Michigan State Football

Jonathan Smith, who has led Oregon State back to prominence over the last few seasons, was named the next head coach at Michigan State on Saturday.

Smith is in the midst of his sixth season as the head coach at Oregon State, and while his cumulative record is just 34-35, he has taken the Beavers from the basement to contenders in the Pac-12.

Since going 2-10 in 2018, 5-7 in 2019 and 2-5 in 2020, Smith has helped the Beavers achieve records of 7-6, 10-3 and 8-4 over the past three campaigns.

Michigan State was once a perennial contender in the Big Ten and is just two years removed from going 11-2, but the past two seasons have seen the Spartans fall off significantly.

MSU went just 5-7 last season and did not qualify for a bowl game, and it fell short of bowl eligibility again this season with a 4-8 mark.

After starting 2-0 this season, Michigan State fired head coach Mel Tucker for cause after sexual assault awareness speaker Brenda Tracy alleged that Tucker engaged in sexual misconduct.

Tracy alleged that Tucker masturbated without her consent during a 2022 phone call, but Tucker denied the allegations and said any personal relationship he had with Tracy was consensual.

Regardless, the Spartans moved on from Tucker and installed Harlon Barnett as head coach, but Michigan State struggled mightily from that point forward, going just 2-8 under Barnett.

Friday marked one of MSU's worst losses of the season, as it fell 42-0 to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Smith, 44, quarterback collegiately at Oregon State before holding assistant coaching positions at Idaho, Montana, Boise State and Washington.

Following a stint from 2014 to 2017 as Washington's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Smith went back to his alma mater and got his first shot at a head coaching job.

After seven straight seasons from 2014 to 2020 without playing in a bowl game, Smith has Oregon State in line to play in a bowl game for the third consecutive year.

Last season's 10-3 record was the Beavs' best mark since going 11-1 back in 2000.

Prior to this week, Oregon State's first three losses of the 2023 season were by a combined eight points, including a narrow 22-20 loss to undefeated Washington last week.

Provided Smith does not coach Oregon State in its bowl game, his final game at the school will have been Friday's 31-7 loss to the rival Oregon Ducks.

Michigan State's search of its next head football coach in place of the fired Mel Tucker is "expected to conclude within the next week or two," per The Athletic's Chris Vannini, who mentioned that Arizona's Jedd Fisch and Kansas' Lance Leipold are among those "in the mix."

"The search for a new football coach is expected to conclude within the next week or two, an effort that has prioritized candidates with head coaching experience. Among the names believed to still be in the mix are Oregon State's Jonathan Smith, Kansas' Lance Leipold, Arizona's Jedd Fisch and Toledo's Jason Candle, per industry sources. The school always planned to hire a new president first, and that process appears to be wrapping up, with North Carolina chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz the last remaining finalist."

The new coach will take over a program that has gone just 4-7 this season (2-6 in Big Ten) and 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten) the year before. The Spartans wrap up the 2023 campaign Friday against Penn State.

John Brice of Football Scoop has previously reported that MSU's top choice is Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith, who led the Beavers to an 8-3 record and a No. 16 spot in the latest CFP rankings.

The 44-year-old, who served as OSU's quarterback from 1998-2001, has been its head coach since 2018. Last year resulted in a 10-win season and a No. 17 spot in the final polls.

The rest of the reported group in the mix sports solid resumes as well.

The 47-year-old Fisch has led Arizona from a 1-11 record in 2021, his first season with the Wildcats, to an 8-3 mark (5-2 Pac-12) this year. Arizona is currently 15th in the CFP rankings.

Fisch also has NFL experience, most recently working for the Los Angeles Rams in 2018 and 2019 as an assistant and for the New England Patriots in 2020 as a quarterbacks coach. He also was the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014.

The 59-year-old Leipold has found great success wherever he's gone. From 2007-2014, he guided Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater to five national championships. From 2015-2020, he guided Buffalo to a 10-win season (2018) and a No. 25 Associated Press poll finish (2020). Now he'd led a previously moribund Kansas program to a guaranteed winning record (7-4 currently) in 2023 after KU hadn't had one since 2008.

