The New England Patriots are transitioning from BB to AB – After Belichick.

In a seismic move that seemed almost inconceivable not even a year ago, the six-time Super Bowl champions parted with longtime head coach Bill Belichick, the team confirmed on Thursday, in the aftermath of a 4-13 campaign – his worst in 24 seasons with the organization.

Hired by Pats owner Robert Kraft in 2000 to replace Pete Carroll, Belichick was on the sideline for all of the franchise’s Lombardi Trophy-winning performances and guided New England to three additional Super Sundays. No NFL head coach has won or appeared in more Super Bowls. His 333 wins, including playoffs, rank second all-time in the NFL’s 104-season history, trailing only Hall of Famer Don Shula’s 347.

‘Robert and I, after a series of discussions, have mutually agreed to part ways. For me, this is a day of gratitude and celebration,’ Belichick said at a Thursday news conference, though he took no questions.

‘We had a vision of building a championship football team here. That’s exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations, the amount of success that we were able to achieve together through a lot of hard work and the contributions of so many people. I’m very proud of that, and I’ll always have those great memories.  I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.

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‘It’s with so many fond memories and thoughts that I think about the Patriots. I will always be a Patriot. I look forward to coming back here. But, at this time, we’re going to move on. I look forward, am excited for the future. But, I am always very appreciative of the opportunity here, the support here, and Robert, what you’ve done for me.’

Despite Belichick’s incredible résumé, which also includes two rings as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, his fortunes – and the Patriots’ – took a decided turn following legendary quarterback Tom Brady’s decision to leave the team as a free agent following the 2019 season. New England finished last in the AFC East in 2023 for the first time since 2000, Belichick’s first in Foxborough. The Pats have only made the postseason once since TB12 bolted and have not won a playoff game since then. A series of questionable personnel and coaching moves over the past four years – all with Belichick’s fingerprints on them – have been largely responsible for an offensive spiral that included the second-fewest points scored in the league this season.

But what a ride it was before reaching the end of the line.

‘I’m very proud that our partnership lasted for 24 years,’ said Kraft. ‘I don’t think in the NFL, there’s been any other partnership that lasted longer and has been as productive as ours.’

Picked in the sixth round of the 2000 draft, just months after Belichick’s arrival, Brady, his coach and the organization at large experienced a meteoric rise after the University of Michigan product replaced injured starter Drew Bledsoe in Week 2 of the 2001 campaign and didn’t relinquish the role for the next 19 seasons – even though Belichick was widely criticized at the time for not restoring Bledsoe as the starter once he was well enough to play. But it was the right call, Brady earning the first of five Super Bowl MVP nods following that 2001 magic-carpet ride, when the Patriots shocked the heavily favored St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl 36 to win their first championship.

Brady won a seventh Super Bowl ring – he has more personally than any franchise in the league does collectively – with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after signing with them in 2020. Since he left Foxborough, the Patriots’ lone playoff appearance was a 47-17 loss to the Bills in Buffalo at the end of the 2021 season. With Brady in the lineup, Belichick won 17 AFC East titles. Without him, not one.

And while it would be fair to expect a falloff for any team after losing the quarterback who was a primary driver behind a dynasty, it seemed Belichick egregiously mismanaged the position. After a 7-9 season with Cam Newton in 2020 – while Brady was leading the Bucs to their Super Bowl 55 win – the Patriots drafted Mac Jones in the first round in 2021. Jones responded with a Pro Bowl rookie season that landed New England a wild-card berth. Yet he has regressed since, playing for three different coordinators in his three seasons, Belichick’s handling of his staff in 2022 especially critiqued after Matt Patricia and Joe Judge – neither assistant with a robust offensive background – worked with Jones. Bailey Zappe replaced him as QB1 for the final six weeks of the 2023 season.

And the problems didn’t end there.

While few would ever question Belichick’s chops as a football tactician, he’s been far less adept as the Patriots’ de facto general manager. He’s certainly drafted and acquired dozens of good players, many discarded by other franchises, and typically found ways to maximize their talents and mask their weaknesses. But Brady, widely acknowledged as the greatest quarterback of all time, also covered up a lot. Belichick has always had a spotty-at-best record evaluating wide receivers, especially young ones, and had a lengthy history of missing on second-round draft picks – regardless of position. Aside from linebacker Matt Judon, Belichick has also misappropriated tens of millions in free agency commitments since Brady’s departure – the Patriots arguably their division’s least-talented team the past two seasons.

Belichick, perhaps feeling the pressure of Kraft’s mandate for the Patriots to reclaim their title-contending pedigree, also appeared to break character at the league’s 2023 annual spring meeting – referring reporters to his historic achievements when asked why fans should be optimistic about the upcoming season. It was a jarring about-face for a coach who’d always preached staying focused on the moment, never looking back while not peeking past the next opponent. His remark even drew criticism from former team captain Tedy Bruschi, a member of Belichick’s first three Super Bowl teams and the 2007 squad that remains the only one to post an undefeated regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins.But the angst preceding the 2023 season proved justified, ahead of a cellar-dwelling season. Belichick also went 37-45 in his first head coaching stint with the Cleveland Browns from 1991 to ’95.

