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Mel Tucker: History Shows He Is An Overrated Mediocrity, High Risk Hire
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:08 pm
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:08 pm
Mel Tucker is a mirage. He should not be hired by LSU. Woodward will only do so if he has somehow been hoodwinked. An objective review reveals that everything in Tucker's actual historical performance is mediocre at best, atrocious at worst.
NFL DC YEARS
Let's begin with Tucker's underwhelming NFL career as a defensive coordinator. The rankings tell the story. (I have taken the following statistics from ESPN: LINK )
2008 - DC of Cleveland Browns - bottom ten in the league in total defense (7th worst)
2009 - DC of Jacksonville Jaguars - bottom ten in the league in total defense (10th worst)
2010 - DC of Jacksonville Jaguars - bottom ten in the league in total defense (5th worst)
2011 - DC of Jacksonville Jaguars- top ten in the league in total defense (6th best)
2012 - DC of Jacksonville Jaguars - bottom ten in the league in total defense (3rd worst)
2013 - DC of Chicago Bears - bottom ten in the league in total defense (3rd worst)
2014 - DC of the Chicago Bears - bottom ten in the league in total defense. (3rd worst)
Tucker was fired after the 2014 season and never returned to the league.
Let's pause here and acknowledge a startling fact: in his seven years as an NFL DC, Tucker's defenses ranked in the BOTTOM TEN EVERY YEAR BUT ONE. In his final three seasons as a DC, his defenses were in THE BOTTOM THREE each year.
Tucker's tenure with the Bears merits further consideration, because it is so revealing. Tucker is widely blamed for fielding two of the worst defenses in Bears' history. They were constantly plagued by comedic miscommunication, blown coverages, and bizarre play calls. Tucker served as DC under Marc Trestman, an offensive specialist, so there is no question that Tucker controlled defensive design, philosophy, and play-calling.
In 2012, under Lovie Smith, the Bears had a top five defense. The very next year, under Tucker, they fell to the bottom three, a precipitous decline. Nonetheless, with two games remaining in the 2013 season, the Bears still had a chance to make the playoffs because of their atypical high-octane offense. In the first of those games, a loss to the Eagles, the Tucker defense surrendered 54 points - the second most in team history! It was also the first time the Bears had allowed two one-hundred yard rushers in the same game since 1976! Still, the Bears could salvage their season by defeating their dreaded rival the Packers at home in the season finale. The Bears led by a single point with under a minute remaining. The Packers faced a 4th and 8 from the Bears 48. The Bears were one play away from the postseason. Then the Tucker defense struck. Tucker called an all out blitz on Aaron Rodgers, one of the best QBs in the NFL against pressure. (Some contend it was an audible by the LB.) Yet another inexplicable miscommunication occurred in the Tucker defense, and somehow the safety who was supposed to be in man coverage wasn't. Rodgers lofted a pass to wide open Randall Cobb, who pranced into the end zone. Game over.
As abysmal as the defensive end to the 2013 season was, the 2014 unit managed to sink even lower. Notably, the Bears conceded more than 50 points in back-to-back games, a 51-23 destruction at the hands of the Patriots and a 55-14 drubbing by the Packers. The 31 points allowed to the Patriots in the first half was the most in franchise history! But the record only stood for a moment - the defense allowed 42 points in the first half to the Packers, yet a new franchise low! The 55 total points allowed was the most in franchise history! (For those counting, Tucker has the first and second worst defensive performance in the century long history of the Bears.) Worse yet, the six TD passes yielded to the Packers in the first half was an NFL record! Under Tucker, the Bears became the first NFL team to give up 50 points in consecutive games since the 1923 Rochester Jeffersons!
And these are but a handful of the dubious records Tucker owns. His 2014 defense was yet again characterized by laughable lapses, blown coverages, poor tackling, and general chaos. The 2014 Bears finished almost dead last in the league in scoring defense. Tucker was fired under a cloud of humiliation, never to return to the NFL. Tellingly, the next season, the Bears defense IMMEDIATELY rose back into the top half of the league under Vic Fangio, finishing 14th in YPG.
