Harlon Barnett Press Conference Coverage

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State acting head football coach Harlon Barnett held a press conference Tuesday afternoon inside Spartan Stadium.

Barnett, who coaches the secondary, is entering his 15th season overall on the Spartan defensive staff in 2023. He was named acting head coach by Vice President/Director of Athletics Alan Haller on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023.

Michigan State (2-0) hosts No. 8/8 Washington (2-0) on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. in Spartan Stadium. The game will be streamed live on Peacock.

Michigan State Acting Head Coach Harlon Barnett press conference transcript

Opening statement…
I want to start out by saying that I appreciate all of the Spartans who have reached out over the past couple days and thank them for their support. I am here to talk about our team and our game against a very good opponent in Washington. Our focus and energy has been really good these first two days of practice and our job as a staff is to focus on our guys and get them ready for the game on Saturday. We had a team meeting on Sunday where I met them and I told those guys that 'hey man, we've got to all come together in this time of adversity and we have to be unified through the adversity and we need all our leaders to lead' and I told them they lead by love, encouragement, accountability and discipline. So we have to lead, we all have to lead. This is a determined group that worked very hard this offseason, they've worked very hard this season, hey we're 2-and-0 right, and they're still motivated and excited to move forward in this season. We have a mission to complete, so we're mission focused. With all that, I'll open it up to questions.

Q: Coach, you talk about leadership, can you talk about coach Dantonio, what that means about him coming and what are his duties as far as the week and gameday if you can let us know about that.

Coach D, that's my guy man, he hired me into my first coaching job, was with coach Dantonio at the University of Cincinnati back in 2004, and we were together 14 straight years; three years at the University of Cincinnati, and another 11 here at Michigan State. Coach D brings the calming presence, the wisdom, the knowledge of being a head coach, a very successful head coach at that. And so, he's bringing all that as our associate head coach, in any and all ways he's willing to help with us and that's what he's going to do. So, he's helping with all aspects of the operation.

Q: Harlon you've been doing this for a couple decades and obviously this is your first chance to be a head coach, obviously the circumstances are not ideal, I guess what's this like for you just personally and professionally to now be in that top spot, and you know obviously with an undefeated team and facing a very good opponent this weekend in your debut?

If I'm being very honest here, I want to be the head coach of Michigan State, but not in this way obviously, and that's always been a goal of mine. I'm a Spartan through and through, and anyone that knows me knows that I am a Spartan, they will tell you that that dude's green all day, so I really appreciate the opportunity to be able to be the head coach here. Again, not liking the circumstances. I think the players I connect with those guys in a good way and how I've been feeling personally is like this [inversely lifting and lowering both hands], kinda how it happened, you know what I mean, so I am very, very, very excited about this coming weekend and this opportunity to show what I've got.

Q: Have you talked with Mel since the weekend…

I have not spoken with him.

Q: Hello Harlon, Lindsay Ellison with Sports Psychology Solutions SPS, I only say the name just to give you context for the question. From a mental health standpoint, you talked about the some 20 years with coach D, and 20 years ago we didn't have social media that made stories take off like wild fires, so as it relates to your players, I know you've got a great health staff but how do you really connect with them to keep them mentally locked in, less distracted with all the things that's going on, and just using your past experiences 20 years ago to now to really help them?

That's a great question. Currently, I'm meeting with all the players. All of them. Yesterday I got 27 in. I'm going for another 20 plus today, because I told them on Sunday, I want to meet with everybody, everybody in the room. I started with the players, individually I'm going to the coaches, the support staff, training, everybody, just so everybody is on the same page.

Again, I keep talking about unity and that's part of I think helping people mentally when we're all together and they know they have somebody to lean on and trust in. When I was talking to them, and this was actually yesterday I should say at the team meeting, I gave my story. I said 'I'm going to tell ya'll my story really fast so when ya'll come to my office you don't have to hear my story again, I want to hear about you guys, and so we go 5-10 minutes just to get everybody. Of course I know the defensive backs obviously and a lot of guys on the defense, I know a lot of the offensive guys as well, but not intimately like I would want to so that's why were meeting with everybody, letting them know that I'm open and honest I'm there for them anytime they want to come along with the rest of the staff and we have things set in place that where if they need to get some extra help or what have you, it is set in place here at Michigan State.

Q: Harlon, I know you and Alan go way back to your playing days, I'm wondering how the conversation went on Sunday when he approached you about being the acting coach and had you previously had any conversations with him because he had mentioned about formulating contingency plans all the time, had you ever had any inkling that should something arise that you would be in this spot?

