Jonathan Smith will not have Michigan State assistant Harlon Barnett on his new staff.
Once more, Harlon Barnett’s tenure at Michigan State is ended. The staff of incoming coach Jonathan Smith will not include the longstanding secondary coach and former All-American defensive back for the Spartans, who also served as the program’s temporary head coach this season. Following a report by the Lansing State Journal, a program official verified the news on Thursday afternoon.
“My time is up after 20 football seasons at Michigan State five as a player and fifteen as a coach,” Barnett said to the LSJ. It’s time for me to proceed forward. I’m searching for chances at different programs, such as NFL or college. About it, I’m thrilled. It’s the right time.
On November 25, Smith was hired away from Oregon State, bringing with him six assistant coaches, one of them being secondary coach Blue Adams. Coach Courtney Hawkins, a former great Spartan with strong links to the university and state, was retained as wide receivers coach, while Joe Rossi, a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from Minnesota, was hired. Of the ten on-field assistants that will return from the staff of former coach Mel Tucker, Hawkins will be the only one.
At a news conference on signing day on Wednesday, Smith acknowledged Barnett’s assistance in the transition but emphasized he was taking his time to fill the final two coaching positions. Smith remarked of Barnett, “Given his landscape and approach, I’ve met with him now a couple of times.” Not yet decided regarding Harlon. We’ll see where that goes since he has opportunities and other options.
As Barnett took over a program in disarray and had a 2-8 record including six straight losses at one point as the interim head coach, Tucker was suspended and sacked for reason in September. The Spartans finished 4-8. Despite a string of crushing defeats, which included a 42-0 loss to Penn State in Detroit during the season’s penultimate game, he publicly ran for the full-time position. Despite the unpleasant results, Barnett managed to keep the club together through upheaval for the final ten games of the season.
Barnett informed the LSJ that after meeting with Smith on Monday, he was informed that there are three other applicants for a different position in the secondary and that it was time to move on.
Prior to entering coaching, Barnett played three seasons in the NFL as an NFL defensive back after being named an All-American as a senior at Michigan State in 1989. He began his career in 2003 at LSU as a graduate assistant under Nick Saban. The following year, he was hired full-time by Mark Dantonio to coach Cincinnati’s secondary. In 2007, Barnett moved to Michigan State with Dantonio, where he continued to coach defensive backs and co-managed the defense from 2015 to 2017.
Barnett joined Florida State as the defensive coordinator after the Spartans’ 2017 season ended with ten wins, however he was only there for two years. He joined Tucker’s first staff upon his return to Michigan State in 2020, but the secondary underperformed under his most recent leadership and did not resemble the “No Fly Zone” that Barnett coached the Spartans to establish during their heyday. While Smith still has two opportunities, he is currently looking for another work.
On Wednesday, Smith stated, “Kind of fluid on those last two spots.” “It’s important to address the special teams aspect as well. I’m bringing coach Rossi in to discuss some of his ideas for finishing the defense. We’ll see, sort of. I was going to take my time making those choices. In addition to ensuring that the present defense and special teams lineup is finalized, I wanted to make sure that the specific individual, the fit, and the fit on both sides are being resolved.