Michigan State football: Mel Tucker handled situation like a leader

Mel Tucker was put in a tough situation on Saturday night following a demoralizing Michigan State football loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor.

An incident in the tunnel occurred with a handful of Michigan State players taking swings at two Michigan players and the video of the altercation went viral. Tucker couldn’t even address the issue before it was all over social media and fans wanted to throw the head coach and his players in jail immediately.

Even with all of this occurring right after his team lost a tough rivalry game, Tucker did the right thing, didn’t flinch and handled everything like a leader with plenty of class.

He went on Twitter after the game and his presser and stated that he was sorry for what happened and the correct punishments will come. He also stated he would be cooperating with the Big Ten and law enforcement to make sure the right guys were punished.

A day later, he publicly suspended four guys for their actions: Angelo Grose, Khary Crump, Tank Brown, and Zion Young.

This is what a leader does.

Mel Tucker restoring Michigan State football’s image

There were plenty of hot takes on social media following the incident, stating that Michigan State has a culture problem. That’s not the case.

Tucker showed zero tolerance for what happened and made sure the four guys responsible for this ugly post-game altercation were suspended immediately. That’s the exact opposite of a cultural issue.

The main issue here is the rivalry taking an ugly turn.

Tucker is creating a culture of accountability and transparency and you love to see a coach who does the right thing.

But four players don’t speak for the culture of an entire program.