Contract details released for Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker

There has been a lot of movement in the college football coaching world, thanks to some of the best jobs in the country. However, sometimes a vacant role can lead to a big extension for some coaches. Michigan State’s Mel Tucker was one of those.

Tuckers’ contract details were released on Monday from Chris Vannini of The Athletic. He will be earning $9.5 million a year over a 10-year span but a few other numbers are eye-popping.

Firstly, Michigan State will give Tucker an assistant pool of $7.5 million. As things stand, the Spartans have not made any changes to their coaching staff but most can be made after their bowl game.

Next, Tucker’s buyout will begin at just $2.5 million. It can reach as low as $1 million by January 2024. While Michigan State does not plan on firing the head coach anytime soon, if they wanted to get out of the deal, it would be relatively cheap.

Tucker is getting a new contract due to his name being linked with some of the premier jobs, mainly LSU. Nonetheless, he led Michigan State to a fantastic season with a 10-2 record. Wins over in-state rivals Michigan brought thoughts of the College Football Playoff back to East Lansing.

Mel Tucker gets bonus after beating Penn State

Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker has had a great week, despite the Spartans falling short from reaching the College Football Playoff after appearing to be a serious threat earlier this season.

But on Saturday, even as a home underdog to the unranked Penn State Nittany Lions, Tucker led his squad to a gritty 30-27 victory over Sparty’s rivals.

The win was obviously huge for everyone involved with Michigan State football, but for Tucker, it was even sweeter.

“Michigan State coach Mel Tucker set for an additional $50,000 in bowl bonus money as Spartans beat Penn State to finish 10-2 and improve its position in the overall Big Ten standings,” according to Steve Berkowitz of USA Today Sports.

The Spartans bowl game destination is not yet known. Based on the current College Football Playoff standings, an appearance in the Rose Bowl is unlikely. However, they are ranked high enough to be eligible for a New Year’s Six Bowl.

Michigan State has not appeared in such a bowl game since their College Football Playoff appearance against Alabama. Tucker has turned around the program in just his second season, despite dealing with the shortened COVID-19 year in 2020.