3 outside-the-box replacements for ousted Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker
Michigan State will likely be looking for a long-term replacement for Mel Tucker and they may need to get creative to find the right fit. These names could be the difference.
By Drew Koch
It seems as though Mel Tucker will soon be out of a job. The Michigan State head coach is currently on suspension while the university does an investigation into off-the-field allegations involving Tucker.
If the rumors become a reality and Tucker is eventually let go, the Spartans will need to find a replacement. At the moment, Harlan Barnett is steering the ship for Michigan State, but it seems unlikely that he'll retain the job permanently.
While names like P.J. Fleck (Minnesota) and Sean Lewis (Colorado) will certainly be among those considered to take over in East Lansing, let's look as some outside-the-box hires Michigan State should consider to replace Mel Tucker.
Outside-the-box Mel Tucker replacements for Michigan State: 3. LSU DC Matt House
Matt House is not a household name, no pun intended. But folks up in East Lansing likely have heard of the LSU defensive coordinator before. House is from Michigan and played football for the Spartans before becoming a graduate assistant in 2001.
House then bounced all over the college football landscape finding jobs at North Carolina, Gardener-Webb, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Florida International University. House also made stops in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers and St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams.
But Matt House really made a name for himself in 2016 when he joined Mark Stoops' staff at the University of Kentucky. After a year as the team's special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach, House was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2017.
House then joined the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff from 2019-2021 and wound up in Baton Rouge alonside current head coach Brian Kelly last season. Having such a vast array of expereince in both college and the NFL should no doubt make Matt House a strong candidate to take over at his alma mater.