Saturday night, a bombshell report was dropped about Michigan State Spartans head coach Mel Tucker and allegations made by rape survivor Brenda Tracy that she was sexually harassed by him during a phone call. According to Kenny Jacoby at USA Today, Tracy told a Title IX investigator that, during an April 2022 phone call, Tucker “made sexual comments about her and masturbated.”
Tucker acknowledged masturbating on a call with Tracy, but claimed it was consensual “phone sex.”
In the wake of those allegations, Michigan State Vice President and Athletic Director Alan Haller held a press conference Sunday afternoon and announced that he would be suspending Tucker without pay as an “additional interim measure while the investigation continues.”
Michigan State announced the impromptu press conference earlier Sunday afternoon, which prompted Action Network’s Brett McMurphy to report that the school was firing Tucker around 3:47 p.m. ET.
Mel Tucker fired as Michigan State’s coach, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. Secondary coach Harlon Barnett will be MSU’s interim coach w/former coach Mark Dantonio expected to assist in an undefined role. MSU investigating allegations Tucker sexually harassed activist/rape…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 10, 2023
A few minutes later, McMurphy doubled down on his reporting, while adding a caveat, claiming that MSU would wait until the Title IX investigation is completed to make Tucker’s firing official.
Michigan State will wait until Title IX investigation is completed, to make Tucker's move official, sources said. MSU will claim dismissal w/cause to get out of paying Tucker's $70-plus million buyout. School expected to disclose more information in 5 p.m. news conference. https://t.co/LwcMXKSjaD
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 10, 2023
Tucker was not fired. He was suspended without pay. The Michigan State head coach is now set for a hearing to determine whether he violated school policy, which will be held when the football team has a bye week (Oct. 5 and 6). For now, he’s away from the team, but he was not fired on Sunday, as McMurphy reported that he would be.
The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach took issue with McMurphy’s post, writing that his original tweet, which now has close to 4 million views, has inaccurate information related to Tucker’s job status and has not been deleted. With that, the idea that Tucker has been or will be fired, which could very well be the case following next month’s hearing, keeps getting amplified.
There's still a post with inaccurate information related to Mel Tucker's job status circulating on this website that has not been deleted. So, it keeps getting viewed and shared and amplified.
cool cool
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) September 10, 2023
Another user pointed out to Auerbach that McMurphy seemingly corrected himself, saying that the firing would not take place until a Title IX investigation took place. Auerbach replied that McMurphy’s continuing to dig in is merely “speculation,” and that his original account of events was incorrect.
“He inaccurately reported he’d already been fired and still is digging in on that,” she wrote.
that is speculation. He inaccurately reported he'd already been fired and still is digging in on that.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) September 10, 2023
Tucker has not been fired, but he will not be coaching Michigan State for the foreseeable future.