Jason Candle, 44, has been with Toledo since 2009 and got the promotion to head coach in 2016. The Rockets have gone 64-33 under Candle, including a 10-1 record this season. Toledo also won the MAC in 2017 and 2022.

Ultimately, the Michigan State job is an attractive position, one that should bring about a host of talented candidates. Whomever comes in as a tall task ahead, but MSU has found great success before and can certainly achieve it again.

Michigan State fired head coach Mel Tucker in September amid a sexual harassment investigation, but his ousting reportedly had been under consideration long before that.

According to ESPN's Dan Murphy, Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller "said he wanted to separate [Tucker] from the football team months before the 2023 season began but the school's administration prevented him from doing so."

The university launched an investigation after prominent sexual assault awareness speaker Brenda Tracy, who spoke with the Spartans football team on multiple occasions, filed a complaint claiming that Tucker harassed her and masturbated without her consent during a phone call. Tucker, who claimed that he and Tracy had a consensual relationship, was fired for cause on Sept. 27.

Per Murphy, Haller told Tucker in his initial termination letter on Sept. 18 that the coach's admissions that he flirted and had a sexual encounter with a school vendor were grounds for his firing regardless of consent. Sources told Murphy that Haller "was aware of Tucker's admissions months before taking any disciplinary actions against him and pushed to take action sooner." Tucker remained in his position for the first nine months of the university's investigation.

Michigan State spokeswoman Emily Guerrant declined to provide clarity about when university interim president Teresa Woodruff learned of Tucker's admissions about his encounters with Tracy, per Murphy. Guerrant claimed that Woodruff and others "were not aware of the full scope of the investigation until details were made public" in a report by Kenny Jacoby of USA Today on Sept. 10.

When asked when Woodruff learned of the information that was eventually used for Tucker's firing, Guerrant said in a general statement:

"Best practices in investigations call for privacy in order to not influence outcomes. Privacy is also key to creating a culture around reporting incidents - we must create a safe environment for all individuals to come forward without a fear of institutional retaliation or dissemination of information regarding highly personal matters."

Guerrant added that after the USA Today story was published with details about Tracy's claims, the university felt it could no longer maintain privacy and "determined then that personnel actions were warranted."

Before his eventual firing, Tucker was suspended by the university on the same day the story was published. He had been one of the highest-paid coaches in college sports after signing a 10-year, $95 million contract in November 2021, but his firing resulted in a loss of the over $70 million remaining on his deal.

Murphy noted that Tucker called the university investigation "a sham," and his attorney told Michigan State that he might sue the school for wrongful termination. However, he has yet to file a lawsuit.

An outside investigation led by Virginia-based Title IX attorney Amanda Norris Ames concluded that former Michigan State football head coach Mel Tucker was responsible for violating the school's sexual harassment policy, as reported by USA Today's Kenny Jacoby.

Rape survivor and activist and educator Brenda Tracy filed a complaint with the university's Title IX office against Tucker 10 months ago, accusing the ex-coach of sexual harassment and exploitation.

A seven-month investigation ensued, and MSU also held a formal hearing on Oct. 5, which Tucker did not attend. MSU notably suspended Tucker on Sept. 10 before firing him for cause two weeks later.

Now the investigation is over, and a 73-page report, which Tracy provided to USA Today, reveals that Ames concluded that "Tucker sexually harassed and exploited Tracy when he masturbated and made sexual comments without her consent during an April 2022 phone call, eight months after he hired her as a sexual violence prevention educator," per Jacoby.

The conclusion of the report reads as follows:

"In sum, considering all available evidence, the Resolution Officer finds, by a preponderance of the evidence, that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that Respondent subjected Claimant to unwelcome conduct based on sex when he FaceTime video called Claimant without a shirt on; when he attempted to meet up with Claimant alone following the Spring Game; and when he non-consensually masturbated and used graphic, sexual language on a phone call with Claimant."

Tucker served as MSU's head coach for 34 games since the beginning of the 2020 season. His tenure ended two games into the 2023 campaign.

Tracy spoke with Jacoby after the report was released.

"My first reaction was tears of relief," Tracy said. She also noted that the reporting process has "been a nightmare to navigate."

