College football firings 'for cause': Michigan State's Mel Tucker could join small club

This article has been updated.

Mel Tucker is embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal at Michigan State that could see him lose his status as one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.

Brenda Tracy — a rape survivor and prominent sexual assault prevention advocate — has accused the Spartans coach of sexually harassing her, including masturbating during a phone call with her without consent. Tucker, who is owed a $70 million buyout should he be fired, has been suspended without pay as the university undoubtedly explores the option of firing him for cause.

A for-cause firing would void the buyout on the remainder of his 10-year, $95 million extension he signed in November 2021. For-cause firings are hardly unheard of in college sports — but they are rare, and they tend to crop up in basketball more than football.

Update: Michigan State on Monday released a statement claiming it has notified Tucker it intends to for him for cause. Athletic director Alan Haller said the notification is part of Tucker's contract, and he has seven days to respond.

REQUIRED READING: Why Michigan State suspended football coach amid allegations

There's another battle of that variety brewing in Evanston, Illinois, as Northwestern attempts to get out of the $42 million buyout owed to Pat Fitzgerald amid the hazing scandal that got him fired this summer. The situation at Michigan State is different in that it involves off-the-field allegations, though Tucker would undoubtedly fight just as vehemently.

Tucker has not been fired, though the allegations will be discussed as part of a Title IX hearing scheduled for Oct. 5-6. Acting swiftly could be in athletic director Alan Haller's best interest, however, as the shadow of convicted sexual molester Larry Nassar, a former sports doctor at MSU, still looms over East Lansing.

Here's a look at what it means to be fired for cause, Tucker's contract details and the other coaches in college sports who have been fired for cause since 2010.

What is firing 'for cause'?

Firing for cause is a nebulous term, but it gets some solidification in the context of a contract. Firing a coach for poor performance, for example, isn't a firing for cause. For-cause firings are generally due to a violation of moral clauses outside of on-field/on-court results.

Tucker's contract states he can be fired for cause if he "engages in any conduct which constitutes moral turpitude or which, in the university's sole judgement, would tend to bring public disrespect, contempt or ridicule upon the university."

It is, of course, difficult to argue Tucker's actions don't violate that clause.

Similarly, Tennessee in 2021 wasn't forced to honor its $12.6 million buyout of Jeremy Pruitt after he was fired for a veritable laundry list of recruiting violations. That type of buyout circumvention is rarer, but not unheard of.

Update: Tucker has issued a response in which he called the upcoming hearing in October as "a sham," adding that the investigation into the allegations against him is not related to Title IX violations:

REQUIRED READING: Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker accused of sexually harassing rape survivor

Coaches who have been fired for cause since 2010

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern

The most recent coach to be terminated for cause also resides in the Big Ten.

Fitzgerald was fired as a result of the hazing scandal that rocked the Wildcats program this summer, which saw players complain of sexual harassment in the locker room. Fitzgerald, whose for-cause status voided a $42 million buyout, has since hired an attorney to fight for the rest of his contract.

Fitzgerald is pleading ignorance to the hazing.

Chris Beard, Texas basketball

Chris Beard was fired for cause in February after the former Longhorns basketball coach was charged with a third-degree felony assault.

Beard was accused of strangling his fiancée in December. Beard's contract included a similar clause to Tucker's that allowed the university to fire him for cause for conduct "unbecoming."

Greg Heiar, New Mexico State basketball

New Mexico State's Greg Heiar was fired for cause on Feb. 14, 2023 after the Aggies suspended their basketball season. Two players came forward and said they were sexually assaulted during hazing rituals at the university, while a self-defense shooting in November also marred the NMSU season.

Heiar has since said in arbitration he was a "sacrificial lamb" for the university's turbulent year, also claiming he was unaware of the hazing. Title IX would have barred the school from informing Heiar of the allegations brought forward by the affected players.

Mike Anderson, St. John's basketball

St. John's Mike Anderson was fired in March for a "failure to perform your duties and responsibilities in a manner that reflected positively on St. John's University ... in actions [that] brought serious discredit."

