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Harlon Barnett, longtime Michigan State assistant, confirms future coaching plans

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Harlon Barnett is a true Spartan through and through. A former Michigan State player, Barnett has spent a large part of his coaching career as an assistant in East Lansing.

After a brief detour at Florida State, Barnett returned to the program as the defensive backs coach for Mel Tucker in 2020. Following a mid-season firing of Tucker for cause, Barnett was elevated to interim head coach for the final 10 games of the season.

Now, Barnett has confirmed he will not return to the program as a part of Jonathan Smith’s first coaching staff with the program. He has 15 years of coaching experience with the Spartans.

“After 20 football seasons at Michigan State, five as a player, 15 as a coach, my time is up,” Barnett said per Graham Couch with the Lansing State Journal. “It’s time for me to move on. I’m looking for opportunities at other programs, be it college or the NFL. I’m excited about it. It’s time.”

Smith’s lack of experience in the Midwest was a key topic after his hiring. While he kept the majority of his Oregon State staff intact, Smith landed former Minnesota DC Joe Rossi and kept MSU wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins on his staff.

Barnett’s name had been linked to potentially being retained by Smith, but he said the meeting with Smith was “freeing” to learn his fate.

“When I met with (Smith) Monday, it was freeing,” Barnett said. “I know now and that’s good. I wasn’t sure if God still wanted me to stay here at Michigan State or not. … I feel great. Like, I was lighter. I didn’t realize I had a weight on me. But when he did that, I just felt different, like ‘Yep, it’s time to move.’”

As the interim head coach, Barnett went 2-8 overall with wins over Nebraska and Indiana. He admitted he wanted a “real opportunity” to run the program after finishing the season with somebody else’s program and coaching staff.

“I just wanted to get a real opportunity, because I felt like I could do it,” Barnett said. “I’m not one to make excuses, but I was running somebody else’s program with somebody else’s staff.”

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.