USA Today: MSU HC Mel Tucker ‘Repeatedly’ Made False Statements to Investigators | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Amid an ongoing sexual harassment case against him, Michigan State football head coach Mel Tucker reportedly “repeatedly made false statements” to a Title IX investigator “and misled her about basic facts,” per Kenny Jacoby of USA Today.

MSU has previously announced its intent to terminate Tucker’s contract “for cause” after previously suspending him without pay.

Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor, activist and advocate who educates athletes about sexual violence, reported to MSU’s Title IX office on Dec. 21, 2022, that Tucker sexually harassed her, per Jacoby.

The main incident in question revolves around an April 2022 phone call between Tucker and Tracy, who was asked to speak with the football team about sexual misconduct awareness by Tucker.

Tracy reported that Tucker made sexual comments about her and masturbated during the call. Tucker, who is married, told a Title IX investigator that he and Tracy had consensual “phone sex.” He admitted to masturbating and claimed he and Tracy were in a romantic relationship.

Tracy denied those allegations and said the romantic interest was entirely one-sided. In addition, she also attempted to set boundaries on multiple occasions during her business partnership with Tucker and his program.

Per Jacoby, there are numerous reported inaccuracies in Tucker’s telling of the story.

Tucker made the phone call while he was in Florida on a university-sponsored work trip in which he notably supported an MSU-sponsored private event to promote its migrant student services program, per Jacoby.

However, he told outside investigator Rebecca Leitman Veidlinger last March that he was not on a work-related trip at the time, instead claiming he was home in East Lansing, a point that has since been disproven.

In addition, Tucker reportedly was not truthful regarding his reasoning for canceling Tracy’s scheduled July 25, 2022, in-person training with coaches and players.

“When Tracy spoke to him by phone on Aug. 2 seeking to find out why, she would tell the investigator in her interview, Tucker insinuated he would harm her career if she spoke about his conduct,” Jacoby wrote. “He never rescheduled her visit, and they never spoke again.”

Tucker stated on Sept. 11 of this year that he never cancelled any presentation.

“I never cancelled any presentation,” he wrote. “Given a personnel change and scheduling challenges as football season approached, we merely postponed it until January 2023. She chose to file her complaint instead of proceeding with the training.”

However, Jacoby revealed that Tucker told Veidlinger that he “absolutely” canceled that presentation and had no plans to reschedule to January 2023 because most new team members would not be on campus until the spring.

He also said that he needed that time in late July t so that mental conditioning coach, Ben Newman, could implement his program. But Jacoby noted that Newman didn’t meet with the team at all from July 15-28.

In addition, Tucker claimed that his relationship with Tracy went south after an anonymous associate, who he did not name, claimed to learn of marital problems he was having via Tracy’s then-assistant, Ahlan Alvarado, who reportedly “had been gossiping about Tucker’s marriage.”

Per Jacoby: “Tucker confronted Tracy about the alleged gossiping during the Aug. 2 phone call, they both told the investigator. Tracy said he berated and bullied her, repeatedly saying he could not trust her. She said she told him she did not know what she was talking about.”

Tracy told the investigator she believed Tucker made up the story to provide reasoning for canceling her scheduled July 25 visit and terminating her relationship with the MSU program.

Tucker has claimed that all the sexual harassment allegations against him are “completely false.”

The 51-year-old Tucker became MSU’s head coach in 2020 after a year leading Colorado. He previously served as Georgia’s defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach from 2016-2018.

Tucker parlayed a breakout 2021 season (11 wins, Peach Bowl appearance, No. 9 Associated Press ranking) into a 10-year, $95 million extension signed in November of that year. Harlon Barnett has taken over as the team’s acting head coach.