I haven't. It's me covering for Alan again, like I did as a player when we were players – I'm getting him now, he says that all the time (joking, smiling). But, no I haven't really had any other conversations with him. I have talked to Alan, this is years ago, I'm not talking about recently, about 'hey man, I wan to be a head coach,' and he knew that was some part of my plan to become a head coach someday. I can tell you when it actually was, it happened I came back from Coach Dantonio's daughter's wedding one summer, I think it was summer of 2018, and I told him that at the reception, so I told him that at the reception.

Q: Coach, Alan's not here kind of symbolically backing you up, did you know he wasn't going to be here or does that bother you at all?

No, that doesn't bother me at all. That don't bother me at all, Alan and I go way back, we know what it is, I mean there is nothing about that, yeah, we're good.

Q: In respect to the relationship with the players, can you give us an idea of the reaction when you met with them on Sunday.

It was good. It was actually really good and talking with them, like I said, I talked to 27 of them yesterday and it was almost like they had a scripted answer, which fired me up; we were out at practice and I'm like these guys, they're moving on, they're young people, they're resilient, they're going and so they were confirming what I saw at practice. You know, 'coach, we know what it is, we're gonna keep moving, we're gonna keep fighting, we're mission focused, let's go.'"

Q: Hey Harlon I've got a couple things for you, I'm just wondering about the idea of at this point in the season how much can you change as head coach, how much can you change, and how much is continuity important for these guys, where do you kind of sit on that idea of change or keeping things the same right now?

Well, a lot of things are going to stay the same; toughness, discipline, selfless, do your job, those are the things that are staples of Michigan state football since I've been a Spartan since 1985. Tough, discipline, selfless, physicality, we're going to still talk about those same things. Playing smart, fast, and physical, that's who we are. And so, from that standpoint that's the foundation of it, and we're just going to build on top of that foundation.

Q: And then I'm also just curious about your position and drills in practices, is that still you or have you handed that off to somebody else while you're acting head coach now?

I love coaching DBs. I do, and so the individual part, I'll still go over and throw balls and all that kind of stuff. It's been two practices so I'm trying to lean away a little bit, but its kind of tough and coach Saban never has left the DBs. Never has, he's always coached DBs, he's going to be over there some kind of way. And so that let's me know, at least I can in some capacity help with the defensive backs, very similar to coach Dantonio when we were here together.

Q: And when you're not, who's that guy that's coaching the secondary…

Coach Jim Salgado and Coach (Ross) Els. So Coach Els has the nickels and Jim will have the corners and the safeties if we came down to it, but absolutely Coach Salgado.

Q: Hey Harlon, congrats, your coaching resume is solid, I'm not sure why you haven't had an opportunity to be a head coach, perhaps you've wondered that too, but is this a chance for you personally to meet the challenge and prove that you can lead a program and maybe get an opportunity to be a permanent head coach, perhaps even here if circumstances work out?

The way it's set up, it's set up that way, I'm just being honest, that's just being honest about it. I'm looking forward to this great opportunity that I'm having and let's go… lets go… it's a great opportunity, I've had the desire to be a head coach since I became a college coach and I'm very grateful for this opportunity.

Q: Your school is bleeding right now, is this also an opportunity to kind of, you can't fix it alone, but to help bridge it and bring this thing back to where it should be.

Absolutely, our Spartans, and all Spartans, will know what I'm talking about when I talk about the chip on the shoulder, you know, hard working, tough, let's go back to coach Perles, hearing him saying things like that over, and over; you know, we're going to make them limp out of this stadium, we're going to be the hardest hitting team, and so we're Spartans, we're tough, we're resilient, and for another term I tell people sometimes, I'm a dog. I'm a dog, be a dog, we're going to push through this as Spartans do. Spartans will, right? Spartans will. And we will push through this, we'll become better for it like everybody does when they come out of adverse situations, they keep fighting and keep pushing through, so I expect that to happen.

Q: Real quick clarifying question – you say you haven't spoken to Mel since (Sunday)… when was the last time you talked to Mel?

Let's see, so Saturday was the game, right, so that was the last time I actually spoke with him.

Q: Okay, text?

He did text me, we text and he was all in support of the team, the coaches and the team.

Q: And then my question is for the players, can you reflect and have some empathy for what they have gone through in the last calendar year with what happened in the Michigan Stadium tunnel, the mass shooting and now this, I can't imagine there's a collection of college football players ever who have dealt with what these players have to deal with and have had to.

No question, and no disrespect (to your question), but Virginia was a tough situation also. Again, young people are very resilient, they just know how to push through, I mean it's the life that they're living in, you know on social media and whatever, there's something going wild and crazy all over on in the world that they're seeing, it's almost like they're immune to it sometimes, but you can't let them just walk away and act like nothing happened, you have to talk to them and dig it out of them and they'll talk to you, they'll talk with you, but they are very resilient and I pray for them all the time.

Q: You played under, and coached with, but you played under some of the best coaches ever (Belichick, Saban), what do you take from them that helps guide you in this.
Attention to detail and discipline.

