From a street race with his sister in Brooklyn to leading Eastern Washington’s program in the Big Sky, Erin “Tuck” Tucker’s journey is full of grit, lessons, and growth. In this conversation, Tuck pulls back the curtain on coaching under Mouse, learning the hard way at Illinois, building something special at Kentucky, returning to Florida, and finding his home at EWU.
🏙️ Brooklyn circle-block race → first taste of sprinting
🐊 Florida years: Ralph, Mouse, behavior-mod moments, and a 46-split epiphany
🎯 Retiring on his own terms → stepping into coaching at Illinois
🧰 First lessons: “more is better,” breaking school records, recruiting hurdlers, and mistakes that became teaching points
🏟️ Kentucky: from five walk-ons to SEC-level success, coaching women, and balancing swagger with growth
🤝 Mentorship & humility: evolving with Mouse, learning from Weber, and leaning into staff dynamics
🦁 Penn State years: becoming the glue, associate head coach experience, and preparing for the top chair
🦅 Eastern Washington: culture-building, scholarships, and a vision for Big Sky greatness
🔊 Signature “MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!”—where it came from and why it stuck
👨👩👧 Fatherhood, leadership maturity, and coaching with empathy
“Having a son changed me. If I wouldn’t curse around my own kids, why would I curse around someone else’s?” — Erin Tucker
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