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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