Harlon Barnett facts for kids

Harlon T. Barnett (born January 2, 1967) is an American football coach. He used to play football professionally. Currently, he coaches defensive backs at Northwestern University. He also served as the temporary head coach for Michigan State University for most of the 2023 season. Barnett has been an associate head coach and defensive coordinator at other big universities like Michigan State and Florida State University. As a player, he was a top defensive back for Michigan State. He was even named an All-American in his final year. After college, he played for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

Harlon Barnett: Football Coach and Player

Early Life and College Days

Harlon Barnett grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a great athlete at Princeton High School. His skills earned him a full scholarship to play football at Michigan State University.

Barnett was a key player for Michigan State for three years. He played under coach George Perles. In 1989, he was named a first-team All-American. This means he was one of the best college players in the country. That year, he made 73 tackles and caught three interceptions. He also recovered three fumbles.

He was part of the 1987 Big Ten Conference championship team. This team also played in the 1988 Rose Bowl. He finished his college career with 154 tackles. He also had six interceptions and broke up 13 passes.

Playing in the NFL

After his great college career, the Cleveland Browns picked Barnett in the 1990 NFL draft. He played for the Browns for three seasons (1990–1992). Then, he joined the New England Patriots for two seasons (1993–1994). His final two seasons (1995–1996) were with the Minnesota Vikings.

Starting His Coaching Journey

Coaching at LSU and Cincinnati

Barnett began his coaching career at LSU in 2003. He worked as a graduate assistant. In his only season there, LSU won the 2004 Sugar Bowl. This was a major championship game.

The next year, Barnett became the defensive backs coach at the University of Cincinnati. He worked under coach Mark Dantonio. In his first year (2004), Cincinnati's defense was very strong. They ranked 26th in the country for pass defense. By 2006, their pass defense was ranked 23rd nationally. During his three years at Cincinnati, Barnett helped four defensive backs earn all-conference honors.

Coaching at Michigan State and Florida State

In 2007, Barnett returned to his old college, Michigan State University, as a coach. For 11 seasons, he coached the defensive backs. During this time, Michigan State won three Big Ten Conference championships. They also made it to the College Football Playoff in 2015. He was promoted to assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator in 2015. In 2017, he became the associate head coach.

Barnett then spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Florida State University. This experience helped him learn new strategies. He had to try different ways to coach because of player injuries. His time there ended when the head coach, Willie Taggart, left the team.

In 2020, Barnett came back to Michigan State to coach the secondary players. He was one of only two coaches kept by the new head coach, Jonathan Smith.

Helping Players Grow

Harlon Barnett is known for helping young players get better. He did this at Cincinnati, Michigan State, and Florida State. At Cincinnati, he coached four defensive backs who earned special awards.

At Michigan State, Barnett coached 10 defensive backs who were chosen in the NFL Draft. Two of these players were picked in the first round. This is a very high honor! He also coached four All-Americans. One of his players even won the Jim Thorpe Award, which goes to the best defensive back in college football.

At Florida State, Barnett coached five players who earned All-ACC awards. Five of his players were also picked in the NFL Draft. This shows how good he is at helping players reach their full potential.

Personal Life

Harlon Barnett married his college sweetheart, Tammy Barnett, in 1991. They have two children, a son named Todd and a daughter named Tori.

Coaching Record