Mel Tucker has coached just 16 games at Michigan State.
The school’s administration wants to make sure that the second-year head man is there for many more seasons amidst an 8-1 start to the 2021 season that finds the Spartans the nation's No. 7 team in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Sources with direct knowledge tell FootballScoop that Tucker has an offer effectively in hand from MSU leaders to both extend the length and raise the salary in Tucker's current pact. Tucker, per sources, is considered a prominent candidate at LSU, the 2019 CFP champion that is seeking a new coach after announcing plans to part ways with Ed Orgeron.
Terms of the proposed extension were not disclosed, but two sources told FootballScoop it was expected to provide “a significant raise.”
Tucker first agreed to a six-year pact with the Spartans in January 2020, after he had coached just one season at Colorado and initially had rebuffed MSU's overtures.
Eventually, however, as the MSU administration looked to chart a new course after the exit of Mark Dantonio, it settled on Tucker and eventually lured the coach to East Lansing, Michigan, with a relentless pursuit.
The Spartans awarded Tucker with a deal scheduled to pay him at least $5.5 million per year the school released when Tucker was hired, but Tucker has already positioned himself to potentially earn hundreds of thousands more this season in bonus money.
MSU is tied for the Big Ten's second-best league mark at 5-1 and tied for its top current overall record at 9-1. Tucker is poised to earn a $250,000 bonus if Michigan State is selected for a New Year's Six bowl game.
If the Spartans are selected to a bowl game as the conference's No. 2 or No. 3 team, Tucker receives a $125,000 bonus. He also could earn an additional $50-75,000 in bonus money for various coach of the year honors.
Earlier this season, Tucker became the Spartans' first coach in program history to win his first two games against rival Michigan. He also owns four wins against ranked opponents.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest coaching news.