Per Jacoby, "Tucker could not immediately be reached for comment."

The Ames-led report indicated that Tucker made contradictory statements and falsehoods when it came to his case.

Tucker's defense was a claim that he and Tracy were involved in a romantic relationship, but there was no supporting evidence to suggest that was the case in the form of either documentation or witnesses to corroborate, per the report.

Ames also stated that Tucker made false claims about where he was when the phone call in question between him and Tracy occurred. Tucker said that he was either at home in East Lansing, Michigan, or on a non-university-sponsored trip, but neither turned out to be the case.

Rather, Tucker was in Florida at the time on a university-sponsored trip in which he both attended a charity golf tournament and supported a MSU program designed to help farmworkers get college degrees.

Tucker also reportedly gave conflicting reasons for why he canceled a trip Tracy was set to make in July 2022, three months after the phone call occurred.

In addition to the phone call, Ames reported that there was evidence Tucker made unwanted advances to Tracy on two occasions. The first occurred in November 2021, when he called her shirtless on FaceTime. He also reportedly called Tracy asking to meet him alone in a secret location following the Spartans' 2022 spring football game.

Per the report, Tracy repeatedly expressed her desire to keep the relationship professional and she was afraid of jeopardizing her business relationship with the university as well.

With the investigation concluded, Tucker has the option to file an appeal within 10 business days. The school can choose to deny the appeal, however, which would render Ames' conclusion and MSU's decision final.

After a picture of Adolf Hitler flashed on the Spartan Stadium scoreboard prior to Saturday's game against Michigan, Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller announced on Sunday that the "involved employee" has been suspended without pay, per Jared Ramsey of the Detroit Free Press.

"Michigan State Athletics is responsible for all content shown on its video boards," Haller said in a statement. "Before it was displayed, the video was not viewed in its entirety by anyone in athletics, exposing a failure in our process. The video was not part of a sponsorship and had no affiliation with any of our corporate partners or our community."

The statement continued: "An initial assessment was conducted, and an involved employee has been identified and suspended with pay pending the results of an investigation. The investigation will determine any future appropriate actions."

The image appeared on the scoreboard less than 90 minutes before kickoff during a pregame question about Hitler's birthplace. An Oct. 13 episode on The Quiz Channel on YouTube featured a matching image. While the channel is publicly available, the creator and producer of the YouTube page said that Michigan State didn't ask his permission or pay him to use his content.

"It's an absolutely normal trivia question, shown in an inappropriate setting," Floris van Pallandt, creator and producer of The Quiz Channel wrote on Sunday. "Ignoring the dark facets of history is by no means the answer, on the contrary."

Haller's statement went on to say he was "deeply sorry for the offensive image we displayed." He apologized "for the pain it has caused our community," which he acknowledged is "currently experiencing a rise in antisemitism, including acts of violence."

The rise in antisemitism Haller referred to has occurred amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Also, Ramsey pointed out that the incident occurred on the same day that a Detroit synagogue president was fatally stabbed outside her home.

"Antisemitism must be denounced," Haller said. "The image displayed prior to Saturday night's game is not representative of who we are and the culture we embody. Nevertheless, we must own our failures and accept responsibility. I understand our response might be met with skepticism. That skepticism is warranted, and we will do all that is necessary to earn back your trust."

Haller added that he would reach out to local groups in the Jewish community and student groups to ensure that the university avoids an incident like this happening again.

"Every person in the MSU community and our guests deserve to feel safe and that they belong," a statement from Michigan State's Board of Trustees said. "The board does not condone bigotry of any kind. We will take necessary steps to ensure that our athletic department and the administration live up to that expectation at all times."

Michigan State has apologized after receiving backlash for displaying an image of Adolf Hitler on its video board during a pregame segment ahead of Saturday's matchup against Michigan at Spartan Stadium.

"MSU is aware that inappropriate content by a third-party source was displayed on the video board prior to the start of tonight's football game," MSU associate athletic director Matt Larson said in a statement, per Madeline Kenney of The Detroit News. "We are deeply sorry for the content that was displayed, as this is not representative of our institutional values."

The image of the German dictator was displayed on the video board following a prompt asking where he was born. A third-party contractor runs the trivia segment prior to kick off, and the university will now sever ties with that contractor.

Larson added that MSU "will implement stronger screening and approval procedures for all video board content in the future."

Michigan routed Michigan State 49-0 on Saturday to improve to 8-0 on the season. The Spartans dropped to 2-5 with the loss.

Former Michigan State football head coach Mel Tucker and his associates will not be allowed to release more private text messages from Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor and activist who has accused the 51-year-old of sexual harassment.

Per Kenny Jacoby of USA Today, Tracy was granted an emergency restraining order from Judge James S. Jamo in Michigan's Ingham County Circuit Court. Jamo ruled that Tracy showed need to prevent Tucker from "disclosing sensitive, confidential matters that could cause irreparable harm," per Jacoby.

"The actions of Mel Tucker and his legal team have put me in a position where I must protect the lives and the confidential information of third parties that have nothing to do with this case," Tracy said in an emailed statement.

The judge's order also stated that it appeared the information gathered from Tucker's team was obtained illegally: "protected, personal, private, and sensitive business information related to sexual assault survivors and employees...was gathered in violation of Michigan law."

Among other accusations, Tracy said that Tucker made unwanted sexual comments toward her in an April 2022 call and that he also masturbated during that same conversation.

Tucker claims the two were involved in a "consensual and intimate" relationship. Tracy denies that she had anything more than a business relationship with Tucker, who asked her to speak to his team about sexual violence.

Tracy filed a report with MSU's Title IX office in December 2022. Tucker has since been fired for cause "for his admitted and undisputed behaviors which have brought public disrespect, contempt and ridicule upon the university; and constitute a material breach of his agreement, and moral turpitude," per the university.

Tucker and his attorney did not show up to a scheduled hearing regarding the investigation this week, per Jacoby. Instead, his team sent out a blast to reporters purporting "newly discovered evidence" suggesting that Tracy lied to a Title IX investigator.

Per Jacoby:

"Tucker and his attorney, Jennifer Belveal, said in the letter that "approximately 20,000 new communications or documents" involving Tracy "completely contradict" her claims. The letter includes 98 heavily redacted pages of text messages between Tracy and her deceased best friend and booking assistant, Ahlan Alvarado, from September 2021 through May 2023, which appear to have been extracted from Alvarado's cellphone.

"Tucker and Belveal say the texts show Tracy had been in a romantic relationship with a basketball coach and that she had been struggling financially around the time she filed her complaint against Tucker with the university in December. They also show she and her attorney discussed settling with Tucker before she reported him – which they say 'decimate' her assertion that money did not motivate her to come forward."

Tracy responded to the matter.

"I showed up to the hearing today," Tracy said. "Tucker didn't but instead intentionally put out more lies and mischaracterizations in what I can only assume is an attempt to interrupt the hearing. As I give this comment, I am due back in the hearing."

Tucker became MSU's head coach prior to the 2020 season. He signed a 10-year, $95 million contract extension with the team during the 2021 campaign. Nearly $80 million is left on that deal, but he has since signaled his intent to sue the university in a wrongful termination lawsuit.

Lawyers for former Michigan State head football coach Mel Tucker sent a 106-page letter to the school that claims to present "new evidence" in his defense, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The letter said Brenda Tracy, the woman who alleged she had been sexually harassed by Tucker "appears to have made a career out of misleading and manipulating people."

"The letter attempts to detail contradictions in the allegations from Tracy, who filed the formal complaint against Tucker with the school's office of civil rights in December 2022. It says she 'manipulated a key witness,' 'deleted key evidence' and selectively gave transcripts to the Office of Institutional Equity," per Thamel.

Karen Truszkowski, Tracy's attorney, had not yet responded to Thamel about the letter before the story published.

Kenny Jacoby of USA Today reported Sept. 10 that Tucker was the subject of a sexual harassment investigation.

Tracy is a rape survivor who has been an advocate for education on sexual violence. Tucker had invited her to the Michigan State campus on multiple occasions, and she spoke to Spartans players and staffers twice. Over time, Tracy and Tucker also struck up a rapport.

