• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

Mel Tucker (HC Michigan St. Spartans)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
Gene Frenette: Jaguars? Mel Tucker needs help to bolster defense
Bookmark and Share
Submitted by Gene Frenette on January 5, 2011 -

When Mel Tucker was promoted by former boss Romeo Crennel to become the Cleveland Browns? defensive coordinator in 2008 and given play-calling responsibility, he was almost doomed to fail.

The Browns, who went on to finish 4-12, had been a terrible defense for the previous two years. They had no draft picks in the top three rounds of the 2008 draft to fortify the unit. They received no assistance that season from a quarterback-impaired offense. Tucker?s defense also had few impact players outside of Pro Bowl tackle Shaun Rogers and linebacker D?Qwell Jackson.

Now the Jaguars are asking Tucker to upgrade a defense that neither Jack Del Rio nor future Super Bowl winner Gregg Williams before him, could ignite no matter what buttons they pushed. Tucker, a supremely nice guy that many NFL personnel people believe will be a head coach in the league, should probably have his job title changed to ?miracle worker.? That?s just about what he will have to be to turn around this suspect, quarterback-friendly Jaguars? defense.

I?m not suggesting it can?t be done, but there?s only so much any coordinator can do to out-scheme NFL offenses. Especially when there?s questionable talent in the back seven and the pass rush is limited, which has defined the Jaguars for the past three years. Even with an improved defensive line in 2010, the Jaguars still finished tied for last in the league in takeaways (18), last in yards allowed per play (6.45). They also yielded the most points (419) and yards (5,949) in franchise history.

That?s a pretty long list of atrocious numbers. It?s a big reason why the 8-8 Jaguars again collapsed at the finish line. More than anything else, deficiencies on defense put a serious damper on what had been a feel-good season.

Rather than end the eight-year Del Rio regime, owner Wayne Weaver signed off on giving Tucker the play-calling duties. The Jaguars hope Tucker?s new role and taking things off Del Rio?s plate will invigorate the defense.

General manager Gene Smith, who identified Tucker as an up-and-coming coach when he was an assistant at Ohio State (2001-04), endorses the move. But he knows nothing will change without providing some reinforcements.

?I think he?s earned this opportunity,? Smith said. ?It?s up to all of us to help him take advantage of it. We need to add some defensive players to enable us to compete at a higher level. That includes our own guys taking another step up, not just bringing in new guys.?

Cont..
Click to expand...

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blo...enette-jaguars’-mel-tucker-needs-help-bolster
 
Upvote 0
By Bob Hunter
Columbus Dispatch
Viewers of the Baltimore-Jacksonville game on Monday got a peek at the man who may be a strong candidate for the Ohio State football job, if Luke Fickell is not retained.

Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, 39, is bound to show up on the radar. A Cleveland native, he was a member of Jim Tressel?s original staff at Ohio State and was considered a strong recruiter and an excellent defensive backs coach.

Tucker eventually left to become defensive backs coach with the Cleveland Browns and was promoted to defensive coordinator. He was replaced by Rob Ryan when coach Romeo Crennel was fired.
Click to expand...
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2011/10/28/rumblings-10-28-art-gqbem1nj-1.html
 
Upvote 0
Report: Mel Tucker To Be Named Jaguars Interim Head Coach
Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars, Mel Tucker, NFL

Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker will reportedly take over as interim head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars after the recent firing of Jack Del Rio, according to The Florida Times Union.

Del Rio was fired this morning, according to reports from ESPN, after leading the Jaguars to a 3-8 start to the 2011 season. Team owner Wayne Weaver had given Del Rio a clear goal this season of making the playoffs in 2011 in order to keep his job.

Tucker has previously served as both a defensive backs coach and a defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, this will be his first time serving in the NFL as a head coach. The 39-year-old has been with the Jaguars since 2009.
Click to expand...

http://tracking.si.com/2011/11/29/report-mel-tucker-to-be-named-interim-head-coach/
 
Upvote 0
Jaguars: Mel Tucker's transition from young coach to head coach
Unlike his playing career, Tucker climbed coaching ranks quickly, with Saban's help
Posted: December 3, 2011
10722970.jpg

Bob Self/The Times-Union
Jaguars Interim head coach Mel Tucker jokes with wide receiver Chastin West during Thursday's practice, the team's first after Jack Del Rio was fired.
Jaguars sold


Mel Tucker had a whirlwind courtship with his wife, Jo-Ellyn.

She was a Rutgers law school graduate and was set up on a blind date with Tucker by her roommate, who was a classmate of his at the University of Wisconsin.

