Harlon Barnett – Syndication Server

Michigan State football: Where every coach on the old staff is employed now

Tracking where MSU’s former coaching staff has landed:

Michigan State went under a major overhaul, obviously, when they hired Jonathan Smith to take over the Spartan football program. With the new changes to the Spartan football program, came a full overhaul within the MSU coaching staff.

While we know what the new staff looks like, it is time to look at the old staff, and where members of the old staff ended up in their new coaching positions.

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Report: Long-time Michigan State football coach Harlon Barnett joining Northwestern as defensive backs coach

Report: Long-time Michigan State coach Harlon Barnett joining Northwestern as defensive backs coach

A long-time Spartan is heading to a Big Ten rival. According to numerous reports, former Michigan State football coach Harlon Barnett is joining Northwestern as their defensive backs coach.

Barnett was recently the interim head coach at MSU, where was the defensive backs coach since 2020. Barnett was also a fixture of the Mark Dantonio era, and was with the program in his first coaching stint from 2007-2017. Of course, Barnett was also a star safety at MSU in his own right, back from 1986-1989.

247Sports had the initial report and ESPN confirmed.

Northwestern is expected to hire Harlon Barnett as a defensive backs coach, sources tell @247Sports.

Barnett worked at Michigan State the last four seasons and was the team’s interim head coach last season. Was previously the DC at Florida State.https://t.co/dJORJ80Uo5 pic.twitter.com/ZFNxgD9pVy

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 7, 2024

Source: Northwestern is set to hire Harlon Barnett as a defensive backs coach, as @mzenitz first reported. Barnett spent most of last season as Michigan State’s interim head coach after working at MSU, his alma mater, for all but two of the past 17 seasons.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) February 7, 2024

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Harlon Barnett reportedly will not return to MSU next season

Graham Couch of the Lansing State Journal is reporting that Harlon Barnett will not return to MSU next season

Harlon Barnett will not be part of next year’s Michigan State football coaching staff.

Graham Couch of the Lansing State Journal is reporting that Barnett will not be retained by new head coach Jonathan Smith and will be coaching elsewhere in 2024. There had been rumors that Barnett would return to Michigan State for next year but that apparently has since changed.

According to Couch, Barnett was notified earlier this week by Smith that the Spartans were looking at three other candidates for the secondary assistant coach and that served as the final indication that Barnett would not be retained.

Barnett has coached at Michigan State on and off for the past 20 years, notably serving as a defensive coordinator under Mark Dantonio. Barnett served as the Spartans’ interim head coach this past season after Mel Tucker was relieved of his coaching duties. Barnett went 2-8 in his 10 games as interim head coach.

Click on the tweet below to read Couch’s full story on Barnett’s departure from Michigan State:

Harlon Barnett is leaving Michigan State and won't be part of Jonathan Smith's staff. He plans to coach elsewhere.

“After 20 football seasons at Michigan State, five as a player, 15 as a coach, my time is up,” he said.

Story:https://t.co/Fyo4aKim6d

— Graham Couch (@Graham_Couch) December 21, 2023

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Sources: Harlon Barnett expected to return to Michigan State football as safeties coach

According to SpartansWire’s sources, there is momentum to bring back the acting head coach of the 2023 Michigan State football team, Harlon Barnett, to the team under new head coach Jonathan Smith as their safeties coach.

Harlon Barnett did yeoman’s work for Michigan State football and the entire Spartan community when he took over a tough situation at MSU and kept the team together when it just as easily could have fallen apart.

Barnett played safety at Michigan State from 1986-198 before going on to have a nice NFL career at that position. He has been coaching defensive backs in some capacity ever since.

Barnett will split the defensive backs coaching responsibility with Blue Adams, who is coming over from Oregon State with Coach Smith.

Jonathan Smith to reportedly retain Harlon Barnett, Courtney Hawkins on new staff

A pair of Spartan coaches from this past season will be retained by new head coach Jonathan Smith

A pair of staffers from this past year’s staff will reportedly be retained by new Michigan State football head coach Jonathan Smith.

Tim Staudt of WILX is reporting that Michigan State will keep Harlon Barnett and Courtney Hawkins from this past year’s staff. These are the only two that will be retained from previous head coach Mel Tucker’s staff, according to Staudt.