Summary: Tucker only helmed one defense outside the bottom ten in seven years as a DC, had a bottom three defense his last three years as a DC, took a Bears defense from top five to bottom three in one season, was responsible for two of the worst defenses in Chicago franchise history, and was fired, after which the Bears defense rebounded. No history of consistent success or anything approaching it.
NFL DC YEARS
Let's begin with Tucker's underwhelming NFL career as a defensive coordinator. The rankings tell the story. (I have taken the following statistics from ESPN: LINK )
2008 - DC of Cleveland Browns - bottom ten in the league in total defense (7th worst)
2009 - DC of Jacksonville Jaguars - bottom ten in the league in total defense (10th worst)
2010 - DC of Jacksonville Jaguars - bottom ten in the league in total defense (5th worst)
2011 - DC of Jacksonville Jaguars- top ten in the league in total defense (6th best)
2012 - DC of Jacksonville Jaguars - bottom ten in the league in total defense (3rd worst)
2013 - DC of Chicago Bears - bottom ten in the league in total defense (3rd worst)
2014 - DC of the Chicago Bears - bottom ten in the league in total defense. (3rd worst)
Tucker was fired after the 2014 season and never returned to the league.
Let's pause here and acknowledge a startling fact: in his seven years as an NFL DC, Tucker's defenses ranked in the BOTTOM TEN EVERY YEAR BUT ONE. In his final three seasons as a DC, his defenses were in THE BOTTOM THREE each year.
Tucker's tenure with the Bears merits further consideration, because it is so revealing. Tucker is widely blamed for fielding two of the worst defenses in Bears' history. They were constantly plagued by comedic miscommunication, blown coverages, and bizarre play calls. Tucker served as DC under Marc Trestman, an offensive specialist, so there is no question that Tucker controlled defensive design, philosophy, and play-calling.
In 2012, under Lovie Smith, the Bears had a top five defense. The very next year, under Tucker, they fell to the bottom three, a precipitous decline. Nonetheless, with two games remaining in the 2013 season, the Bears still had a chance to make the playoffs because of their atypical high-octane offense. In the first of those games, a loss to the Eagles, the Tucker defense surrendered 54 points - the second most in team history! It was also the first time the Bears had allowed two one-hundred yard rushers in the same game since 1976! Still, the Bears could salvage their season by defeating their dreaded rival the Packers at home in the season finale. The Bears led by a single point with under a minute remaining. The Packers faced a 4th and 8 from the Bears 48. The Bears were one play away from the postseason. Then the Tucker defense struck. Tucker called an all out blitz on Aaron Rodgers, one of the best QBs in the NFL against pressure. (Some contend it was an audible by the LB.) Yet another inexplicable miscommunication occurred in the Tucker defense, and somehow the safety who was supposed to be in man coverage wasn't. Rodgers lofted a pass to wide open Randall Cobb, who pranced into the end zone. Game over.
As abysmal as the defensive end to the 2013 season was, the 2014 unit managed to sink even lower. Notably, the Bears conceded more than 50 points in back-to-back games, a 51-23 destruction at the hands of the Patriots and a 55-14 drubbing by the Packers. The 31 points allowed to the Patriots in the first half was the most in franchise history! But the record only stood for a moment - the defense allowed 42 points in the first half to the Packers, yet a new franchise low! The 55 total points allowed was the most in franchise history! (For those counting, Tucker has the first and second worst defensive performance in the century long history of the Bears.) Worse yet, the six TD passes yielded to the Packers in the first half was an NFL record! Under Tucker, the Bears became the first NFL team to give up 50 points in consecutive games since the 1923 Rochester Jeffersons!