They were coming to his hometown of Cleveland for a job fair and Tucker talked to her on the phone before that first date and was smitten.

?She was in law school, she was nice looking. I got to know her before we met. She never told me what I wanted to hear. I respect a person who tells you straight,?? he said.

So he proposed on their first date. She accepted. And she has kept talking to him straight ever since.

?That?s the reason I?m in coaching now,?? said Tucker, who was named the Jaguars? interim head coach Tuesday and will make his debut Monday night against the San Diego Chargers.
Click to expand...

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/sports/foot...ansition-young-coach-head-coach#ixzz1fZUCvo00
 
Upvote 0
Cleveland native Tucker stakes claim at Jags' job

567920.jpg

Mel Tucker has fared well since taking over the Jaguars on an interim basis after the dismissal of Jack Del Rio. (Stephen Morton/Associated Press)
Zac Jackson
January 1, 2012

JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- Cleveland native Mel Tucker has earned a shot at the full-time head-coaching gig in Jacksonville.

The low-key Tucker doesn't want to say much about it, however.

"What's next for me is I'm going to grab my wife and we're going out to have dinner and relax a little bit," Tucker said Sunday. "I'm going to reacquaint myself with her and introduce myself again to my children."

Tucker, 39, took over as the Jaguars' interim coach in November following the firing of Jack Del Rio. He went 2-3 in five games as head coach including Sunday's 19-13 win over the Colts.

Tucker figures to at least be considered when the process begins. Transfer of Jaguars ownership to Illinois businessman Shahid Kahn will be finalized this week. The Weaver Family, which brought the Jaguars to the NFL in 1995, was honored at Sunday's game.

"It's premature to talk about right now," Tucker said. "Those are hypotheticals I'd rather not get into. This is a time right now to enjoy (Sunday's) win and what the Weavers have meant to this city and this organization. The picture is cloudy but it will become clearer at some point in time."

Tucker, a graduate of Cleveland Heights High School, was instrumental in developing the pipeline from Cleveland Glenville High School to Ohio State that brought the Buckeyes eventual Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and top 10 NFL draft picks Ted Ginn Jr. and Donte Whitner. He also helped bring Anthony Gonzalez (St. Ignatius High School) and Alex Boone (St. Edward) to the Buckeyes.

Tucker, 39, worked under Nick Saban as LSU's defensive backs coach in 2000 before spending the next four years at Ohio State, three as defensive backs coach and one as co-defensive coordinator.

His first NFL job was with the Browns from 2005-08, also serving three years as defensive backs coach and one as defensive coordinator. He became the Jags' defensive coordinator in 2009.
Click to expand...

http://www.foxsportsohio.com/01/01/...m-at-/landing.html?blockID=637684&feedID=3725
 
Upvote 0
Updated: January 10th, 2012
Mel Tucker interviews with Vikings, but Jaguars want assistant back
by Judd Zulgad
1500ESPN.com

The Minnesota Vikings' search for a new defensive coordinator continued on Tuesday night.

The NFL Network reported the Vikings interviewed Mel Tucker, who had been defensive coordinator in Jacksonville before taking over as interim coach for the final five games (2-3) after Jack Del Rio was fired.

Jacksonville hired Mike Mularkey as its head coach on Tuesday and reportedly wants Tucker to return as its defensive coordinator. Tucker's contract expired on Tuesday morning, giving him the ability to talk to the Vikings.

The Vikings interviewed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris for the coordinator's job last Friday and reportedly also wanted to interview former St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo and Mike Singletary, who served this past season as the Vikings assistant head coach and linebackers coach.

While Singletary is expected to speak to the Vikings about the position later this week, the NFL Network reported Spagnuolo is likely to end up back with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tucker, 40, played defensive end at Wisconsin, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Michigan State in 1997 and entered the NFL as the Cleveland Browns' defensive backs coach (2005 to '07) and defensive coordinator (2008).

Fred Pagac remains on staff as the Vikings' defensive coordinator, but he's expected to be stripped of those duties. It's unclear if the team would try to move him back to a position coach -- Pagac was in charge of the Vikings linebackers from 2006 to 2010 -- or let him go.
Click to expand...

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/...gs+(1500+ESPN+SportsWire+-+Minnesota+Vikings)
 
Upvote 0
Mel Tucker to stay as Jaguars defensive coordinator
Bratkowski named offensive coordinator
Posted: January 12, 2012
By Tania Ganguli

Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey took his first steps toward forming his staff on Thursday.

