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Mel Tucker

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Mel Tucker
Current position
TitleDefensive coordinator
TeamGeorgia
ConferenceSEC
Biographical details
Born (1972-01-04) January 4, 1972 (age 52)
Cleveland, Ohio
Playing career
1990–1992, 1994Wisconsin
Position(s)Defensive back
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1997–1998Michigan State (GA)
1999Miami (OH) (DB)
2000LSU (DB)
2001–2003Ohio State (DB)
2004Ohio State (Co-DC)
2005–2007Cleveland Browns (DB)
2008Cleveland Browns (DC)
2009–2011Jacksonville Jaguars (DC)
2011Jacksonville Jaguars (interim HC)
2012Jacksonville Jaguars (AHC/DC)
2013–2014Chicago Bears (DC)
2015Alabama (AHC/DB)
2016–presentGeorgia (DC/DB)
Head coaching record
Overall2–3

Melvin Tucker (born January 4, 1972) is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the defensive coordinator at the University of Georgia. Tucker was the interim head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) for five games in 2011. He has worked as the defensive backs coach at the University of Alabama and as the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears of the NFL.[1][2]

Early life

Tucker was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Cleveland Heights High School where he was a football standout. He then attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he played defensive back for the Wisconsin Badgers football team. He graduated in 1995 with a degree in agricultural business management.[3]

Coaching career

Tucker began his coaching career in 1997 as a graduate assistant for the Michigan State University Spartans under head coach Nick Saban.[4] In 1999, he served as a defensive backs coach for the Miami University Redhawks, and then in 2000 followed Saban to Louisiana State University to fill the same position with the LSU Tigers. In 2001, he became defensive backs coach for the Ohio State University Buckeyes under coach Jim Tressel, and in 2004 he was made co-defensive coordinator.[3]

In 2005 Tucker entered the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Browns. He coached defensive backs from 2005–2007 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in the 2008 season following the firing of Todd Grantham.[5][6] Under Tucker, Cleveland consistently ranked fifth in the league, with the defense making 73 interceptions.[3] After the firing of Browns head coach Romeo Crennel, Tucker was replaced by Rob Ryan.[7]

In 2009 Tucker was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the defensive coordinator. In the 2011 season head coach Jack Del Rio put Tucker in charge of defensive play-calling, and the team quickly became the fourth highest rated in the NFL. On November 29, 2011, Tucker was named Jacksonville's interim head coach following the firing of Del Rio. He ran the team for their final five games and was in consideration for the job full-time until Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey was named head coach on January 10, 2012. Tucker got his first victory as a head coach in week 14, a 41–14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He went 2–3 as interim head coach. On January 12, 2012, he informed the media he would return to his position as defensive coordinator for the Jaguars. On January 13, 2012 it was announced that Tucker would also be the assistant head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. On January 18, 2013 Tucker was named defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears.[8]

Following one of the worst defensive seasons in Bears' history in 2013, Tucker was criticized by the media.[9] As a result, the team fired two of Tucker's assistant coaches, linebackers coach Tim Tibesar and defensive line coach Mike Phair.[10] The Bears replaced them with Paul Pasqualoni as defensive line coach and Reggie Herring as linebackers coach.[11]

On January 20, 2015, following another record-setting low defensive season for the Bears, Tucker was replaced by former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio under new head coach John Fox.[12]

Head coaching record

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
JAX* 2011 2 3 0 .400 4th in AFC South – – – –

* – Interim head coach

References

  1. ^ Stellino, Vito (January 24, 2009). "Jaguars sign Tucker as new D-coordinator". Florida Times-Union. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  2. ^ Mike Florio (November 29, 2011). "Del Rio out in Jacksonville". profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "Mel Tucker, Interim Head Coach". www.jaguars.com. Jacksonville Jaguars. 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  4. ^ Gene Frenette (November 30, 2011). "Low-key Mel Tucker takes center stage as Jaguars' coach". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  5. ^ Associated Press (January 12, 2008). "Browns Fire Grantham as Defensive Coordinator". The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  6. ^ Bensch, Bob (January 12, 2008). "Cleveland Browns Promote Mel Tucker to Defensive Coordinator". Bloomberg. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  7. ^ Carucci, Vic (May 28, 2009). "Many teams make notable adjustments on defense". NFL.com. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  8. ^ "Chicago Bears name Mel Tucker defensive coordinator". National Football League. 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2013-01-18.
  9. ^ Haugh, David (December 30, 2013). "Emotions aside, Bears must say bye to Mel Tucker". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10/1/2014. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  10. ^ Dickerson, Jeff (January 13, 2014). "Bears fire two assistant coaches". ESPN Chicago. Retrieved 10/1/2014. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  11. ^ Meyer, Larry (January 23, 2014). "Bears hire two assistant coaches". Chicago Bears. Retrieved 10/1/2014. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  12. ^ Wright, Michael (January 20, 2015). "Vic Fangio new Bears D-coordinator".
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