And these are but a handful of the dubious records Tucker owns. His 2014 defense was yet again characterized by laughable lapses, blown coverages, poor tackling, and general chaos. The 2014 Bears finished almost dead last in the league in scoring defense. Tucker was fired under a cloud of humiliation, never to return to the NFL. Tellingly, the next season, the Bears defense IMMEDIATELY rose back into the top half of the league under Vic Fangio, finishing 14th in YPG.
Summary: Tucker only helmed one defense outside the bottom ten in seven years as a DC, had a bottom three defense his last three years as a DC, took a Bears defense from top five to bottom three in one season, was responsible for two of the worst defenses in Chicago franchise history, and was fired, after which the Bears defense rebounded. No history of consistent success or anything approaching it.
This post was edited on 10/28/21 at 5:20 pm
10
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:08 pm to DmitriKaramazov
RETURN TO COLLEGE
Having been banished from the NFL, Tucker sought refuge as a DB coach in the college ranks with his old friend Saban. He then accompanied Kirby Smith to UGA, where he served as DC from 2016-2019. There is no question these UGA defenses were very good. However, it is extremely difficult to determine how much credit Tucker deserves, since it is widely acknowledged that Smart controls the defense in Athens. The big question is how has Tucker fared in college when he could not rely on Smart? The answer: not well.
(The following NCAA stats were taken from LINK )
COLORADO
Tucker was the head coach of the Buffalos in 2019. He replaced Mike MacIntyre, who went 5-7 in 2017 and 2018. In his lone season as head coach, Tucker also finished 5-7. The contention that Tucker "turned around" Colorado is a total myth. He had the same losing record as his predecessor. The defensive statistics reflect Tucker's failure:
2018 Colorado Defense (before Tucker): 52nd total defense, 70th scoring defense
2019 Colorado Defense (with Tucker): 104th total defense, 97th scoring defense.
Obviously, the Colorado defense declined significantly under Tucker's regime.
MSU
Tucker has done no better at MSU. In his first season, he tallied an atrocious 2-5 record. Again, the statistics are unflattering:
2019 MSU Defense (before Tucker): 19th total defense, 39th scoring defense
2020 MSU Defense (with Tucker): 54th total defense, 100th scoring defense
When Tucker took over, the MSU defense tumbled in the rankings.
And how has Tucker's defense performed this year, 2021, the season that his supporters point to? Even at 7-0 against a weak schedule, Tucker's defense ranks 87th in total yards per game, just four places ahead of LSU's horrid defense. His scoring defense is better, ranked 19th. But the Spartans have played no one and that ranking will undoubtedly drop as MSU plays Michigan and Ohio State. [EDIT: Over the last three weeks, MSU's total defense ranking has dropped to lower than 100 and scoring defense has dropped to lower than 30.]
Overall Summary: Tucker's NFL defenses were repeatedly subpar, often just plain bad, sometimes historically horrific. In the two college jobs where he unquestionably commanded the defense without aid, the defenses got appreciably WORSE after his arrival. Before this season, he had never posted a winning record as a HC of any type. He was 2-3 as interim head coach of the Jags in 2011, 5-7 at Colorado in 2019, and 2-5 at MSU in 2020. His overall college HC record is a deeply unimpressive 14-12, a percentage which may get worse as his schedule grows more difficult.
Performance doesn't lie, especially over extended periods. There is nothing in Tucker's actual accomplishments to suggest he is deserving of a top five head coaching job in college football, especially when there are other candidates who have demonstrated significantly more merit and success. Bestowing him with a multi-million dollar long-term contract and giving him control over the LSU program on the basis of ONE outlier year with MSU would be a colossal folly. It's unjustifiable. Why is Tucker being considered for the premium LSU job, given his erratic track record and complete absence of consistent achievement as a head coach?
Please share this information and other statistics regarding Tucker's history with fellow LSU fans, so that they do not fall prey to half-truths being peddled about his supposed qualifications.
