Mel Tucker coaching career: Exploring Michigan State head coach's CFB stint over the last two decades

Mel Tucker has primed himself as one of the top coaches in college football in the last few years. The Michigan State head coach has made a name for himself and is one of the highest-paid coaches in CFB.

Since beginning his coaching career in 1997, Tucker has worked in different capacities at collegiate and professional levels. He has served mostly as a defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator in the programs and franchises he worked with.

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Which teams have Mel Tucker coached?

Mel Tucker, 51, started coaching as a graduate assistant at Michigan State in 1997. He spent two seasons with the Spartans before moving to Miami University, Ohio, in 1999 to become the program's defensive back coach. He spent just one season with the RedHawks.

Tucker subsequently joined LSU as a defensive backs coach after Nick Saban was named the head coach of the Tigers. He also spent just one season under Saban before moving to Ohio State in 2001 to hold the same role. The Cleveland, Ohio native was promoted to co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State in 2004.

Mel Tucker left the Buckeyes to have a first taste of the professional world as he joined the Cleveland Browns in 2005. He was also promoted as the Browns defensive coordinator in 2008. Tucker continued his NFL journey with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2009 as a defensive coordinator.

The former Wisconsin defensive back had first head coaching role in 2011 after the Jaguars named him interim head coach following the firing of Jack Del Rio. He returned to his defensive coordinator role, doubling as an assistant head coach in 2012 after Mike Mularkey was hired.

Mel Tucker moved to the Chicago Bears in 2013 as a defensive coordinator, spending two seasons with the team. He returned to college football coaching and served under Nick Saban once again in 2015 after joining Alabama as assistant head coach and defensive back coach.

Tucker followed Kirby Smart to Georgia in 2016, where he served as a defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach until 2018. He got his first head coaching job in college football in 2019 when the struggling Colorado Buffaloes hired him.

Mel Tucker resigned from his job at Colorado in 2020 to become the head coach of Michigan State. With the Spartans, he finally established himself in the CFB world. Overall, Tucker has a 24-21 record as a college football head coach and a 2-3 record in the NFL.