And yet two last-place seasons among 24 in New England alternately serve as a testament to what he’s accomplished, including a sterling 30-12 postseason record for the Patriots. Brady will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but Belichick also coached Canton-minted players such as Ty Law and Richard Seymour with Rob Gronkowski (and perhaps others) sure to follow.

Which is to say, despite the post-dynastic downturn in New England, it seems highly likely quite a few of the league’s 31 other clubs will be all too eager to interview Belichick and afford him the opportunity Brady had to win elsewhere – while tracking down Shula’s record.

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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.

The 2023 NFL regular season is a wrap. It took all 272 games to fully seed the playoff field while relegating 18 squads to tee times, some change-of-address notifications and – in all those cases – a head start on 2024 draft prep.

But for the 14 squads still standing, the Lombardi Trophy is still a viable goal – now just four (or three, in select cases) wins away. Which teams have the most realistic shot at winning Super Bowl 58 on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas? Which ones should just be happy they’ve advanced as far as they have?

Here’s how we rank their viability, from least dangerous to most, as championship contenders:

14. Miami Dolphins

Yes, they have Tyreek Hill, the most feared receiver in the league. Yes, it seems they’ll have RB Raheem Mostert and WR Jaylen Waddle, gamebreakers in their own rights, back from injuries on Saturday. But … (so many buts). Do you trust a South Florida team, one that dropped three of its final five regular-season contests, to knock off the reigning Super Bowl-champion Chiefs on the road in what are expected to be single-digit temperatures? Or the fact that Miami’s defense has been stripped of most of its top players? What about the Dolphins’ 1-5 record against winning teams this season? And even if they prevail at Arrowhead – and an upset would mark Miami’s first postseason win in 23 years – that almost certainly means a return trip to Baltimore, where the Fins lost 56-19 in Week 17. Stop believin’, South Beach.

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13. Pittsburgh Steelers

Yes, the offense is better, QB Mason Rudolph’s willingness to take downfield shots not only creating explosive plays but also the room the run game needs to operate efficiently – and RBs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren have certainly taken advantage. But can the Steelers really be expected to continue scoring 27 points per game – their three-game rate with Rudolph – in the playoff crucible? Even more worrisome, a defense devoid of All-Pro OLB T.J. Watt (knee). Since he entered the NFL in 2017, Pittsburgh surrenders 26.3 points per game when Watt is out – compared to 19.8 when he plays, effectively making him worth a full a touchdown. Given the amount of yards the Steelers concede anyway after ranking 21st in total defense, this looms as a bad combination against Buffalo QB Josh Allen or whomever else Pittsburgh might draw this month. Also, as consistently above average as the Steelers have been – no postseason wins in seven years.

12. Philadelphia Eagles

Eleventh months ago, they held a fourth-quarter lead in Super Bowl 57. Six weeks ago, they were 10-1 and seemed to be – if not cruising – heading toward a second straight No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff field. How quickly things can change. The Birds have lost five of six, including defeats the past two weeks to the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants that effectively prevented Philadelphia from retaining the NFC East crown. WR A.J. Brown, arguably the team’s second-most important player, left Sunday’s game with a knee injury – and wingman DeVonta Smith was sidelined by an ankle issue. And the so-called defense has surrendered nearly 31 points and more than 400 yards, on average, over the last seven weeks. Not much to love here besides Philly grit and the realization they don’t have much else to lose at this point. (Also, if they win but the NFC’s seeding holds? Then they’d be headed to San Francisco, so …)

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

They closed with five wins over the final six weeks to win their third straight NFC South flag – not that that’s been a very impressive accomplishment over the last two years, the Bucs a collective 17-17 during that regular-season stretch. But QB Baker Mayfield – he nearly led the Browns to the 2020 AFC championship game – has had perhaps his best season, generally playing efficient football while distributing the rock to playmakers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Rachaad White. If a bend-but-don’t-break defense can generate a few positive shifts, it would hardly be a surprise if the Bucs made it to the divisional round and caused some problems there. (Also, if they win but the NFC’s seeding holds? Then they’d be headed to San Francisco, so …)

10. Houston Texans

It’s easy to point to their relative inexperience, from the coaching staff to the roster, specifically rookie QB C.J. Stroud. But when you’ve parlayed house money into a stunning AFC South crown, who cares? And since coming back from his concussion, Stroud, who missed Houston’s 36-22 loss to Cleveland in Week 16, has been awfully efficient (75.9% completion rate, 116.8 passer rating, 3 TD passes) and also turnover-free while marching the Texans into the playoffs for the first time in four years. RB Devin Singletary has brought an added dimension to the offense since become the starter in November. The defense has been more prone to the ups and downs of unrefined potential, but talented youngsters Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley have also come on strongly in the second half.

