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What Mel Tucker said at his introductory press conference as Michigan State’s head coach
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After a week-long search, Michigan State finally found its guy.
On Wednesday, Colorado head coach Mel Tucker was named the next head coach at Michigan State, replacing Mark Dantonio after 13 seasons with the program. The first report trickled out early Wednesday morning and it became official by Wednesday evening, with the board of trustees giving the stamp of approval.
Wednesday evening, Michigan State held a press conference, introducing Tucker as the next head coach of the program. Here’s what Tucker said during the presser:
Tucker: "This is a special time for me. This is an incredible moment and I just want to thank everyone for being here today."
— Colton Pouncy 🌴 (@colton_pouncy) February 12, 2020
Tucker: "It was very hard for me to leave Colorado. But thank you for never giving up on me and your confidence in me to lead one of the finest football programs in America."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 12, 2020
Tucker chokes up when starting to thank his parents "for putting me and my brothers first and showing me what real love and sacrifice is all about."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 12, 2020
Tucker: "We have much to live up to and much to prove. I believe the time is right now. The time is now."
— Colton Pouncy 🌴 (@colton_pouncy) February 13, 2020
https://twitter.com/SchutteCFB/status/1227745113574662144?s=20
https://twitter.com/SchutteCFB/status/1227746253729157120?s=20
Tucker: "We'll be best-conditioned. That's the foundation of our program. Our program is built in the weight room."
— Colton Pouncy 🌴 (@colton_pouncy) February 13, 2020
Tucker: "The commitment is here, the resources are here, the leadership is here, everything we need is here right now to get done what we need to get done."
— Colton Pouncy 🌴 (@colton_pouncy) February 13, 2020
Tucker says conditioning is the foundation of his programs. Technique and fundamentals, smart football, playing fast in all three phases, “and last but not least, we’ll play physical football. That’s what MSU has always been about, physical football.”
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 13, 2020
Tucker on meeting with team today: “We’re all in this thing together. I have your back.” Adds “it’s not gonna be easy.”
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 13, 2020
Tucker on timing: “We have to put together a staff. I told the players I can’t guarantee I’m gonna bring in every guru or football genius.” Character important for his coaches.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 13, 2020
Tucker: "We wanna hit the ground running. Time is of the essence. We're not going to waste any time."
— Colton Pouncy 🌴 (@colton_pouncy) February 13, 2020
Tucker on Mark Dantonio: "Obviously, he's one of those great mentors that I've learned a lot from and he's helped shaped some of my football philosophies."
— Colton Pouncy 🌴 (@colton_pouncy) February 13, 2020
Tucker ends his press conference with a "Go Green!"
— Colton Pouncy 🌴 (@colton_pouncy) February 13, 2020
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