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Published Nov 25, 2023
Harlon Barnett praises MSU's resiliency in 2023
Ryan O'Bleness  •  Spartans Illustrated
Managing Editor
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@ryanobleness

Michigan State was thoroughly dominated by Penn State at Ford Field on Friday night. The Nittany Lions defeated the Spartans by a final score of 42-0, and MSU was held to a mere 53 total yards, the fewest in program history.

Following the game, interim head coach Harlon Barnett discussed his team's resiliency through unbelievable adversity in 2023, reflected on the season and made it very clear that he wants to become Michigan State's permanent head coach.

"Another disappointing loss, obviously," Barnett said after the blowout defeat to Penn State. "This was the last game of the season, wish we had performed better, was hoping to compete and finish better than we did. It is what it is. I still love these guys, I will always love them — a gritty bunch, a resilient bunch, they will always have my love and respect."

Penn State sacked Michigan State seven times for a loss of 64 yards, and because of that, held the Spartans to negative-35 rushing yards for the game. Barnett praised the Nittany Lions for their performance.

The Spartans finished the season with a 4-8 record. The results were obviously not what the team or the fans were hoping for, but Barnett explained to his team after the loss to Penn State that many life lessons can be taken from a tumultuous year.

"I told them, in life, things will happen to all of us and you guys will be able to look back on this season as a really adverse situation, and when these times hit in life, like they do, we all know they do — you live long enough, everybody here knows what I'm talking about — you will look back and say, 'keep pushing,'" Barnett said when asked what he told his team in the locker room after the game. "I told them to 'keep pushing' because when you keep pushing, on the other end, there's something better, but you have to keep pushing through, you cannot stop, you cannot give up."

Of course, Barnett was thrust into an "acting" head coach role in September after Mel Tucker was fired for cause for violating the personal conduct requirements in his contract, following the aftermath of sexual harassment allegations. Barnett later received the "interim" tag.

While at the helm of Michigan State, the Spartans went just 2-8 under Barnett. When asked what he would title a book about the 2023 season, Barnett said he would call it, "The Season of Adversity."

Barnett noted that he has grown in his role as interim head coach throughout the season. He said that he is a "natural encourager," but the hardest part for him was getting "comfortable" with talking to the team after losses. He also praised his squad for the way they worked all season long and never gave up through all of the hardships on and off the field.

One thing is certain: Barnett wants to be the permanent head coach and continue to lead the program. A former Spartan football player in the late 1980s, and a longtime coach in East Lansing, Barnett's love for Michigan State is evident and sincere.

Barnett will be the first tell you that he is a Spartan through and through, and he believes he deserves to be considered for the head coaching role.

"Well, I'll be looking in the mirror," Barnett quipped when asked what he would tell the next head coach about Michigan State. "I'll say, 'Michigan State is a great place, you've known that since 1985, you know there are a lot of great people here, you know that you've got to love the student-athlete above everything, you've got to be all for them because you've got to be about people first.' Then everything else will come. They'll play hard for you, they'll do whatever you ask them to do, but you've gotta touch their life and they gotta know you truly care.

"What's that old saying? 'They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.' I care for people, that's what I'm taught to do, that's what I believe in. I love my neighbors as (well as) myself. That's what I'm about ... and I know results will come after that. Guaranteed."

Barnett was dealt a tough hand in 2023. Is it likely that he will be named the next head coach of Michigan State's football program? Probably not. However, he should be applauded for the way he was able to keep the majority of the team together after the Tucker situation.

With Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller in the room for Barnett's press conference, the interim head coach was not shy about his desire for the head coaching job. When asked what his next steps are, or if/when he will interview for the role, Barnett said the following:

"It's going to be day-to-day for now because it's that time of the year, we're still trying to figure out who the coach going to be — Harlon Barnett — but we're still trying to figure that out, and once that gets figured out, then it goes from there, to be honest with you. It's day-to-day."

As mentioned, one thing that Barnett and the current staff did a tremendous job of is keeping the current team intact. While there were often talent disadvantages on the field for the Spartans, effort from the players was not often an issue this season.

When Tucker was fired, every Michigan State player had an opportunity to leave the program and enter the transfer portal. Only five players left the program during the 30-day portal window opened after Tucker's termination, and many of the players who remained discussed their "no quit mentality" and willingness to play for each other.

"I can look back on that, because it wasn't all me, it was all of our coaches that helped the guys stay and stay engaged and (they) were happy to be here," Barnett said about the players staying with MSU. "So, I'm not gonna just say, 'Look at me, that was Harlon Barnett doing that.' But I do feel like I had a part in it, obviously, and I'm happy I guess and a little bit proud that a lot of those guys stayed and didn't leave because it could have been a mass-exodus where we could've not played some games. It could've been that bad, and thank God that it wasn't, and guys kept playing. It wasn't like they just stuck around, but they stuck around and gave everything they had."

After two down seasons in a row, Barnett said he thinks the program "can be turned around fairly quickly." Barnett said it will come down to retaining the current talent in the locker room, getting healthy and recruiting more talent through the high school ranks and transfer portal. Barnett didn't want to put a timetable on how long it will take the program to bounce back, but he thinks it is closer than many people may believe.

When asked to assess his tenure as Michigan State's interim head coach, Barnett noted that he is his own harshest critic. He knows the results on the field were inexcusable, but he always believe his team is going to win.

"First of all, I'm hard on myself," Barnett said. "...I did OK ... My mindset was that we were going to win every game that we played, it ain't gonna change."

Barnett, making one last pitch for the permanent head coaching job, owned his 2-8 record at the helm, but noted that he would do things his way from the get-go, and things would be different in the future, if he were to get the role.

"I need an opportunity to do it my way from the start and then let's see, now let's see what it is, what it looks like," Barnett said. "I know that it will be a truly different result, I know that without a doubt in my mind. It is what it is, no excuses. What was it, 2-8 (record)? 2-8! That's terrible, but we're going to get it changed."

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MichiganState
FOOTBALL
Scores / Schedule
footballfootball
30 - 7
Overall Record
17 - 3
Conference Record
2024 schedule not available.
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