9. Cleveland Browns

They’re probably the league’s coolest story right now, winning four of five since QB Joe Flacco left his semi-forced retirement to nearly lead the Dawg Pound to its first division title in more than three decades. The Browns also sport the NFL’s top-ranked defense and, arguably, its best individual defender in DE Myles Garrett. But there’s a significant risk-reward approach they’ve embraced here that hardly seems sustainable enough to produce four more victories. The offense has become almost totally unbalanced with Flacco, Cleveland cracking 100 rushing yards just twice in the past six weeks. And the Browns’ league-high 37 turnovers explain why they’ve only held six opponents to fewer than 20 points – and just one in the last seven games – despite their defensive exploits.

8. Detroit Lions

You want to feel a bit better about their chances. But, as NFC North champions, they’re about to host their first-ever playoff game at Ford Field – and that probably engenders a bit of hometown pressure. They’re about to face a Rams squad not two years removed from a Super Bowl victory and still led by many capable veterans who spearheaded that title run. Sublime rookie TE Sam LaPorta probably won’t be available after injuring his knee Sunday. And QB Jared Goff has been on a roller coaster during the season’s second half. Make no mistake, the Lions are physical, on both sides of the ball and especially in the trenches, talented and always seem ready to play. But reeling off four in a row when they haven’t won a playoff game in 32 years seems like a massive ask.

7. Green Bay Packers

They boast – if the that’s the right term – the NFL’s youngest roster, but the Pack grew up quickly enough to return to postseason in Year 1 AR (after Rodgers). This team is not only green but inconsistent – functions of its youth movement but attributes that enable Green Bay to beat the strongest opponents … or succumb to the weakest. Yet rejuvenated RB Aaron Jones has eclipsed 100 rushing yards each of the past three weeks, while an oft-suspect defense seems to be stabilizing. And let’s talk about QB Jordan Love, who did something neither Brett Favre nor Aaron Rodgers could by leading the Packers to postseason in his first season as the starter. Love has been exceptional in the second half of the season, while his 32 TD passes ranked second league-wide. And if X-factor WR Christian Watson can get back from his hamstring injury? Green Bay, the last team to qualify for the postseason field, isn’t saddled with outsized expectations for a change … and, consequently, a very dangerous opponent.

6. Dallas Cowboys

One of the league’s most Jekyll-and-Hyde outfits, winning the NFC East and securing the conference’s No. 2 seed means “America’s Team” could be playing the next two weekends at AT&T Stadium, where the Cowboys have won 16 in a row. They’ve also averaged 37.4 points and 425.8 yards at home, significantly higher figures than what Dallas manages on the road. Which isn’t to say this team is invincible at Jerry World, after a dubious victory over Detroit the last time out. And when the offense needs to get tough yards or is in goal-to-go situations? Better not rely too much on this run game. And HC Mike McCarthy still makes some head-scratching decisions when it comes to clock management – especially as it pertains to salting away a lead – yet that probably also cuts back to Dallas’ inconsistency on the ground. But QB Dak Prescott and his league-leading 36 TD passes will get some MVP votes, and this defense can rack up script-flipping plays with the best of them. It’s been 28 years since Dallas advanced beyond the divisional round … but is this the year the Cowboys do it?

5. Buffalo Bills

Since a 5-5 start that culminated with the – deserved? – firing of OC Ken Dorsey, they’ve rebounded to go 6-1 down the stretch and recovered sufficiently to add a fourth consecutive AFC East championship. But can they finally snatch the title Western New York has been pining for since the franchise’s AFL glory days? The offense – and QB Josh Allen – hasn’t been as nuclear since Joe Brady replaced Dorsey but has certainly been steadier, reduced unforced errors and run the ball more effectively (Allen in particular) – all attributes that tend to stoke playoff success. Then factor in a defense that’s also elevated down the stretch despite its litany of personnel issues and the newly won No. 2 seed that should mean two more home games in Orchard Park? You don’t want to cross this Mafia.

4. Los Angeles Rams

They may only rank as the NFC’s sixth seed, but LA is hot and healthy – so often a lethal combo entering the postseason. Since a Week 10 bye, the Rams are 7-1, a torrid stretch that largely coincides with the return of QB Matthew Stafford and RB Kyren Williams. If All-Pro voting was limited to the season’s second half, both players might get selected, Stafford as surgical as he’s been at any point in his career since convalescing from a Week 8 injury to his throwing thumb. Did we mention WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, one of 2023’s rookie sensations, are at Stafford’s disposal while now 10-time Pro Bowler Aaron Donald continues to anchor a defense that only needs to be average – which it is – for this club to win. It would come as no surprise if HC Sean McVay, 37, winds up coaching in his third Super Bowl in six seasons.

