'No chance' Mel Tucker can continue as Michigan State head coach

Michigan State is moving forward with Harlon Barnett as its interim head coach as it irons out the details of Brenda Tracy‘s sexual harassment accusations against Mel Tucker.

Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Cough joined On3’s Andy Staples to discuss the latest on the Mel Tucker-Michigan State saga after he released a statement Monday on social media.

“Based on the story, I think the Title IX findings when they go through the hearing is going to find against him,” Couch told Staples. “Even if it doesn’t, I think enough is there that he’s been in breach of contact — or at least firing him with cause without owing him the $80 million that’s still left on that contract based on some of the language in the deal with bringing embarrassment to the university.

“This is that.”

Tucker admitted to having a relationship with Tracy — though the two parties have differing variations of it. Any sort of notion of sexual harassment will always be handled seriously and swiftly, and that’s what Michigan State is trying to do.

Couch says that no coach would be able to survive these types of allegations, but at Michigan State especially, as the university as a whole has tried to distance themselves from Title IX miscues over the years. Any coach under any contract, regardless of their stature — termination with cause is certainly on the table as the internal investigation continues. Whether Tucker won 10 games last season or two, he’d be in the same boat that he’s in right now if being given the same accusations.

In his statement, Tucker said that the relationship between him and Tracy was consensual, along with the layers that include multiple phone calls between the two and deleted text messages between both Tucker and Tracy — but at the same time, the information out there is more than enough for the Spartans to part ways with their head coach.

“He brought her [into the program],” Couch said. “She was paid by the school to come in. The irony of it was that she was paid to talk to the team about avoiding behavior like this. … He has admitted a behavior that Michigan State is not going to allow.

“The other problem is the reason why he cancelled he coming back to campus. It was because of this. This is exactly why companies don’t allow for these types of relationships. At this point, I don’t know how you come back, get donor support, recruit and get the team on his side. There’s no chance he can continue.”