Q: And from who.

Nick and Belichick and then coach D, all along the line, so those guys were on attention to detail and discipline big time. And it's kind of, how my father was never my coach but was very, very disciplined. And so, when I got with those guys it was like, this is what I'm used to, you know what I mean, this is what I'm used to. Very detailed in the things how he would teach me and coach me up, my father, and so it's the same way those guys work and are, so I've been blessed to be under such great coaching, I mean those guys are the two best to do it in college and pro, arguably.

Q: Hey Harlon, over here to your right, I was just wondering with the last the last two days with your conversations with Mark (Dantonio), aside from the football talk, what kind of advice or thoughts has he shared with you about this opportunity, because it's certainly you guys shared, I think.

Absolutely, he's told some things that you're going to go back to doing certain things that we did, I told him I'm thinking about doing this, and then he said how about doing this, and I can't share all the stuff and I don't want to share all of it but I'm glad he's here, love me some coach D man, love coach D. Again, I go back to '04 when he first hired me, that was very equal when he hired me in 2004, January 2004, to me getting drafted in April of 1990. It was equal to that. I was very excited for him to give me an opportunity to coach down at the University of Cincinnati, so that's my guy, and we share a lot of things that I don't know I can share with everybody, but we talk a lot, and we share a lot.

Q: And just to follow up, have you thought about what that's going to feel like for you walking, running, whatever, on the field Saturday?

I haven't, but you just put it in my mind though, but I hadn't really thought about it like that, no I haven't, but when it comes, I can imagine it's going to be great, probably be a little emotional, but I'm going to be cool, I promise.

Q: We talked about conversations with Mel and Mark, have you heard anything from Nick?

I have not, but I'm not surprised though, that's Nick, man, but Nick is great, I mean, and I tell you this all the time, my foundation of coaching defensive backs is Nick Saban all day. Hence, Mark Dantonio hiring me, Mel Tucker hiring me; we all speak 'Sabanese' so that's what it is, so that's how I got hired. But I know he's happy for me and would support me in any way if I called him. Yeah, Nick, you gotta know Nick, I know Nick, since 1985, he was 30-something years old, think about that.

Q: We talk about coaches being busy, you're about as busy as you can get with this transition and team that's coming in here Saturday isn't bad. Have you spent much time you and the staff talking with players who are pledged recruits, how they've reacted to this news?

Yes, absolutely, I've talked to all the defensive back commits for sure, and all the coaches that have handled their positions, I'm going to then go behind the coaches at the other positions between today and tomorrow and talk to those other committed guys.

Q: Any questions or reactions that come up a lot?

They were really good, I can't say names, obviously, you know, but they were really 'coach, we're locked in with you, we're locked in, we're with you' and they had some questions and concerns early on; 'hey what's going on, what's going to happen, this that and the other,' but they're all-in right now, they're all-in.

Q: Harlon, you mentioned sitting down with as many of the players as you individually could, I'm wondering what sort of questions and concerns, sort of what has been something that's come up repeatedly or something that was an interesting question or concern that came up during those conversations?

What they all kept saying was, I said well, 'how you feel' was my first question when they sat down, 'what's your feeling about the team, how's the team?' 'We're good coach, we're good.' (they said). We had a team-only meeting on Sunday prior to Alan Haller coming in to talk to us, and then you had the meeting behind that on zoom, we're good, they all said, we talked about 'hey, we're on a mission, and we're going to complete this mission, so let's do what we gotta do, let's lead, let's support the coaches and go from here.' They all said that, and so that was very, very encouraging for me because that's a sign of that unity that I was talking about. But anything other than that interesting, no. I think if I had to say this, a couple of them when it first happened, were like 'what's going on,' you know, but once we had that player-only meeting, it seemed like they all got back on solid ground. They were a little shaky at first, and when they had the players-only meeting they got back on solid ground.

Q: Harlon, yeah, I wanted to go off that a little bit, just in terms of when you met with each player individually, if anybody had said anything to you about, they were sad or angry about what had happened and then you know just kind of rallying together in that sense.

Sad and angry never came up as the first 27 guys I've spoken with, and those guys have all been the older guys as well, we're trying to work with the older guys and down way down to the younger guys. But no sad or angry, sympathy for coach, but other than that they were great.

Q: Just one follow-up real quick, you do have a lot of religious players on your team this year, they're very spiritual, the ones that we've been able to speak with as well, so…
I am too.

Q: How do you maybe, some of you that you know you mentioned everyone needed to come together to lead, how do you think that can bring people together?

I think it brings people together perfectly. The ultimate way to bring people together. Something we used to do with coach Dantonio when he was here, every day at practice, every time after practice, everybody would come up and he would say, 'you got it,' somebody would pray and so we did that yesterday, and so you know, I'm looking forward to bringing that back. When I said who got it, somebody said, 'I got it,' and a lot of times it's quiet and they wait and 'well, I got it then,' you know what I mean, but it was immediate, so that's the awesome thing.

