| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Associate head coach & defensive backs coach |
| Team | Northwestern |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1967-01-02)January 2, 1967 (age 58) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1986–1989 | Michigan State |
| 1990–1992 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1993–1994 | New England Patriots |
| 1995–1996 | Minnesota Vikings |
| Position | Safety |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1998–1999 | Princeton HS (OH) (DB) |
| 2000–2002 | Princeton HS (OH) (DC) |
| 2003 | LSU (GA) |
| 2004–2006 | Cincinnati (DB) |
| 2007–2014 | Michigan State (DB) |
| 2015–2017 | Michigan State (AHC/co-DC/DB) |
| 2018–2019 | Florida State (DC/DB) |
| 2020–2023 | Michigan State (DB) |
| 2023 | Michigan State (interim HC) |
| 2024–present | Northwestern (AHC/DB) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 0–8 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| |
Harlon T. Barnett (born January 2, 1967) is an Americanfootball coach and former player who is currently the defensive backs coach atNorthwestern University. He was the interim head coach atMichigan State University for most of the 2023 season. Barnett previously served as associate head coach/co-defensive coordinator at Michigan State as well as defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach atFlorida State University. As a player, Barnett was a four-year letter-winner as a defensive back for Michigan State University, serving as team captain and earning All-America honors during his senior year, and spent seven seasons in theNational Football League.[1]
Barnett was born and raised inCincinnati, Ohio, where he was a standout athlete atPrinceton High School. Barnett earned a full athletic scholarship to play football at Michigan State University.
Barnett was a three-year starter for head coachGeorge Perles atMichigan State. His individual success as a Spartan earned him first-team All-America recognition by theSporting News in 1989. In that season, Barnett compiled 73 stops, three interceptions, and three fumble recoveries. Barnett played on the 1987Big Ten and1988 Rose Bowl championship team and played in the1989 Gator Bowl and the1989 Aloha Bowl. He finished his career as a Spartan with 154 tackles, six interceptions, and 13 pass break-ups.[2]
Following his impressive career at Michigan State, Barnett was drafted by theCleveland Browns in the fourth round of the1990 NFL draft.[3] He played three seasons (1990–92) in Cleveland before spending two seasons (1993–94) with theNew England Patriots and two seasons (1995–96) with theMinnesota Vikings.
Barnett earned his bachelor's degree in communication from Michigan State in 1990. He went to broadcasting school while playing for the Cleveland Browns. Barnett was recruited in 1998 by then-Michigan State head coachNick Saban to serve as a sideline reporter for Michigan State football. He served as a sideline reporter for Saban's final two seasons at Michigan State.[4]
The next time Barnett interviewed with Saban, it was for a graduate assistant opening on Saban'sLSU football staff. In Barnett's sole season as a GA at LSU, the Tigers won the2004 Sugar Bowl (BCS National Championship Game).[5]
The following season, Barnett was hired as defensive backs coach at theUniversity of Cincinnati underMark Dantonio.[4] In his initial season (2004), the Bearcats led Conference USA and ranked No. 26 nationally in pass defense, allowing only 194.2 yards per game. In his final season at Cincinnati (2006), the Bearcats ranked No. 23 nationally in pass efficiency defense, with a 109.3 rating.[2] In thee seasons at Cincinnati, Barnett coached four defensive backs to all-conference honors.[5]
Barnett returned to his alma mater in 2007 as a coach. In Barnett's first 11 seasons in East Lansing, the Spartans were 100–45 with threeBig Ten Conference championships (2010, 2013, 2015) and were selected for theCollege Football Playoff in 2015. He coached the defensive backs his entire 11 years under Dantonio; he was promoted to assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator prior to Michigan State's victory in the2015 Cotton Bowl Classic overBaylor, and was again promoted to associate head coach in June 2017.[1]
Barnett also spent two seasons as defensive coordinator atFlorida State University underWillie Taggart. Barnett's experience at Florida State was integral to his development as injuries forced him to experiment with foreign schemes and coverages. Ultimately, his time was cut short at Florida State after Taggart's head coaching contract was bought out early.[6]
Barnett returned to Michigan State in 2020 to coach the secondary. When head coachMel Tucker was suspended and then fired in September 2023 over a sexual harassment scandal, Barnett succeeded him as interim head coach.Jonathan Smith was hired as the permanent head coach that November.[7] Barnett was one of two coaches (Courtney Hawkins) retained on the new coaching staff by Smith.[8]
Barnett is known for his success in developing players at theUniversity of Cincinnati,Michigan State University andFlorida State University. In three seasons at Cincinnati, Barnett coached four defensive backs to all-conference honors.[1] For Michigan State University, Barnett has coached 10 Spartan defensive backs who have been selected in theNFL draft, two of whom were first-round picks (Darqueze Dennard, No. 24,Cincinnati Bengals,2014; andTrae Waynes, No. 11,Minnesota Vikings,2015), four All-Americans, threeThorpe Award semifinalists, and one Thorpe Award recipient.[1]
During his time with Florida State University, Barnett coached five players who earned All-ACC recognition, aBednarick Award semifinalist, and five players selected in the NFL Draft (Brian Burns, No. 16,Carolina Panthers,2019;Asante Samuel Jr., No. 47,Los Angeles Chargers,2021;Janarius Robinson, No. 134,Minnesota Vikings,2021;Joshua Kaindoh, No. 144,Kansas City Chiefs,2021;Hamsah Nasirildeen, No. 186,New York Jets,2021).[1]
Barnett married his college sweetheart, Tammy Barnett, in 1991 and they have two children, Todd and Tori.
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State Spartans(Big Ten Conference)(2023) | |||||||||
| 2023 | Michigan State | 0–8[a] | 0–7[a] | 6th(East) | |||||
| Michigan State: | 0–8[a] | 0–7[a] | |||||||
| Total: | 0–8 | ||||||||