Michigan State head football coach Mel Tucker has been suspended amid an ongoing investigation into sexual harassment, the university hastily announced Sunday afternoon.
Athletic director Alan Haller told reporters that Tucker’s suspension was without pay pending the results of the investigation.
Co-defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett will be the Spartans’ interim head coach and former coach Mark Dantonio will return to the program as an associate coach.
Word had started to leak Sunday afternoon that Michigan State was planning to fire Tucker, but it wouldn’t be announced until the inquiry had been wrapped up.
The Athletic reported that Tucker had not yet been fired, and was currently suspended with pay.
“Upon receiving the reports from the claimant regarding Mel Tucker, MSU’s office of civil rights immediately commenced a review and subsequent investigation per university protocol, using an outside third party investigator,” Haller said during the press conference. “I was aware of the report in late December. The external investigator concluded their review and submitted their investigative report on July 25 with the recommendation for a formal hearing, which will occur the week of Oct. 5.”
News of the investigation and the allegations surfaced Sunday morning, and reports of Tucker’s suspension and looming firing arrived by the afternoon.
Sexual assault prevention advocate Brenda Tracy alleges that Tucker masturbated without her consent during a phone call, sent her gifts and asked if she would date him if he was not married, according to USA Today.
A prominent rape survivor who now works to educate athletes about sexual violence, Tracy was invited to the school by Tucker three times between 2021-22 to speak to the team.
Tucker, who was outspoken about fighting a culture of sexual violence in sports, also recognized Tracy as an honorary captain for a spring football game.
The two developed a professional relationship over an eight-month period before Tracy claims an April 28, 2022, phone call revealed Tucker’s intentions.
Tracy froze for several minutes while Tucker masturbated and made sexual comments to her, according to the complaint obtained by USA Today.
The alleged incident brought back old trauma for Tracy, who was raped by four men — three Oregon State football players and a high school recruit — in 1998.
“The idea that someone could know me and say they understand my trauma but then re-inflict that trauma on me is so disgusting to me, it’s hard for me to even wrap my mind around it,” Tracy told USA Today. “It’s like he sought me out just to betray me.”
Tucker has admitted to masturbating on the call, but refutes Tracy’s characterization of the incident and claims it was consensual.
“Ms. Tracy’s distortion of our mutually consensual and intimate relationship into allegations of sexual exploitation has really affected me,” Tucker wrote in a March 22 letter to the investigator, per the outlet. “I am not proud of my judgment and I am having difficulty forgiving myself for getting into this situation, but I did not engage in misconduct by any definition.”
Tucker was in his third year of a 10-year, $95 million deal.
Michigan State is 2-0 following Saturday’s 45-14 win over Richmond.
