Robert Tucker has been methodically climbing the college football coaching ranks, and found success as a coordinator at both the junior college and four-year levels of the sport.
Now Tucker is again seizing the opportunity to helm an entire program; he's accepted the position as head coach at Pasadena City College.
“I was very attracted to the leadership,” Tucker, previously with stints atop the LA Valley and West Hills programs, said of his interest in taking over the Lancers' position, “and commitment to establishing a premier program at PCC. The outstanding dedication to student-success combined with a great tradition, excellent athletic facilities, beautiful campus and plethora of local talent presents a unique opportunity to consistently build champions on and off the field.”
Most recently, Tucker had served as the defensive coordinator and director of football operations at his alma mater – Willamette University, an NCAA Division III program in Salem, Oregon.
Prior to his work back at his alma mater, where Tucker developed into a standout defensive back as a player in the mid-1990s, he had served as the defensive coordinator at former FCS playoff-regular University of California-Davis.
Additionally, Tucker has logged time in his coaching career at Boise State, the University of Colorado, the NAIA University of Sioux Falls and Los Angeles Valley College, among others.
Tucker indicated to FootballScoop he would quickly be working to assemble a full staff to help in his quest to turn around a Lancers program that has hovered around .500 in recent years but saw its 2018-19 signing classes send more than 30 players on to four-year colleges.
“The priority is to attract quality coaches who are committed to the retention, graduation, and transfer [to four-year programs] of the extremely resilient players on this team,” Tucker said in a statement. “The long-term goal is to build a consistent, competitive program that develops our student-athletes personally, academically and athletically.
“Ultimately, we will be striving for 100% of our players to complete their 4-year degree and launch into the workforce with an education and skill-set that results in a fulfilling and profitable career.”
Tucker's inaugural, 10-game campaign is scheduled to begin Sept. 4 on the road at Cerritos. The Lancers' first home game