MSU to Fire Football Coach Mel Tucker After Sexual Misconduct Claim

Mel Tucker, the head coach of Michigan State University’s football team, will be fired for cause after a woman accused him of sexually harassing her, the school confirmed on Monday. In a statement, university athletic director Alan Haller said that he had provided Tucker “with written notice of intent to terminate his contract for cause.” The letter, obtained by the Detroit Free Press, informs Tucker his contract is being nixed under a clause that hinges on “any conduct which constitutes moral turpitude or which, in the University's reasonable judgment, would tend to bring public disrespect, contempt, or ridicule upon the University.” Last Sunday, within hours of the publication of a bombshell report by USA Today, Tucker was suspended without pay by Michigan State. The outlet reported that Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor and prominent anti-sexual assault activist, had accused the 51-year-old coach of harassing her over an April 2022 phone call. She filed a complaint with the university eight months later. The school’s investigation was completed this July, and a hearing in the matter had been scheduled for the week of Oct. 5 when the USA Today story was published. Tucker has denied all wrongdoing.