Mel Tucker was a graduate assistant (1997-98) at Michigan State in Nick Saban’s coaching tenure.
He saw Saban as a mentor, but now Tucker has his moment. In his second season as head coach, Tucker has the Spartans with a 9-1 record and a half-game behind Ohio State for first in the Big Ten East. Michigan State can put itself in the driver’s seat for the Big Ten Championship Game with a win over the Buckeyes on Saturday. Before the matchup, the powers that be for the Spartans are working on locking Tucker down for the long-term. A ten-year, $95 million contract extension is in the works for Tucker.