Anderson is suing the university for $45.6 million, which includes his $11 million buyout with the rest going for "punitive damages" for his wrongful termination. Anderson claims his firing by the school was part of a bigger set of plans to bring Rick Pitino to St. John's: Pitino was hired 10 days after Anderson was fired.

"St. John's manufactured out of whole cloth its preposterous 'for cause' termination of Mr. Anderson's employment with the sole purpose of attempting to extricate the University from its $11.4 million ironclad contractual obligation to Mr. Anderson, specifically so that it could otherwise divert those funds to Pitino," a filing on Anderson's behalf said.

Will Wade, LSU basketball

Will Wade's transgressions at LSU were a poorly kept secret.

Tigers basketball enjoyed success, including a Sweet 16 berth in 2019, but Wade was suspended from March 7 to April 14, 2019. His return included stipulations in his contract that stated he could be fired for cause for a Level I NCAA violation.

Wade was fired in 2022 for a myriad of recruiting violations after the NCAA gave a notice of allegations that included five Level I violations — and a Level II violation.

Nick Rolovich, Washington State University

In an example more tangentially related to on-the-field issues, Washington State coach Nick Rolovich was terminated with cause for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021.

Rolovich, along with several WSU assistants, did not comply with requirement to provide proof of vaccination, which led to him being fired. While Rolovich's buyout is not as substantial, he also employed legal counsel to fight the for-cause designation.

REQUIRED READING: Meet the culprits in Jeremy Pruitt's Tennessee football recruiting scandal

Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee

Jeremy Pruitt was fired by Tennessee football in 2021 for a cornucopia of recruiting violations following an internal investigation from the program.

Pruitt's buyout would have been about $12.6 million. His lawyer has threatened to expose other violations if Tennessee doesn't settle, but thus far it has all been posturing.

Bruce Pearl, Tennessee basketball

This example is bracketed in semantics, as technically Tennessee didn't have to fire Bruce Pearl for cause in 2011 because he wasn't coaching under contract.

If the Volunteers did have to show cause, however, Pearl would have fallen under that umbrella: He was fired for various recruiting violations, including inviting high schooler Aaron Craft to a cookout and then lying about said invite.

Pearl was given a "show cause" designation by the NCAA, which would subject any school that hired him to sanctions. Auburn did so in 2014 with five months left on his show cause. He remains at Auburn.

Donnie Tyndall, Tennessee basketball

Just a few years after the Pearl debacle, Donnie Tyndall brought Tennessee back into the limelight in 2015.

Tyndall was hired by Tennessee from Southern Miss, but an investigation into the Golden Eagles' program by the NCAA spooked the Vols. They fired him for cause, and he had a 10-year show cause penalty imposed upon him for violations that included fabricating documents to justify player payments and paying off players.

Kevin Ollie, UConn basketball

Kevin Ollie coached at UConn from 2012-18, and was fired for cause for violations that occurred over a three-year span.

Ollie was charged with three Level I violations, including unsanctioned pickup games and extra impermissible benefits. Ollie has since filed a grievance for $10 million, which was awarded to him in arbitration.

There are other coaches who have "resigned" in the eyes of courts.

Louisville's Rick Pitino was originally fired for cause in 2017 when Louisville was a main violator in the NCAA's pay-for-play scandal, but in 2019 he and the university settled and the record officially reflects he resigned on Oct. 3, 2017. Former Indiana basketball coach Kelvin Sampson also resigned under intense scrutiny for transgressions that included texting recruits. After a five-year show-cause, Sampson is now at Houston.

Another example is Hugh Freeze from Ole Miss, who also breached the morals clause in his contract in 2017. Kansas' David Beaty was fired for cause in 2018, but sued KU for his $3 million buyout and ultimately settled for $2.55 million.

Art Briles also is a unique case. The former Baylor coach was suspended with intent to terminate in 2016 after rampant acts of sexual violence from the team under his watch. The Bears, however, did pay out $15.1 million to Briles.

What is Mel Tucker's buyout?

If Tucker were to be fired without cause, his buyout would be substantial:

Michigan State signed Tucker to a 10-year, $95 million extension on Nov. 24, 2021. He is owed $70 million on that contract, which would be due to him if he were fired without cause.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Can Michigan State fire Mel Tucker 'for cause'? What NCAA history says