Pitt Hires Long-Time Big Ten Safeties Coach

PITTSBURGH — The coaching staff hires keep coming in.

The Pitt Panthers have hired Northwestern's safeties coach/ assistant head coach, Harlon Barnett.

Barnett and Pat Narduzzi have over a decade of experience with one another. The two were on the same coaching staff at Cincinnati then Michigan State, where they won multiple conference titles and coached a slew of NFL talent together.

Barnett has spent the last 15 years coaching in the Big Ten and completed two seasons with the Wildcats before taking the Pitt job. Barnett was also a three-year starter at Michigan State and spent seven seasons in the NFL as a defensive back.

Pitt was in need of a safeties coach/assistant head coach after a chain-reaction that started with defensive coordinator Randy Bates ' retirement led to former safeties coach/ assistant head coach Cory Sanders being named as Bates' successor.

Barnett's Lengthy Coaching Resume

Before his two seasons at Northwestern, Barnett was at Michigan State from 2020-23, where he coached the cornerbacks, defensive backs and was named the interim head coach when the school fired former head coach Mel Tucker for cause in 2023.

As the interim, Barnett led the Spartans to conference wins over Nebraska and Indiana during a tumultuous time for the program. Michigan State went 4-8 that season.

Michigan State football's acting head coach Harlon Barnett speaks during his first press conference since taking over for suspended coach Mel Tucker on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Barnett coached against Pitt in the 2021 Peach Bowl, with his No. 10-ranked Spartans beating the ACC championship-winning Panthers 31-21. The bowl game was Barnett's fourth New Year's Six/BCS bowl game at Michigan State.

Barnett was then the defensive coordinator at Florida State from 2018-19, where he coached five NFL Draft selections in his short span.

Prior to Florida State, Barnett had his first stint at Michigan State, where he coached alongside Narduzzi. Narduzzi was the defensive coordinator from 2007-14 and the assistant head coach for his last two seasons, while Barnett coached the secondary from 2007-14 and was promoted to assistant head coach/ co-defensive coordinator before the 2015 Cotton Bowl. He then became the associate head coach in 2017.

Barnett's secondaries at Michigan State ranked ninth in the nation in pass defense in 2012, third in 2013, were tied for 10th in interceptions nationally in 2014 and had a top 25 pass efficiency defense in five of his last seven seasons.

Barnett coached 31 All-Big Ten selections, 11 NFL Draft selections, four All-Americans and three Thorpe Award semifinalists during his time with the Spartans. He also won three Big Ten Championships and made the College Football Playoff in 2015.

From 2004-06, Barnett spent three seasons as the secondary coach at Cincinnati, while Narduzzi was the defensive coordinator at the same time.

Before Cincinnati, Barnett started his coaching career at LSU, where he was a graduate assistant under legendary head coach Nick Saban.

Pitt Coaching Staff Changes

Out

DC Randy Bates — Retired
TE/STC Jacob Bronowski — Auburn special teams coordinator
LB Ryan Manalac — UConn defensive coordinator

DC Cory Sanders — Promoted to defensive coordinator
DB/S Harlon Barnett — Northwestern
LB Joe Bowen — Buffalo
TE Brent Davis — Virginia Tech
STC Mike Priefer — North Carolina

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