3. Baltimore Ravens

You’d like to have more confidence in a team that captured the AFC’s No. 1 seed and sports a league-best 13-4 record. And nearly all the key ingredients seem to be present: a talented defense that surrendered the NFL’s fewest points; an evolving, multi-dimensional offense that can attack in a variety of ways atypical of its previous iteration; the best kicker, Justin Tucker, who’s probably ever graced the planet; and there’s even the possible return of All-Pro TE Mark Andrews (ankle/fibula). Then there’s QB Lamar Jackson, deservedly presumed to soon take home his second MVP trophy. The Ravens also tend to play their best against the top of the NFL’s food chain – right, 49ers? Yet there’s an elephant in the room – more than one actually. Baltimore too often struggles to put teams away, notorious for coasting and coughing up fourth-quarter leads. And there’s just no escaping how badly Jackson has struggled in his four playoff starts – only one ending with a win – particularly as it pertains to passing the ball, which is now a much bigger component of Baltimore’s playbook. This team looks like a juggernaut – as did the top-seeded 2019 squad that went one and done in the post, ambushed at home by the Tennessee Titans. The mortgage? Sorry, but just wouldn’t bet it on the Ravens.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Does 11-6 rate as a down year? Absolutely. Is the passing game notably diluted – even from last year’s edition, the first post-Hill? Yep. But the kings are not dead, not yet. HC Andy Reid, QB Patrick Mahomes, TE Travis Kelce and DT Chris Jones remain as the core of a group that’s aiming to reach a fourth Super Bowl in five seasons. And the Jones-led defense might be the best ever fielded under the purview of Reid, including some of the formidable units he had in Philadelphia. That group, combined with RB Isiah Pacheco’s ferocious running, also gives K.C. the ability to shorten games and win using a gritty style they’re rarely employed before. Yes, Mahomes will likely have to go on the road in postseason for the first time in his career – but you counting out a two-time league and Super Bowl MVP given his track record?

1. San Francisco 49ers

Where to start? Their nine Pro Bowlers led the league, a testament to the quality of this roster. Brock Purdy, the league’s most efficient quarterback (NFL-high 113.0 passer rating), has an unparalleled array of weapons in RB Christian McCaffrey, TE George Kittle and WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk – the first quartet at that combination of positions to produce at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage apiece. Pick your poison, so many teams getting a terminal dose in 2023. Throw in Trent Williams, still the league’s best left tackle, and a topflight defense that can bring relentless pressure with its front four – either burying quarterbacks or forcing them into crushing mistakes – and it becomes further evident how hard it is to find a weakness on this team, which is seeking its first championship in 29 years yet seems likely to at least participate in the NFC title round for the fourth time in five seasons. And given how teams like Dallas and Philadelphia folded against San Francisco this season, sure feels like master play caller Kyle Shanahan and crew – assuming they avoid another debilitating injury like Purdy’s in the 2022 NFC championship game – are on their way to bigger and better things, especially given Super Bowl 58 would be their next game away from the Bay area.

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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.

Michael Strahan’s daughter Isabella has been diagnosed with a brain tumor.

The father-daughter pair revealed Isabella’s diagnosis with medulloblastoma on ‘Good Morning America’ Thursday with host Robin Roberts.

‘I didn’t notice anything was off till probably like Oct. 1,’ the 19-year-old said. ‘That’s when I definitely noticed headaches, nausea, couldn’t walk straight.’ Eventually, she said, she began to dread waking up because she was throwing up.

Isabella’s twin sister Sophia encouraged her to seek treatment and Isabella received her diagnosis in October following an MRI.

One day before Isabella’s 19th birthday, she had surgery to remove the tumor, which was slightly larger than a golf ball.

Isabella was on the West Coast, where she was beginning her freshman year at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, while Strahan, who co-hosts ‘GMA’ and ‘NFL Sunday,’ was in New York at the time of his daughter’s surgery.

‘The hardest thing to get over is to think that she has to go through this herself,’ Strahan recalled. ‘Doctors said, ‘You shouldn’t risk trying to put her on a plane to get her to the East Coast or to another doctor. We know what it is and we should get it out as soon as possible.”

What is medulloblastoma?

Medulloblastoma is a cancer that typically develops in the cerebellum, the back of the brain responsible for movement and motor skills, according to the National Cancer Institute.

The cancer type is most commonly found among children.

Michael Strahan’s absence from ‘GMA’ occurred while daughter Isabella was recovering from tumor surgery

Strahan was absent from his hosting duties for three weeks at the end of October into November due to ‘some personal family matters,’ an ABC spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement. Up until today, he had not gone into the details of his absence.

The NFL player turned host is a father to four adult children. He shares Tanita, 31, and Michael Jr., 28, with his first wife Wanda Hutchins. He also shares 19-year-old twins Isabella and Sophia with his second wife Jean Muggli.

Isabella finished radiation therapy on Wednesday and will begin chemotherapy in February, she shared Thursday.

The college student and her father also discussed how this has impacted their perspective on what is important in life.

‘You learn that you’re probably not as strong as you thought you were when you have to really think about the real things, and I realized that I need support from everybody,’ Strahan said. ‘You think that I’m the athlete, the tough guy, you know, I can come and handle, I’m the father in the family. It is not about any of that. It doesn’t matter. And it’s really made me change my perspective on so many things in my life.’

Isabella added: ‘I’m grateful. I am grateful just to walk or see friends or do something, ’cause when you can’t do something, it like, really impacts you.’

As for the future, she said, ‘I’m looking forward to getting back to college and moving back to California and just starting my school experience over. Not over, but just restarting, being back into a routine and something that’s enjoyable.’

