Michigan State hires Ted Gilmore away from Wisconsin to coach tight ends

New Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker continues to swiftly round out his staff.

On Friday, he hired Ted Gilmore as his tight ends coach, the seventh hire since Tucker was named Mark Dantonio's successor early last week.

Gilmore, 52, makes the leap from one Big Ten school to another, as he's been Wisconsin's wide receivers coach since 2015, and also its passing-game coordinator since 2017.

He's also been a position coach at Southern Cal, Nebraska, Colorado Purdue, Houston, Kansas and Wyoming, and also had a three-year stint with the NFL's Oakland Raiders from 2012-14.

In 2011, he was the nation's top receivers coach, as awarded by Football Scoop.

Gilmore's coaching resume dates to 1994, following a collegiate career that concluded at Wyoming.

Along the way, he's coached such collegiate greats as Marcus Harris (Wyoming), Taylor Stubblefield (Purdue), D.J. Hackett (Colorado), and Terrance Nunn and Maurice Purify (Nebraska).

Tucker now has hired seven coaches, including Mike Tressel, Harlon Barnett and Ron Burton on the defensive side, and Jay Johnson (coordinator), Courtney Hawkins and Chris Kapilovic on the offense.

He continues to search for a defensive coordinator.

MSU announced some support-staff hires Friday: Geoff Martzen as director of player personnel, Cody Cox as director of football operations, and former MSU linebacker Darien Harris as director of player engagement.

Tucker signed a six-year contract that pays him at least $5.5 million a year, and also includes $6 million per season for his assistant coach's salaries.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984