Michigan State AD Alan Haller Says He Wanted to Discipline Football Coach Mel Tucker for Sexual Harassment, But School Blocked It: Report

Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller told the university's board of trustees in September that he wanted to separate former head coach Mel Tucker from the Spartans' football program before the season started, according to ESPN's Dan Murphy.

According to ESPN, Michigan State's administration prevented Haller from taking disciplinary action against Tucker sooner. On Sept. 27, Tucker was fired for cause, after the university concluded an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him.

The 51-year-old had been accused of sexual harassment by anti-rape activist Brenda Tracy. Tucker, who admitted to a "personal relationship" with Tracy in September, has denied the accusations.

Tracy initially filed a compliant against Tucker to the university in Dec. 2022, which prompted Michigan State to open an investigation.

However, he remained at the helm of the football program until Sept. 10 — nine months after the investigation began — when the university's administration suspended him without pay. That allowed Tucker, who signed a 10-year, $95 million contract extension with the school in November of 2021, to continue to receive a salary from Michigan State.

Last month, Michigan State found Tucker responsible for sexually harassing Tracy — a rape survivor who has educated athletes about sexual violence since 2014 — during an April 2022 phone call. He appealed the ruling the next day.

In a previous statement, Tucker admitted to a "personal relationship" with Tracy, who accused the coach of nonconsensual masturbating during a phone call, according to USA Today. Tucker claimed it was consensual.