Mel Tucker made the right decision by dismissing Itayvion Brown

Although it’s tough to see him go, Tank Brown’s dismissal was the right decision by Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker.

When Mel Tucker landed Tank Brown in the transfer portal a couple of years ago from Minnesota, the hopes were high. He was expected to be a legit contributor but he could never seemingly stay healthy.

Heading into the 2023 season, however, it felt like this could finally be his year. He had an entire offseason to get healthy and get his mind right after his suspension following the Michigan tunnel incident.

But in March, he wasn’t thinking and was involved in an incident. He was under the influence and is facing a felony of carrying a concealed weapon along with a misdemeanor firearms possession charge, according to a report from MLive.

MLive also reported that Brown was dismissed from the team last month and had not participated in spring ball. This felt like a swift decision by Tucker, but the right move.

You might be wondering why this was the right move considering he’s still going through the legal process, but distractions like this, especially when this is strike two, are not necessary. Tucker is trying to get this team back on the right track and for that to happen, no one can think they’re above the team. And with the shooting that happened on campus a couple of months ago, this incident by Brown felt especially egregious.

Tucker is creating a culture of accountability, and you have to love that if you’re a fan. While the expectations have been tempered by a 5-7 season last year, it feels like the team is putting its head down and getting to work behind the scenes and we may be surprised once again in 2023.

If you’re going to move forward as a program, you need to have a culture of accountability and respect. Tucker is building that through the hard, but necessary, decisions.