Having been banished from the NFL, Tucker sought refuge as a DB coach in the college ranks with his old friend Saban. He then accompanied Kirby Smith to UGA, where he served as DC from 2016-2019. There is no question these UGA defenses were very good. However, it is extremely difficult to determine how much credit Tucker deserves, since it is widely acknowledged that Smart controls the defense in Athens. The big question is how has Tucker fared in college when he could not rely on Smart? The answer: not well.
(The following NCAA stats were taken from LINK )
COLORADO
Tucker was the head coach of the Buffalos in 2019. He replaced Mike MacIntyre, who went 5-7 in 2017 and 2018. In his lone season as head coach, Tucker also finished 5-7. The contention that Tucker "turned around" Colorado is a total myth. He had the same losing record as his predecessor. The defensive statistics reflect Tucker's failure:
2018 Colorado Defense (before Tucker): 52nd total defense, 70th scoring defense
2019 Colorado Defense (with Tucker): 104th total defense, 97th scoring defense.
Obviously, the Colorado defense declined significantly under Tucker's regime.
MSU
Tucker has done no better at MSU. In his first season, he tallied an atrocious 2-5 record. Again, the statistics are unflattering:
2019 MSU Defense (before Tucker): 19th total defense, 39th scoring defense
2020 MSU Defense (with Tucker): 54th total defense, 100th scoring defense
When Tucker took over, the MSU defense tumbled in the rankings.
And how has Tucker's defense performed this year, 2021, the season that his supporters point to? Even at 7-0 against a weak schedule, Tucker's defense ranks 87th in total yards per game, just four places ahead of LSU's horrid defense. His scoring defense is better, ranked 19th. But the Spartans have played no one and that ranking will undoubtedly drop as MSU plays Michigan and Ohio State. [EDIT: Over the last three weeks, MSU's total defense ranking has dropped to lower than 100 and scoring defense has dropped to lower than 30.]
Overall Summary: Tucker's NFL defenses were repeatedly subpar, often just plain bad, sometimes historically horrific. In the two college jobs where he unquestionably commanded the defense without aid, the defenses got appreciably WORSE after his arrival. Before this season, he had never posted a winning record as a HC of any type. He was 2-3 as interim head coach of the Jags in 2011, 5-7 at Colorado in 2019, and 2-5 at MSU in 2020. His overall college HC record is a deeply unimpressive 14-12, a percentage which may get worse as his schedule grows more difficult.
Performance doesn't lie, especially over extended periods. There is nothing in Tucker's actual accomplishments to suggest he is deserving of a top five head coaching job in college football, especially when there are other candidates who have demonstrated significantly more merit and success. Bestowing him with a multi-million dollar long-term contract and giving him control over the LSU program on the basis of ONE outlier year with MSU would be a colossal folly. It's unjustifiable. Why is Tucker being considered for the premium LSU job, given his erratic track record and complete absence of consistent achievement as a head coach?
Please share this information and other statistics regarding Tucker's history with fellow LSU fans, so that they do not fall prey to half-truths being peddled about his supposed qualifications.
This post was edited on 11/15/21 at 1:44 pm
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:09 pm to DmitriKaramazov
His defenses that he’s coached suck. He’s 14-12 as a head coach and that will likely get worse now that Theyre going to play teams with winning records this year. His offense struggled to score against the likes of Indiana and Rutgers. It’s ridiculous that he’s even being mentioned.
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:11 pm to Wrucker16
But he gets quadruple points for CRT hiring
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:14 pm to DmitriKaramazov
He took over a Colorado program that had had some success under McIntyre and didn't move the needle. Acted like a bitch and went to Michigan State.
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:15 pm to DmitriKaramazov
I don’t know if you guys are just dense or refuse to acknowledge context and circumstances.
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:17 pm to BayouBoogie
Seems the OP provided great context to me 
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:17 pm to DmitriKaramazov
History shows Saban, Dabo, Smart (mutiple times), Mullen (multiple times), Riley, Jimbo,...all have lost to Orgeron so they are all worse than him?