Mel Tucker decided to return as the Jaguars defensive coordinator, a position he has held since 2009.

Mularkey also decided to hire Falcons quarterbacks coach Bob Bratkowski as the Jaguars offensive coordinator.

Bratkowski and Mularkey are good friends and the pair worked together in Atlanta last year. Bratkowski was the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati for 10 years before going to Atlanta for the 2011 season. Bratkowski was fired after 2010 and Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, whom Bratkowski is credited with developing, demanded a trade shortly thereafter.

Mularkey met Tucker on Thursday and Tucker spent the day weighing his options. Mularkey said Wednesday that he wanted to bring Tucker back in the same role he had from the 2009 season through the 2011 season.

cont...
Click to expand...

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/sports/foot...y-jaguars-defensive-coordinator#ixzz1jLPsybfK
 
Upvote 0
Wisconsin Badgers eyeing Jaguars coordinator Mel Tucker
By Jason La Canfora | CBS Sports NFL Insider
December 16, 2012

Though Jacksonville defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said early last week he was not interested in the head coaching vacancy at the University of Wisconsin, sources said the program has continued to pursue Tucker and he is a top target for the opening. Tucker has a very close relationship with athletic director Barry Alvarez, his college coach, and was willing to meet with school officials in Jacksonville this week, sources said. The former Badgers defensive back has strong support from boosters in the area according to sources.

Tucker, who served as interim head coach this week while Mike Mularkey was hospitalized, is thought of highly by owner Shahid Khan and was a finalist for the Jaguars head coaching vacancy last year. Tucker turned down other options to stay with the Jags last offseason, and should the team make changes at general manager and head coach as many expect, he could garner consideration for the head job there.
Click to expand...

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/j...badgers-eyeing-jaguars-coordinator-mel-tucker
 
Upvote 0
Bears hire new defensive coordinator
By Dan Pompei and Brad Biggs Tribune reporters
January 18, 2013

600

Bears new defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. (Getty photo / January 18, 2013)

Rod Marinelli?s office at Halas Hall was not vacant long.

On Thursday, Marinelli packed his belongings. On Friday, the Bears hired former Jaguars and Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker to replace him.

Tucker, 41, is highly respected in NFL circles. He has experience running a 4-3 as well as a 3-4. Among his influences have been Nick Saban, Romeo Crennel and Jack Del Rio.

Tucker?s defense played a heavy dose of Cover 2 in Jacksonville last year, but some of that may have been forced by personnel issues.

?I love him,? said former Bears safety Chris Harris, who played for the Jaguars this season. ?He's a very fun coach to play for. He is a great communicator."

Tucker has been considered a head coaching candidate and has interviewed for head coaching positions, including the Jaguars? job that went to Gus Bradley this week. In an interesting twist, Tucker could be replaced as the Jacksonville coordinator by former Bears linebackers coach Bob Babich.

Tucker was rumored to be a candidate for the Browns? defensive coordinator position, but the team hired Ray Horton Friday afternoon.

Tucker served as the Jaguars? interim head coach at the end of the 2011 season, going 2-3 after Del Rio was fired.

Tucker was a runner-up for the Wisconsin head coaching job that went to Gary Andersen. He played defensive back at the school in the early ?90s.
Click to expand...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...efensive-coordinator-20130118,0,3413390.story
 
Upvote 0
Tide makes Mel Tucker hiring official
cd0ymzcznguwzdbhnduynddiytjhm2yyzthlmtjjotqwyyznptayodfkmdzjmzg0mwvmnmrkzdzlotbiodiymtc2otcw.jpeg

Three days after it was first reported, the lone hole on Nick Saban‘s Alabama coaching staff has been filled.

In a press release, UA announced that Mel Tucker has been hired as Saban’s defensive backs coach. Tucker will also hold the title of assistant head coach.

Tucker has a history with Saban, who hired him as a grad assistant at Michigan State nearly two decades ago.
.
.
.
Tucker has been away from the college game for the last decade, having spent time on NFL staffs with the Cleveland Browns (2005-07, defensive backs; 2008, defensive coordinator), Jacksonville Jaguars (2009-12, defensive coordinator) and Chicago Bears (2013-14, defensive coordinator). His last job at the collegiate level came in 2004 as the co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State.

Prior to that, the Cleveland, Oh., native coached the secondary at OSU (2001-03), LSU (2000) and Miami of Ohio (1999).

Entire article: http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/29/tide-makes-mel-tucker-hiring-official/

Saban picked up a real good coach here.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top