowed to opponents.”