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:19 pm to BayouBoogie
quote:
don’t know if you guys are just dense or refuse to acknowledge context and circumstances.
This is the prototypical view of the Tucker apologist: fifteen years of mediocrity and failure must be justified by hypothetical convolutions and context. Good coaches succeed on the field consistently. Tucker hasn't. The end.
This post was edited on 10/28/21 at 1:20 pm
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:21 pm to CalTiger53
quote:
History shows Saban, Dabo, Smart (mutiple times), Mullen (multiple times), Riley, Jimbo,...all have lost to Orgeron so they are all worse than him?
Were you meaning to post this in a different thread or start a thread of your own? Cause nothing you posted is relevant to the OP.
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:21 pm to BayouBoogie
quote:
I don’t know if you guys are just dense or refuse to acknowledge context and circumstances.
I don't give a crap if a coach took over a poor program and won a few games.
He has only coached 1 full season and sucked. Last season they played like 7 games? I don't even know. They sucked then too.
He is winning this year against nobody with a winning record and about to finish the season with several losses, IMO.
It seems absolutely ridiculous he would even be a candidate for this job at this point in his coaching career.
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:28 pm to Bottom9
1. Can’t compare NFL success to college success
2. Took over for a dead end program in Colorado and got out of there after speaking with Saban about MSU.
3. MSU hires Tucker in Feb. during a COVID on the recommendation from Saban. Tucker didn’t coach the team with pads until August. MSU Tucker Hire
4. Dips into transfer portal and transforms team in a year and has them unranked.
If Tucker doesn’t finish out the Season strong I don’t believe he will be hired by LSU. Strong is finishing 9-2 or better with strong loss performances.
2. Took over for a dead end program in Colorado and got out of there after speaking with Saban about MSU.
3. MSU hires Tucker in Feb. during a COVID on the recommendation from Saban. Tucker didn’t coach the team with pads until August. MSU Tucker Hire
4. Dips into transfer portal and transforms team in a year and has them unranked.
If Tucker doesn’t finish out the Season strong I don’t believe he will be hired by LSU. Strong is finishing 9-2 or better with strong loss performances.
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:29 pm to PUB
quote:
But he gets quadruple points for CRT hiring
Relax. WTW will make a good coaching hire. The interference will come from the boosters writing the check. Tate is just your eternal boogeyman.
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:30 pm to DmitriKaramazov
Would be a terrible hire and no I’m not racist. Still feel that he’s being pushed on Woodward by the CRT LSU President but I have no sauces.
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:32 pm to DmitriKaramazov
This post was edited on 10/28/21 at 3:44 pm
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:33 pm to beauchristopher
I think that last part of fair.
There is just no information TODAY that makes me think he’s a good coach.
He is coaching an undefeated top 10 team, but he hasn’t played anyone good. That being said, maybe he wins few of these next games.
How would you feel about him after a 10-2 season?
There is just no information TODAY that makes me think he’s a good coach.
He is coaching an undefeated top 10 team, but he hasn’t played anyone good. That being said, maybe he wins few of these next games.
How would you feel about him after a 10-2 season?
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:34 pm to DmitriKaramazov
Woody aint hiring Jimbo at Aggy and then this guy at his Alma mater.
Undoubtedly better candidates are available. Even Napier would be an upgrade over Tucker. And he wants the job.
Undoubtedly better candidates are available. Even Napier would be an upgrade over Tucker. And he wants the job.
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:35 pm to SammyTiger
quote:
How would you feel about him after a 10-2 season?
I know you’re not asking me. But I’m going to answer anyways. Let’s put it this way, anyone can have an individual good season. Look at 2019 with O.
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:35 pm to DmitriKaramazov
I didn't realize we were searching for a defensive coordinator.
Posted on 10/28/21 at 1:35 pm to deathvalleytiger10
(no message)
This post was edited on 10/28/21 at 1:53 pm
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