Michigan State football: 3 Mel Tucker replacements to fix the program
Contrary to some early reporting that proved to be jumping the gun, the Michigan State Spartans have not fired football head coach Mel Tucker. He has, however, been placed on suspension without pay while the university conducts a Title IX investigation into accusations that he sexually harassed Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor and activist speaking out against sexual violence who was invited to speak to the Michigan State football team in 2022. April of that year is when the alleged incident with Tucker and Tracy occurred.
While Tucker has not been officially fired, that appears to be coming. The writing on the wall clearly reads that Michigan State wants to confirm wrongdoing in their investigation to fire the head coach with cause, thus nullifying a $70 million buyout clause.
With Tucker suspended, secondary coach Harlan Bennett will serve as the interim head coach. However, the Spartans will soon have to find a full-time replacement for Mel Tucker for Michigan State football. These three replacements would make sense as options to bring to East Lansing.
Michigan State football rumors: 3 Mel Tucker replacements Spartans should hire
3. Sean Lewis - OC, Colorado
Admittedly, it would be the funniest possible outcome if Michigan State simply hired Colorado's head coach again by poaching Deion Sanders away from Boulder. That, however, feels highly unlikely. Having said that, the Buffaloes staff could still offer a high-quality option for the Spartans in the form of offensive coordinator Sean Lewis.
Lewis was hired as part of Sanders' staff at Colorado, moving to the role of Power-5 offensive coordinator from being the head coach at Group of 5 Kent State. Whether he's been a head coach or in his two games as the Buffs' OC, though, Lewis has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he knows how to create success on that side of the ball.
His overall head coaching record with the Golden Flashes was just 24-31. But after taking over a dead-in-the-water program in 2018 that went just 2-10, he went 22-21 at Kent State, including an 18-10 record in the MAC and making the conference championship game in 2021.
Lewis could bring some of the Coach Prime shine and a proven track record without any of the distractions that Sanders might bring along -- and at a much less hefty price for Michigan State as well. It's a worthwhile consideration, especially with how Colorado's offense has hummed to start the 2023 season and with Lewis having Big Ten familiarity from his playing days at Wisconsin.