This article will answer every question you have about Mel Tucker. Below are some of the frequently asked questions about him.
- What does Tucker do for a living?
- Who are Tucker’s parents and siblings?
- What are Tucker’s interests and hobbies?
- Is Tucker married or does he have a girlfriend?
- Does Tucker have any children?
- Where is Tucker now?
- How tall is Tucker?
- How much money does Tucker earn?
- What is Tucker’s net worth?
N/B: Please read the entire post to have all your questions answered.
Who is Mel Tucker?
Mel Tucker (Melvin Tucker II) is a famous American college football coach currently serving at Michigan State University as the head coach. Prior to joining Michigan, he served at the University of Colorado as their head coach.
Tucker served the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) in 2011 as their interim head coach for five matches. Additionally, he served at the Ohio State University as a defensive backs coach and the University of Alabama and as the defensive coordinator.
How Old Is Mel Tucker?
Tucker was born to his parents on the 4th of January 1972. He is 49 years of age as of 2021. Tucker shares his birthday with celebrities like Derrick Henry, Isaac Newton, Emma Mackey, Jeannie Mai, Chris Kanyon, James Milner, among others.
Mel Tucker Family
Tucker was born in Cleveland, Ohio. However, his secretive nature has shown up in his personal life. He has managed to keep his family background very private. In case there is news regarding Tucker’s parents and siblings, we shall update it here as soon as possible.
Mel Tucker Education
Tucker schooled at Cleveland Heights High School. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Tucker graduated with a degree in agricultural business management in 1995.
Mel Tucker Interests and Hobbies
Tucker developed the love of American football in his teenage. He played high school football and pursued his passion in college. During his tenure at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Tucker played defensive back for the Badgers. He was determined to take football playing as his career and signed a contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League after university.
However, his playing passion was cut short due to chickenpox. To keep his mind and body engaged, Tucker began selling meat from the back of his car.
Mel Tucker Wife
Tucker met the love of his life, Jo-Ellyn. The couple exchanged their marriage vows in a private ceremony with close friends and relatives. Due to his secretive nature, Tucker does not disclose much information regarding his marriage. The couple resides in Michigan.
Does Mel Tucker Have Children?
Tucker and his wife are glad to be the parents of two wonderful kids. He is the father of Joseph and Christian. Tucker cites his family as his great source of inspiration and support in his career.
How Tall Is Mel Tucker?
Adding to his well-built body, Tucker stands tall in stature. He stands at a height of 1.91 meters. His height works to his advantage in his career.
Mel Tucker Career
Nick Saban hired Tucker in 1997 as his graduate assistant, a position he served for two seasons. He landed a job in 1999 at Miami University as a defensive backs coach. He followed Saban to LSU in 2000 still as a defensive backs coach.
From 2001 to 2004, Tucker served under head coach Jim Tressel at Ohio State University. After the 2003 national championship, Tucker was promoted to co-defensive coordinator through the 2004 season.
National Football League
The Cleveland Browns hired Tucker in 2005 as defensive backs coach. He served in that position until the end of the 2007 season and was promoted to be the defensive coordinator after Todd Grantham departed. Later, Tucker was replaced by Rob Ryan after his head coach Romeo Crennel was fired.
Jacksonville Jaguars hired Tucker in 2009 as their defensive coordinator. He served them until the end of the 2011 season. Tucker was put in charge of defensive play-calling by head coach Jack Del Rio in the 2011 season. Del Rio got fired on 29th November 2011 and Tucker was named the interim head coach. On 10th January 2012, the unexpected happen when Mike Mularkey was named the head coach. Tucker’s first victory was 41–14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He became the assistant head coach on 13th January 2012.
The Chicago Bears named Tucker their defensive coordinator on 18th January 2013. Due to poor results and the worst in Bears’ defense history 2 Tucker’s assistant coaches, Mike Phair and Tim Tibesar were fired. They were replaced by Reggie Herring and Paul Pasqualoni. Tucker’s results did not impress in the 2014 season either. The new head coach John Fox replaced Tucker with Vic Fangio on 20th January 2015.
The Alabama Crimson Tide hired Tucker in 2015 as their assistant head coach and defensive backs coach. During his tenure there, the team won the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship.
2019 to present
Colorado Buffaloes football and Tucker signed a contract on 5th December 2018 with Tucker as the head coach starting in 2019. During his one season there, he compiled a 5–7 record (3–6 in the Pac-12). Tucker resigned on 12th February and accepted an offer by Michigan State as the head coach. He was offered an annual salary of $5.5 million for 6 years, more than double in his previous position. Tucker ranked number 12 as the best-paid head coach in FBS and 4th in Big Ten.
The MSU team closed the 2020 season with a 2–5 record. Tucker began the 2021 season with a 3-0 record leading to number 20 in the AP Poll and No. 21 in the Coaches Poll heading ranking. The MSU team continued to win and they ranked No. 5 in the AP poll and No. 6 in the Coaches poll after several wins. In the initial CFP rankings released Nov. 2, MSU ranked number 3.
However, Tucker dropped to No. 8 in the AP poll and No. 9 in the Coaches Poll, as he was defeated at Purdue in Week 9. Tucker closed the regular season with a 30–27 win over Penn State, ranked No. 11 in the AP poll and No. 13 in the Coaches poll. MSU offered Tucker a 10-year, $95 million contract extension on 24th November 2021.
Tucker won the B1G Coach of the Year awards after he was named the Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year and the Dave McClain Coach of the Year, coaches vote and media vote respectively.
Mel Tucker Salary and Net Worth
Tucker earns an annual salary of $5.9 million in base, $3.1 million in media appearances, $100,000 from school-negotiated apparel, and a $400,000 annual retention bonus. He is among the top-ranking best-paid coaches. According to our ranking, he is at the level of the likes of Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney, Brent Venables, Dan Mullen, among others. Tucker has accrued a net worth estimated to a range above $15 million in his career.