Back to the Michigan State Spartans Newsfeed

Michigan State football's Mike Tressel reportedly now new Cincinnati defensive coordinator

Mel Tucker appears to be about to lose his first assistant coach — one of the key bridges from the Mark Dantonio era.

Mike Tressel, a former Michigan State football defensive coordinator who coached safeties this season in Tucker’s first year, reportedly will become the new defensive coordinator at Cincinnati, Yahoo! Sports reported on Monday.

A message with MSU was not immediately returned.

Tressel's salary in 2020 was $667,385, the same he made as Dantonio's highest-paid assistant while serving as defensive coordinator in 2019.

There is a lot of intrigue with Tressel leaving East Lansing after 14 seasons and joining Cincinnati, reuniting in a place and with a head coach with whom he is familiar.