We are told Harlon Barnett and Courtney Hawkins are being retained off Mel
Tucker’s staff by new MSU football coach Jonathan Smith— all others out. Has not been formally announced yet.

— Tim Staudt (@timstaudt10) December 1, 2023

It’s unclear at this time what roles either player will hold on Smith’s new staff.

Barnett served as the Spartans’ defensive backs coach before being promoted to interim head coach after Tucker was suspended and then fired. Hawkins served as the Spartans’ wide receivers coach. Both Barnett and Hawkins played for Michigan State before becoming Spartan coaches.

Harlon Barnett to potentially be retained by new Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith

Reports suggest that Harlon Barnett will be retained by Jonathan Smith

It is no secret that Harlon Barnett is the ultimate Spartan. After playing for MSU from 1986 to 1989, he went on to have a nice NFL career before getting into coaching. In his coaching career, he has spent 2007 to 2017 and 2020 to now as a member of the Spartans coaching staff.

Barnett did a great job keeping the train on the tracks after the debacle that unfolded after the Mel Tucker news came to light.

While he was not selected to be the next head coach of MSU football, Graham Couch of Lansing State Journal has shared that Barnett will potentially be staying in East Lansing (in an unknown role) unless a head coaching opportunity elsewhere presents itself:

Clarity from Harlon Barnett: He now says he “possibly” has the opportunity to stay at MSU, but needs to talk with Jonathan Smith first.

My hunch is he stays. Would make a lot of sense for Smith. But that’s different than it originally seemed. Apologies for any confusion.

— Graham Couch (@Graham_Couch) November 25, 2023

Report: Michigan State relieves assistant football coaches of their duties

MSU has reportedly fired all of its assistant coaches

Michigan State’s 2023 football season ended last night inside of Ford Field with a historically horrific offensive performance against Penn State, losing 42-0. Now, with the season over, Athletic Director Alan Haller has made the decision to remove the rest of the Spartans coaching staff.

According to a report from Detroit Free Press reporter Chris Solari, all assistant coaches have been relieved of their duties with the university.

Multiple sources confirm MSU football's current coaching staff has been relieved of its duties by athletic director Alan Haller. Sounds like more info could be coming later today regarding the search for a new head coach.

— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 25, 2023

One would assume the next Michigan State head coach will assess the staff and bring back who they see fit.

Quotes: Michigan State football interim HC Harlon Barnett talks after loss to Penn State

Harlon Barnett had some meaningful words about the season and the future after MSU’s game against Penn State:

Michigan State and Penn State locked up in a matchup for the Land Grant Trophy on Friday night inside of Detroit’s Ford Field. The Spartans, who came into the game at 4-7, had upset on their mind – facing the 9-2 Nittany Lions.

Unfortunately for the Spartans, it went far from it, with Penn State dominating the Spartans, 42-0, after a horrific offensive performance from MSU.

Check out what interim head coach Harlon Barnett said to the media following the Spartans season ending loss:

Power ranking 7 candidates who are reportedly in the mix for Michigan State football’s coaching job

Ranking 7 candidates who are reportedly in the mix for MSU’s coaching job:

It has been a long road for the Michigan State fan base, but that road is finally coming to an end. MSU has reportedly been conducting interviews with candidates that they have vetted over the last two months and are looking to zero in on their next leader.

There have been some leaks on guys who have interviewed for the job, and some sources have shared some names with Spartans Wire, giving us a good idea who is in the mix to take over the Spartans football program.

Let’s take a look at where Spartans Wire ranks the candidates that are reportedly in the mix for MSU’s job:

Quotes: Michigan State football HC Harlon Barnett talks Penn State, MSU head coaching opportunity

Harlon Barnett talks Penn State, MSU head coaching opportunity

Harlon Barnett picked up his second win as acting head coach for Michigan State football on Saturday, taking down the Hoosiers to bring the Old Brass Spittoon back to East Lansing.

On Monday, coach Barnett spoke to the media to preview his team’s upcoming game against Penn State, the MSU head coaching ‘vacancy’ and opportunity.

Harlon Barnett was not shy to voice his interest in the role, with multiple other names being reported to have been going through interviews, it was interesting to hear him comment on the opening for the job he is currently in.

You can see the best quotes from that press conference below.