re: Remind me why we’re not supposed to like Mel Tucker

Tucker built a team through the transfer portal . Good job ! Probably other intelligent coaches will take heed next year and do the same . Is he a proven recruiter ???? Just sayin ! One year does not a career make !!

I agree with LSU2a . Tucker has proven he can use the transfer portal to build a team and evaluate talent . Little else . If he can recruit and continue in a positive direction for the next four years at Mich St .,
maybe he might be ready for the super big jobs .
Now , other coaches will catch on to the portal magic . Trust me !

I don't dislike it. I don't like that it was touted as Tate wants him because he's black. If he's the guy, good, great, grand! As long as it's due to his potential as a coach, not as a black coach.

That is not true. Tate told Woodward to hire a winner. According to Jordy Culotta, Woodward was told that the hire was completely his.

If Tucker is ultimately the hire then there are reasons one could be optimistic he would have success here. The "backlash" stems not so much that he may be a candidate. But that some feel he should be a "top candidate". A candidacy that MAY be premised more on non-merit based criteria (i.e. skin color) rather than OJBECTIVE merit base criteria.

In 2019 he took over a Colorado program that went 5-7 the year before and went...5-7. He then got the MSU job. But that job came open in a bit of an unconventional manner with Dantonio resigning somewhat "late" in the coaching cycle. He went 2-5 in his first season which, admittedly, was a difficult way to begin his career there. Late hire in 2020 in a season that was abbreviated and largely changed due to the "pandemic".

This year his team has been very good to this point. Before last week you could argue that was solely because MSU has played a very weak schedule (no teams with winning records). But the victory over Michigan somewhat validates this MSU group MAY be a pretty good team. That said, their numbers don't really strike you as great. They are 103 (worse than LSU) in total defense despite playing an objectively weak schedule. On offense they have been MUCH better (currently 34th in total offense). A HUGE portion of that success has been due to the efforts of Walker (transfer from Wake Forest who leads the NCAA in rushing).

Now, you could say "Hey. Give Tucker credit for finding and recruiting him to transfer to MSU." And you could say maybe this season is indicative for what kind of offensive team MSU is expected to become in future years. But then you also look to see MSU was abysmal last year at rushing the football. So is this season a sign of things to come? Or is this season in large part the result of a good transfer being in the right place at the right time. Many have argued on here that O was ALWAYS a bad coach. It was just a great transfer (Burrow) who led the team above that coaching deficiency and that once he left you saw the "real Orgeron" in terms of coaching ability. Could you say the same thing about Tucker this season? Don't know because we haven't seen a subsequent season without Walker.

In short, there is very little past history (as an HC) upon which to evaluate Tucker. That doesn't mean he isn't a great coach or that he couldn't be a great coach at LSU. But it DOES make some reluctant to say he should be a "top candidate" because frankly, there no a lot of objective criteria to support such claims.

It's not that people don't want Tucker. It's that many don't feel he should be one the primary targets to the exclusion of other coaches who have longer and greater histories of success.

Well for one thing, Tucker's overall head coaching record is only 15 & 12. Which is more than a little underwhelming and also indicates that he isn't remotely close to being qualified to be the next head coach at LSU. I mean, the dude hardly has any experience to speak about.

The people pushing for him are unhinged.

Jbeau I try to stay chill hard with kids sometimes but I try. Wasn't pissed just some stats. are no good

Jbeau I try to stay chill hard with kids sometimes but I try. Wasn't pissed just some stats. are no good

He’s black