‘Today my daughter @IsabellaStrahan joined @RobinRoberts and myself for an interview about the journey she has been going through on @GMA,’ Strahan wrote on Instagram. ‘I love you Isabella and I’m always by your side. To all sending love, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!’

Everyone has seen it.

The brown Cleveland Browns jersey, complete with a list of last names that makes the extra large shirt look extra, extra large.

Those names make up the 38 different quarterback the Browns have had since their return to the NFL in 1999. The Browns enjoyed a history of good quarterbacks (Otto Graham, Brian Sipe, Bernie Kosar and Vinny Testaverde, just to name a few) before Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore in 1996. But the struggle ever since has been very real.

This year the Browns earned the dubious honor of becoming the first team to make the postseason using four different starting quarterbacks. That list grew to five when they started Jeff Driskel for the season finale to rest new hero/old rival Joe Flacco.

But who exactly are all those quarterbacks to pass through Cleveland during the past 25 years?

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Browns starting quarterbacks since 1999

Games started through 2023 season in parenthesis.

Tim Couch (59), Baker Mayfield (59), Derek Anderson (34), Colt McCoy (21), Brandon Weeden (20), Charlie Frye (19), Brian Hoyer (16), DeShone Kizer (15), Kelly Holcomb (12), Brady Quinn (12), Deshaun Watson (12), Trent Dilfer (11), Jacoby Brissett (11), Josh McCown (11), Jeff Garcia (10), Doug Pederson (8), Jason Campbell (8), Johnny Manziel (8), Cody Kessler (8), Senaca Wallace (7), Robert Griffin III (5), Joe Flacco (5), Jake Delhomme (4), Luke McCown (4), Ken Dorsey (3), Tyrod Taylor (3), Dorian Thompson-Robinson (3), Ty Detmer (2), Austin Davis (2), Case Keenum (2), P.J. Walker (2), Spergon Wynn (1), Bruce Gradkowski (1), Thad Lewis (1), Connor Shaw (1), Kevin Hogan (1), Nick Mullens (1), Jeff Driskel (1).

Browns starting quarterbacks by season since 1999

1999 — Tim Couch, Ty Detmer2000 — Couch, Doug Pederson, Spergon Wynn2001 — Couch2002 — Couch, Kelly Holcomb2003 — Couch, Holcomb2004 — Holcomb, Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown2005 — Trent Dilfer, Charlie Frye2006 — Frye, Derek Anderson2007 — Anderson, Frye2008 — Anderson, Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey, Bruce Gradkowski2009 — Anderson, Quinn2010 — Colt McCoy, Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace2011 — McCoy, Wallace2012 — Brandon Weeden, Thad Lewis2013 — Weeden, Jason Campbell, Brian Hoyer2014 — Hoyer, Johnny Manziel, Connor Shaw2015 — Manziel, Josh McCown, Austin Davis2016 — J. McCown, Cody Kessler, Robert Griffin III2017 — DeShone Kizer, Kevin Hogan2018 — Baker Mayfield, Tyrod Taylor2019 — Mayfield2020 — Mayfield2021 — Mayfield, Case Keenum, Nick Mullens2022 — Jacoby Brissett, Deshaun Watson2023 — Watson, Joe Flacco, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker, Jeff Driskel

The long-running campus sexual harassment investigation of former Michigan State University head football coach Mel Tucker is officially over.

An outside attorney hired by the school to review Tucker’s challenge to the findings of fault against him denied his appeal in a 24-page report issued Thursday, ending the process nearly 13 months after the complaint was filed by a rape survivor and anti-sexual violence activist.

“Based on the facts outlined in the record, the (Resolution Officer) had a reasonable basis for each of the challenged findings,” wrote Courtney Bullard, a Tennessee-based attorney and founder of consulting firm Institutional Compliance Solutions. “The RO’s Decision is upheld. This decision is final.”

Tucker, who had been one of the highest-paid coaches in any sport before being fired in September, was formally disciplined for sexually harassing and exploiting Brenda Tracy, who he had hired to educate his team about sexual violence – an outcome that lessens his odds of ever coaching football again.

University leaders will now determine any sanctions to issue Tucker. Although he is no longer an employee, they can still ban him from campus, future employment at MSU or participation in school activities, such as attending football games.

Tracy, through her attorney, Karen Truszkowski, said she was “grateful that this long and challenging process has concluded.” Tucker and his attorney, Jennifer Belveal, could not immediately be reached for comment. However, Tucker has accused the school of conducting a sham investigation designed to end his contract and has indicated he plans to sue Michigan State for wrongful termination.

In an emailed statement, University spokesperson Emily Guerrant underscored that the action “confirms a violation of the university’s Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct and Title IX Policy.”

“The university is continuing its commitment to fostering a culture of safety within our community,” Guerrant said. “That commitment includes supporting those who have experienced relationship violence or sexual misconduct, safeguarding privacy, and ensuring a fair process.”

