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Promoting from within: Mel Tucker names Michigan State’s new CBs coach

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Mel Tucker is promoting from within again.

Thursday, Michigan State announced that Travares Tillman has been promoted to the cornerbacks coach. His promotion comes after spending last season as a senior defensive assistant on the staff. He’s the second Spartan staff member to see a title change in the last two days.

On Wednesday, Tucker announced that offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Kapilovic will also be the assistant head coach for the 2021 season. Both Kapilovic and Tillman followed Tucker to Michigan State from Colorado.

“Travares is an excellent defensive backs coach who has played and coached at the highest levels of football,” Tucker said in a statement. “He played seven seasons in the NFL and has coached in the College Football Playoff.

“I was impressed with Travares when he was on our defensive staff at Georgia and have been working with him ever since. He connects with the players and will be dynamic and relentless on the recruiting trail. Travares has already spent one season on our staff here at MSU, so he understands our culture and what we’re doing from a schematic perspective. He possesses the traits and skills we’re looking for on our defensive staff.”

Tillman worked at Georgia for three seasons (2016-18) before taking a job on Tucker’s staff at Colorado. This will be his third season working for the head coach.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB