Michigan State names new co-defensive coordinators
DALLAS — One day after he lost his defensive coordinator of the past 11 seasons, Mark Dantonio replaced him with two others who have been with him for his entire tenure as a head coach.
Harlon Barnett and Mike Tressel will be Michigan State's co-defensive coordinators, and Barnett will also be assistant head coach, after the No. 7 Spartans (10-2) finish the season against No. 5 Baylor (11-1) in Thursday's Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas.
Pat Narduzzi, named Pittsburgh's head coach Friday, will coach his last game as Michigan State defensive coordinator and assistant head coach in the bowl game, and Barnett (defensive backs coach) and Tressel (linebackers/special teams coach) will perform their usual duties. Then all three will move on to bigger things.
"It's important to move the process forward, and I feel very comfortable in naming Harlon Barnett assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator and Mike Tressel co-defensive coordinator," Dantonio said in a statement released Saturday. "Harlon and Mike have been on my staff together for 11 years, including the past eight years at Michigan State. They both have had a ton of input and shared a lot of ideas with Pat Narduzzi over the years. The co-appointment ensures continuity in terms of player relationships, defensive concepts and terminology.
"Both Harlon and Mike have done a tremendous job in the individual day-to-day development of our players. Their relationships with our players are strong and true. I have a strong personal relationship with those two, and they will do an outstanding job in their new roles while continuing the legacy Michigan State has built on defense."
Narduzzi was the highest-paid assistant coach in the Big Ten at more than $900,000 per year. Barnett and Tressel are both making $260,450 this season. A Michigan State spokesman said new salary information for them is not yet available.
Ron Burton will continue to coach the defensive line for Michigan State, and Dantonio will hire a new defensive position coach. That could be a linebackers or defensive backs coach, and there's no word yet on what Michigan State will do with special teams. The release said Dantonio will seek input from the staff in reorganizing things after the new hire.
There's also no word yet on who will make defensive calls. Barnett has been in the coaches box with Narduzzi during games, with Tressel on the sideline.
Dantonio hired Barnett and Tressel as part of his Cincinnati staff in 2004, and that marked the first full-time FBS work for both. Barnett coached defensive backs and Tressel coached linebackers and special teams, then did the same at Michigan State from 2007 until now.
"I appreciate Coach D's belief in me and Mike (Tressel) that we can continue to have the success we've enjoyed on the defensive side of the ball for the last several years," Barnett said in a statement. "Our success has been largely due to the fact that everyone on the defensive staff along with Coach D have input into what we're doing. There's no dictatorship; we're all brothers."
Said Tressel in a statement: "The standard has already been set here at Michigan State in terms of how we play defense, and we look forward to continuing that tradition of excellence."
Joe Rexrode writes for the Detroit Free Press, a Gannett affiliate.
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