Q: Harlon, I understand from Sunday's press conference that Coach D is going to wear headsets…

Yes.

Q: My question to you is, is his role X's and O's, or more be a calling influence on this team and on you?

Bingo! Bingo! But you (Fred Heumann) have been doing this for so long, that you can figure things out (smiling), but that's what it is more than anything, that's what it is, that's exactly, I couldn't say it better.

Q: And he was, open arms with this, right?

You already know, yes, yes. Because he looked at me like, 'that's one of my guys, so I'm going to come back and support one of my guys.' Since Coach D has been retired, in the summer, he goes to Pitt, he goes to wherever Luke (Fickell) is, he comes here.

Q: He comes to some of your practices.

Yeah, so he's been doing that, he supports his guys.

Q: This is a two-part question, something that you'll get used to, the first part, I'm wondering, do you have any injury updates, on particularly Windmon, Berger, and Mangham?

This is fine, I have to laugh… but I've been around Belichick. So, I'm giving Belichick answers to injuries – he's day-to-day. (Smiling)

Q: I anticipated that. The second part of it was more of a football question as well, your first challenge is to face Michael Penix, who you faced a couple times now, in the overseer role, do you take more of a onus and emphasis on that knowing what he did last year against you guys and how do you kind of get the guys away from their minds on the situation and more on the football at this point?

Well, like I said, after they had that meeting they talked about on Sunday, they've been focused, they're locked in, they know what the challenge that's ahead of us with Penix, and he's a really good football player, a really good football player, tough to keep bouncing back from injury like he does and go out and play like he's been playing; dude's a player, and so we know what the challenge is before us, we're looking forward to the challenge and can't wait for Saturday.

Q: I've got two questions, obviously week five is an important time in the college football calendar, it's coming up in a couple weeks, especially related to the transfer portal and the redshirt and everything, how much are you involved in re-recruiting the roster, I mean how much of that is an emphasis just to kind of keep guys in the fold, going forward.

That's always an emphasis, I mean you never stop recruiting, and so that's always an emphasis even through Sunday, I've only been doing this for a few days, but you never stop recruiting, you're always recruiting even the guys like you said are already in the fold, you're trying to keep them in the fold and then going after the others. And so, that's part of recruiting, that will never change.

Q: And I guess with Washington as it relates, you know, I guess we can still refer to you guys playing quite a bit of off-coverage I guess; do you see yourselves playing more pressed man going forward and do you think that will particularly be important against Washington considering that re-route with receivers and such?

Well, I know what you've been seeing, but we'll mix it up, we've been mixing it up pretty good like we've always done, we're going to try to put our guys in the best position to make plays, so that's what its really all about, and to be successful.

Q: Harlon, I was wondering, you kind of touched on Mark's role, he was the head coach here when Penix was playing (at Indiana in 2019), you know it seems like a million years ago, but how much input can he have with his knowledge and obviously experience with a staff that has a defensive, most of the stuff he has not worked with, just kind of what his role is in providing input in a situation where he has knowledge of a very talented player.

Our staff is a really good staff, elite staff is what I told them in the meeting, we have an elite staff and so nobody has an ego where they're not always trying to take in information, you know, I think that's what all smart guys do in my opinion. People taking in information, so any information, all information he provides, people are locked in because we want the advantage. We want to win, right. And so, everybody is open to hear what coach D has to say at all times.

Q: Harlon you obviously have a wealth of football knowledge based upon who you have played for and who you have played with, I don't how much these young men know about you as a player, did they know your name was 'Da Bang Stick' and have they seen any highlights of you hitting people? I don't know, that might fire them up, I mean I figure you and Charlie Thornhill were the hardest hitters I've ever seen around here.

I don't bring that stuff up; you know that's not my personality. What I did say the other day, I went fast on my story I told them, so when I meet with them for five minutes, they at least have a knowledge of my background, but I said that real fast and got through it and that was it.

Q: Harlon, just going off an earlier question, with the way college football is now, has anybody come to you and said 'hey, I'm going to you know, I want to redshirt, I want to shut it down,' and you know they want to sort of remove themselves from now, was that communicated to you at all?

Not one. Not one. No, nobody has.

Q: Audrey (Dahlgren) talked about faith a minute ago, who and what are you praying for this week?

Who and what am I praying for this week? This week in particular, I'm praying for all those impacted by the situation. I'm praying for our guys to play to the max of their God-given talents, gifts, and abilities. And I'm praying that, I pray this all the time too, I'm praying that the visiting team gets here safely and gets back safely. Those are my prayers, some of them, not all of them.

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