NFL Legend Rips Departing CU Buffs Coach Mel Tucker

Mel Tucker, who just left his gig as head coach of the University of Colorado Boulder in favor of the same position at Michigan State after insisting that he would stay at CU, is currently the most hated man in CU Buffs nation, and the animosity doesn't stop at the state line. This morning, he's been repeatedly blasted by Drew Pearson, a Dallas Cowboys legend who accuses Tucker of lying to him during the recruitment of his grandson, safety Toren Pittman.

Early on February 12, Pearson tweeted: "MEL TUCKER IS A CON MAN! He recruited my grandson to go to CU, said he wasn’t going anywhere, then ups and leaves. Sat there and lied to my face he wasn’t going anywhere! So I want to beat him up today on social media. What else can I do?"

Plenty of CU fans are asking the same question. Tucker, who was lured to Boulder in December 2018 after serving as the defensive coordinator for the University of Georgia, was seen as a leader capable of turning around the football program after the up-and-down reign of his predecessor, Mike MacIntyre.

Recall that MacIntyre was censured by the university for the way he handled allegations against former CU assistant Joe Tumpkin leveled by Pam Fine, who said that the latter had abused her more than 100 times, but wound up getting a contract extension anyhow because the team was winning. MacIntyre was only fired when the victories stopped, much to Fine's frustration.

In his first season at the CU Buffs' helm, Tucker managed only a 5-7 record, but the squad looked tougher and more explosive than it had toward the end of MacIntyre's run, and his recruiting earned high marks. That's what put him on Michigan State's radar in the first place — but Tucker recently announced that he had rejected MSU's entreaties and was committed to Colorado for the long haul.

If by "long," he meant a few days. Pearson's anger over Tucker's departure extends to Buffs assistant Darrin Chiaverini, who tweeted: "The Pride and Tradition of the Colorado Buffaloes will not be entrusted to the timid or the weak!! Shoulder to Shoulder we will fight for our brothers next to us!! Buff Nation stay strong and stay together."

In response, Pearson wrote, "Nice words, coach, but you will be gone too as soon as you get a better offer. No trust, sir! Fool us once. Right...."