Former assistant Tucker dies
Bob Tucker, 73, a defensive assistant coach at Ohio State from 1979 to ‘84 and later an administrator under coach Jim Tressel in the football program, died of a heart attack on Sunday in Worthington, an OSU spokesman said.
“With coach Tuck it was always about others,” said Tressel, now president of Youngstown State. “His work ethic and passion to do his part for others was inspiring.
“He loved his country, his family, his teams, the students, his colleagues and his friends. He was an amazing man.”
Tucker, a native of Sandusky and a 1965 graduate of Wooster College who earned a graduate degree at Penn State, cut his teeth as a high school football assistant before stepping into the college ranks. He was an assistant for Earle Bruce for 12 seasons, the first six at Iowa State from 1973 to ‘78, and then at Ohio State from 1979 to ‘84.
Tucker helped coach three Big Ten championship teams and in two Rose Bowls, after the 1979 and ‘84 seasons. He was OSU’s defensive coordinator his last three seasons of that run before becoming head coach at Wooster.
He spent 11 seasons at Wooster, then moved to Youngstown State as an assistant coach under Tressel.
When Tressel got the OSU job in 2001 he brought Tucker with him to become director of football operations, a role in which he served before retiring after the 2009 season.
He helped part time in several capacities with the team after that. He served most recently as the liaison for coach Urban Meyer to set up visits by military personnel to practice sessions and other functions.
That carried on a tradition started during the Tressel era.
“I have been blessed to have so many great people touch my life,” Tressel said. “Tuck is one of the best.”
Tucker is survived by his wife, Lynn, and three grown children, daughters Diana and Michelle, and son Scott. Funeral arrangements have not been set.
Two players leave team
Receiver James Clark intends to graduate from Ohio State this spring and transfer to another school, OSU announced, and The Dispatch learned that offensive lineman Tyler Gerald has left the team. An OSU spokesman confirmed Gerald’s departure.
This comes as the Buckeyes embark on their sixth spring practice under Meyer. The first of the 15 sessions is scheduled this morning, with another on Thursday before the school’s spring break next week. Practices will resume March 21 headed toward the annual spring game on April 15 in Ohio Stadium.
Clark, from New Smyrna Beach, Florida, was part of the 2013 recruiting class. After redshirting, he played in three games in 2014, 12 games in 2015 and all 13 games last year.
But in 2016 he had just six catches for 47 yards.
Several sources said that Gerald quit taking part in the offseason conditioning program a couple of weeks ago. He was part of the 2016 recruiting class out of Sciotoville East, near Portsmouth, before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, for his senior year.