Tucker was found on Oct. 25 to have violated the school’s sexual misconduct policy, following a hearing three weeks before that neither he nor Belveal attended. The hearing officer concluded Tucker sexually harassed and exploited Tracy when he masturbated and made sexual comments without her consent during an April 2022 phone call; made unwanted sexual advances toward Tracy in the eight months before the call; and engaged in quid pro quo sexual harassment after, when he ended their business relationship.

Michigan State fired Tucker for cause – canceling the roughly $80 million remaining on his 10-year contract – on Sept. 26, just over two weeks after Tracy went public with her allegations in a USA TODAY investigation. Even Tucker’s version of events – that he and Tracy had been in a romantic relationship and had consensual phone sex – constituted a fireable offense, wrote athletic director Alan Haller in a letter informing Tucker of his intent to fire him.

“It is decidedly unprofessional and unethical to flirt, make sexual comments, and masturbate while on the phone with a University vendor,” Haller’s letter said. “The unprofessional and unethical behavior is particularly egregious given that the Vendor at issue was contracted by the University for the sole purpose of educating student-athletes on, and preventing instances of, inappropriate sexual misconduct.”

Denied appeal claimed new evidence had emerged

Tucker’s 54-page appeal, written by Belveal, reiterated arguments they made throughout the case, including that the school lacks jurisdiction to investigate his private life and that the investigator was biased against him – and men more broadly.

Tucker and Belveal also claimed to have obtained new evidence that would have materially affected the outcome: text messages between Tracy and her best friend and booking assistant Ahlan Alavardo, who died in a June car crash, and an affidavit from Alvarado’s cousin, Jennifer Ruiz, who claimed Tracy manipulated Alvarado.

The appeal contained 154 pages of exhibits, including redacted copies of the messages and the affidavit, which they said proved Tracy falsely accused Tucker in a plot for money.

The text messages and affidavit were not provided to the Title IX office in a timely manner, Bullard determined, and therefore could not be considered when the determination was made. Instead of submitting the texts as potential new evidence upon receiving them in September from Alvarado’s husband – which would have given Tracy a chance to respond to them – and offering Ruiz as a potential new witness, Tucker and Belveal withheld the information for several weeks before providing it to the university’s Board of Trustees and the media while the hearing was in progress.

They then submitted copies of some of the texts to the Title IX office on Oct. 20, emails show – two weeks after the hearing.

Even if the texts and affidavit had been submitted on time, they would not have swayed the outcome, Bullard wrote. An affidavit from a third-party witness who never spoke to the investigator “is not as compelling as the witness providing her information during the hearing and being subjected to cross-examination,” Bullard wrote. The text messages most pertinent to the case, she added, were those between Tracy and Tucker, which both acknowledged deleting.

Alvarado’s statements to the investigator months before her death also contradict Ruiz’s assertions and support Tracy’s version of events.

Bullard found no evidence of any bias on the part of the outside investigator, Rebecca Veidlinger, or the outside hearing officer, Amanda Norris Ames, who had determined Tucker’s account was less plausible, less consistent and less supported by the evidence than Tracy’s.

In a written response to the appeal, Tracy and her attorney wrote: “The claimant points out that throughout this process, and in the respondent’s appeal, in addition to referring to the claimant as a ‘liar,’ the respondent repeatedly accuses multiple parties of unethical and biased behavior including the investigator, MSU general counsel, claimant’s advisor, OIE personnel, the resolution officer (RO), and the MSU athletic director. Respondent’s appeal rests on these allegations with no factual or legal support. It is simply implausible that every party involved in this matter is untruthful, unethical, biased, or any combination thereof.”

Investigators defended their work on the case – and their conclusions

Both Veidlinger and Ames defended their handling of the case in separate letters to Bullard. Ames wrote that while Tucker may disagree with her conclusions, “his disagreement does not negate the reasonable basis in fact articulated for each factual finding.”

Veidlinger’s response, which contained 26 pages of exhibits, was particularly forceful, describing Tucker’s appeal as “laced with false representations and invective” and Belveal’s tactics throughout the case as abusive.

For instance, Belveal accused Veidlinger of compromising the integrity of the investigation by having an inappropriate, ‘ex parte meeting’ with Tracy’s adviser, Karen Truszkowski, in June, while the investigation was ongoing. Veidlinger noted the hypocrisy of such a claim, given that she and Belveal had met multiple times throughout the case at Belveal’s request.

“As anyone who has ever been involved in a single sexual misconduct investigation knows, investigators meet all the time with parties/advisors without the other party/advisor present, such as during interviews, when a party/advisor wishes to ask questions about the process, to collect clarifying information about evidence submitted, etc.,” Veidlinger wrote.

Additionally, Belveal accused Veidlinger of making up allegations that Tracy never made – including that Tucker threatened Tracy – “to try to justify her work as an investigator.” Belveal also said that Veidlinger never informed Tucker that he was being investigated for quid pro quo sexual harassment, in violation of his due process rights.

Veidlinger pointed to the exact page in the investigation report where Tracy had said she felt “really intimidated, threatened and scared” when she said Tucker implied he would destroy her career if she spoke out about him. She also noted that Tucker was notified he was being investigated for quid pro quo sexual harassment and creating a hostile environment on Dec. 22, 2022 – one day after Tracy filed her formal complaint.