Tracy alleged that in April 2022, Tucker made sexually suggestive comments toward her on a phone call. He also allegedly masturbated without her consent during the call, although Tucker maintained he had engaged in consensual "phone sex," per Jacoby.

Michigan State initially suspended Tucker without pay before announcing on Sept. 18 it planned to fire him for cause.

The 51-year-old responded to the decision and said the school "ignored its own policies in pursuing a biased investigation." He also called the ruling a "miscarriage of justice."

Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller sent a letter to Tucker on Sept. 27 confirming the school was moving forward with his termination.

"It is immaterial if, as you allege, these actions were purportedly consensual and somehow occurred outside of your workplace," Haller said. "As the University previously stated, 'It is decidedly unprofessional and unethical to flirt, make sexual comments, and masturbate while on the phone with a University vendor.'"

Firing Tucker for cause meant Michigan State wouldn't have to pay the outstanding balance on the 10-year, $95 million extension that he signed in 2021. He had around $80 million left on the deal when he was ousted.

A rumor began floating around that Urban Meyer would be a candidate to become head coach at Michigan State following the firing of Mel Tucker, but he quickly put an end to that speculation.

According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, Meyer said he's enjoying his job as a Fox Sports analyst so much that he has "no interest" in joining the Spartans and there's "zero truth" to the rumors.

Tucker was officially fired for cause last week following a sexual misconduct complaint from Brenda Tracy, who is a sexual assault awareness activist. He remains the subject of a university investigation and he lost out on nearly $80 million remaining on the 10-year, $95 million contract extension he signed in 2021.

Meyer, who is no stranger to controversy himself, hasn't coached at any level since he was fired by the Jacksonville Jaguars 13 games into the 2021 NFL season. The former Florida and Ohio State coach fared much better in the collegiate ranks, winning three national titles over the course of his career.

The Spartans (2-3) promoted defensive backs coach Harlon Barnett to interim head coach, but the team has yet to win a game with him at the helm. Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller recently wrote a letter to the university community addressing the coaching search, explaining that it will be a lengthy process filled with rumors and speculation:

"Regarding the search, we will thoroughly evaluate and do everything required to find the right individual to lead the Spartan football program. Throughout the process, I won't be able to provide many updates. I realize that our community has a tremendous passion for Spartan football and that there's a great desire for more information about this process. However, privacy is important to attract top-caliber candidates, most of whom are involved in their own current seasons. I expect that you will hear a lot of names and rumors. I expect to speak with many individuals throughout this process. While some are candidates, others will be resources for me as I go about my due diligence to ensure the best hire for Michigan State."

Michigan State will be looking to end a three-game skid when it returns to action against Rutgers on Oct. 14.

The Michigan State Spartans have identified a number of head coaching targets in the wake of firing Mel Tucker for cause this week, which include Duke head coach Mike Elko, Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos, LSU defensive coordinator Matt House, Marshall head coach Charles Huff, Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi and Wisconsin defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, per Brett McMurphy of Action Network.

Meanwhile, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported that Washington State head coach Jake Dickert and Kansas head coach Lance Leipold are currently the "top candidates" for Michigan State.

Feldman also listed Elko, Huff, House, Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman, Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, Tulane head coach Willie Fritz, Toledo head coach Jason Candle, South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack, New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, Colorado offensive coordinator Sean Lewis, Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and Michigan State's current interim head coach, Harlon Barnett, as possible candidates.

Barnett is probably a long shot after two straight blowout losses and a schedule that still features tough matchups against Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.

Michigan State went just 20-14 under Tucker across the past three-plus seasons. He was fired with cause this past week after sexual assault awareness speaker Brenda Tracy accused him of sexual misconduct, which included him allegedly masturbating without her consent during a phone call.

"The conversations Tucker had with Ms. Tracy regarding her appearance, flirtation, and phone sex, occurred exclusively in their private lives, unrelated to either Tucker's work or her work, and were entirely consensual," Tucker's lawyers wrote in a letter on Monday in response to the termination notice.

Michigan State said it fired Tucker for cause—which would rid the school of any obligation to pay the remaining $79 million on his contract—due to his "admitted and undisputed behaviors which have brought public disrespect, contempt and ridicule upon the university; and constitute a material breach of his agreement, and moral turpitude."