Belveal also alleged that Veidlinger asked Tracy to do a follow-up interview but did not afford the same chance to Tucker. Veidlinger pointed out that she did, in fact, offer to meet with Tucker a second time on April 3 and sent him written follow-up questions to answer, but Tucker declined the opportunity.

“Ms. Belveal alleges that I – along with every other person who touched this case (and several who did not) – made myriad errors and/or were superbly biased against Respondent,” Veidlinger wrote in her response.

“As you’ll see,” she continued, “none of it is true.”

Kenny Jacoby is an investigative reporter for USA TODAY covering sexual harassment and violence and Title IX. Contact him by email at kjacoby@usatoday.com or follow him on X @kennyjacoby.

After days of waiting, Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots finally did it.

The owner on Thursday brought an end to Bill Belichick’s unparalleled run with the franchise, reaching a ‘mutual agreement’ with the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach to fracture their partnership. While this season’s 4-13 campaign was undeniably a crash landing for an organization that Kraft was eager to see return to the playoffs, the split still marks a stunning end to one of the most prolific stretches in NFL history.

It’s only appropriate, then, that this new embrace of the unfamiliar starts with something relatively foreign: a coaching search. Kraft has embarked on just three of them in his 30 years of ownership.

Where Kraft goes from here is anyone’s guess, as the owner on Thursday focused on Belichick’s departure rather than detailing any thoughts about the future of the franchise. But multiple reports have indicated that Kraft could look to familiar figures as leading options to take over.

Here are five candidates who could be on the Patriots’ radar:

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Mike Vrabel

His surprising dismissal from the Tennessee Titans surely adds a wrinkle to this coaching search. Kraft has been laudatory of Vrabel dating back to the former linebacker’s days with New England, which included helping the franchise win three titles as a linebacker. Given his ties to the past regime while not technically being a part of the Belichick tree, he might offer the chance for New England to thread the needle on moving on from this storied era without totally facing the unknown. After all, he was 54-45 during the regular season in six years with Tennessee. And it’s clear that the Patriots would at least have a leg up on other teams potentially pursuing Vrabel, as his comments when being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame made clear his reverence for the organization.

‘I don’t want you to take this organization for granted,’ Vrabel said. ‘I’ve been a lot of places; this is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction and great coaching. Enjoy it, it’s not like this everywhere.’

Jerod Mayo

On a different timeline, Mayo might have been the clear choice as Belichick’s successor. The linebackers coach, 37, withdrew from consideration for the Carolina Panthers coaching job last season. Kraft said last offseason that he was certain Mayo would be a head coach in the near future, noting, ‘I hope he’s with us.’ Had Belichick’s post-Brady portion of his time in New England been more successful – and extended another few years – Mayo would have made for a natural successor. Now, it’s time for Kraft and Co. to assess whether the team’s former standout linebacker is ready for the job of taking over for a coaching legend. Mayo, however, would allow the team to move forward with a link to its history while still embracing a fresh, modernized perspective. 

Brian Flores

There are several former head coaches from the Belichick tree who could at least be on Kraft’s radar for this search, including current Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels. Flores, however, might be the best-positioned of the former New England staffers to make a strong case for the job. His coaching credentials are impeccable, as the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator vexed opposing quarterbacks throughout this season with his confounding blitzes. Still, his outstanding lawsuit against the NFL could complicate matters, particularly since his inclusion of text messages sent by Belichick was a central part of his case. His handling of Tua Tagovailoa during his time as head coach of the Miami Dolphins might also be a strike against him. He has to be considered substantially less likely for the role than Vrabel and Mayo, but don’t rule him out entirely. 

Ben Johnson

This would be quite the departure for Kraft, as the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator doesn’t have any links to Belichick or the Patriots. But if the owner is intent on revving up an attack that bested only the Aaron Rodgers-less New York Jets in yards per game this season, Johnson would prove plenty sensible. The 37-year-old has been revered by those who work with him for his humble approach, but it’s the results, of course, that have helped earn him acclaim and a spot as likely the most-sought after candidate at the coordinator level this cycle. In leading the Lions to consecutive top-five finishes in both yards and points per game, Johnson has established himself as a masterful tactician. What might he be able to accomplish with full reign over a franchise that looks ripe for a reboot?

Jim Harbaugh

Now we’re into the outright long shots. Not only does Harbaugh have no link to the Patriots, the Michigan coach would also be an odd fit as successor given his idiosyncrasies and nearly decade out of the NFL. Still, his track record of turning operations into winners is evident, and he’s shown he can develop quarterbacks. Even an interview isn’t certain, but he likely warrants at least a discussion.

ESPN has returned at least 37 Sports Emmys after the award show administrators found that the network used fake names in Emmy entries, according to a report in The Athletic.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said ESPN submitted the fake names, and after the network received the awards, it had them re-engraved and gave them to on-air talent. 

The Emmys that are in question were for awards that on-air talent was ineligible for. According to the report, some of the network’s biggest names such as Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Chris Fowler, Desmond Howard and Samantha Ponder, received awards.

“I think it was really crummy what they did to me and others,”  former ESPN reporter Shelley Smith, one of many people who had Emmy awards taken away, told The Athletic.

‘College GameDay’ was the show that benefited the most, when it won eight Emmys within a 10-year period for outstanding weekly studio show.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences prohibited on-air talent from being on a credit list for that specific category. That rule changed in 2023.

But the network got around that rule by submitting the fake names.

According to the report, some of the aliases used include Kirk Henry for Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Clark for Lee Corso, Dirk Howard for Desmond Howard and Tim Richard for Tom Rinaldi.

Former ESPN reporter Jenn Brown, who left the network in 2013 and received one of those Emmys, said she didn’t know she was ineligible for her award.

‘This is all news to me and kind of unfortunate because you’ve got people who believe they rightfully had one,’ Brown told The Athletic. ‘There are rules for a reason … it’s unfortunate (those were) abused and for so many years, too.’

Dan Lanning isn’t leaving.

Fewer than 24 hours after Nick Saban retired and the Alabama head coaching vacancy opened up, the Oregon coach posted a video on X (formerly known as Twitter) to reiterate his commitment as the Ducks’ football coach.

Lanning, who has built a reputation in Eugene already for his fierce loyalty and rah-rah attitude, put captions over the video that made no bones about where he intends to coach in 2024. (Namely, that he will not replace the retired Saban in Alabama’s head coach search).

‘If you’re scared your coach is leaving … Then come play for us … The Ducks aren’t going anywhere … And I’m not leaving,’ the words read interspersed throughout the video.

It’s very on brand for the former Georgia defensive coordinator to turn rumors into a recruiting opportunity. Lanning has drawn a lot of attention throughout college football and was one of the top names floated as the next Alabama coach.

There are, of course, plenty of other options down the list. Two playoff coaches’ names have come up with some frequency: Steve Sarkisian out of Texas, and Kalen DeBoer from Washington. Mike Norvell from Florida State has also had his name crop up.

Lanning himself saying he has no intention of leaving is the most reliable reassurance Oregon fans can get. For Alabama, meanwhile, it’s back to the rumor mill to see who will replace Saban on the sidelines in 2024.

One day after Nick Saban suddenly retired as Alabama head coach, the seven-time national championship winner detailed why he decided to step away from the position.

Ultimately, the 72-year-old said his age was making it harder for him to do the job he had done for the past 17 seasons.

‘Last season was difficult for me from just a health standpoint, not necessarily having anything major wrong, but just being able to sustain and do things the way I want to do them, the way I’ve always done them,’ he said. ‘It just got a little bit harder. So you have to decide, ‘OK, this is sort of inevitable when you get to my age.”

Saban added it would be unfair to tell people he would be at Alabama for four-to-five more years, and have constant questions about whether he would step away at the end of each following season.

‘Which I would have been happy to try to do, but I just didn’t feel like I could do that and didn’t want to get into a year-to-year deal that doesn’t help anybody and doesn’t help you continue to build and be at the standard that I want to be at and want this program to be at,’ Saban said.

Saban also shot down any belief the changing landscape of college football, like NIL, was behind his reasoning for leaving the job.

‘Don’t make it about that. It’s not about that,’ Saban said. ‘To me, if you choose to coach, you don’t need to be complaining about all that stuff. You need to adjust to it and adapt to it and do the best you can under the circumstances and not complain about it. Now, I think everybody is frustrated about it.

‘But it ain’t about that. We’ve been in this era for three years now, and we’ve adapted to it and won in this era, too. It’s just that I’ve always known when it would be time to turn it over to somebody else, and this is that time.’

Even though he’s no longer head coach, Saban said he is ‘always going to be here for Alabama however they need me,’ as the school attempts to find his replacement, but there’s a lot he wants to do with his life with his retirement.

Watch: Nick Saban explains why he’s retiring

Why is Nick Saban retiring now?

‘I don’t think there’s any good time,’ Saban told ESPN’s Rece Davis. ‘…I actually thought in hiring coaches, recruiting players, that my age (72) started to become a little bit of an issue. People wanted assurances that I would be here for three years, five years, whatever, and it got harder and harder for me to be honest about.

‘And to be honest, this last season was grueling, it was a real grind for us to come from where we started to where we got to. Took a little more out of me than usual. When people mention the health issue it was really just the grind of can you do this the way you want to do it? Can you do it the way you’ve always done it, and be able to sustain it and do it for the entire season? And if I couldn’t make a commitment to do that in the future the way I think I have to do it, I thought maybe this was the right time…’

When did Nick Saban make the decision to retire?

Saban told Davis he made the final decision to retire Wednesday mere moments before Alabama’s 4 p.m. team meeting.

‘It was a hard decision. Look, I love coaching. I love the relationships with the players. The thing that made it more difficult for me is I felt like it might be the right time for me, but how it impacted the players, the coaches, all the people who work here in the building and contributed to the success of the team, how would it affect them? That was the hard part. That was the part I kept vacillating on back and forth,’ Saban said.