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Published Apr 22, 2020
Tressel, Burton rave about 'brotherhood' of new staff
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Jim Comparoni  •  Spartans Illustrated
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EAST LANSING - Newcomers to Michigan State's football coaching staff have raved about the team-oriented nature of the Spartans’ holdover coaches.

On Wednesday, Mike Tressel and Ron Burton sent the good vibes right back at them.

Tressel and Burton participated in a media teleconference on Wednesday, as part of Michigan State football’s weekly update on all things Spartan gridiron.

MSU’s new assistant coaches, including Harlon Barnett, have held court with media in previous weeks. Wednesday marked an occasion for Tressel and Burton to chime.

Tressel has known new Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker for years, and that opened the door for Tressel, 46, to remain in town.

“Fortunately, I’m a Spartan,” Tressel said. “I bleed green so I’m glad he wanted me to stick around.”

Tressel was a graduate assistant at Ohio State from 2002-03. Tucker was defensive backs coach for the Buckeyes during that time.

“I was a defensive back graduate assistant. Coach Tuck (Tucker) coached the defensive backs, Coach Dantonio was actually the defensive coordinator at that time,” Tressel said. “So I was with him for two years and we worked directly together. So that relationship was already there. (We) visited him a couple times throughout, certainly with the Chicago Bears was one I remember, so we stayed in touch.”

Burton is entering his eighth year as a defensive line coach at Michigan State. He was reportedly close to taking an assistant coaching job at Indiana when Tucker asked him to stay in East Lansing.

“It’s great to be a Spartan,” Burton said. “When the opportunity was asked by me to stay, I wanted to be on the staff with Mel Tucker. It’s just been something that when you enjoy where you are, you want to continue it; you want to make it even better than what it is. He presented that to me and my family and we wholeheartedly wanted to stay.”

'A LOT OF TRUST'

Tressel was regarded as a potential candidate for the head coaching job after Mark Dantonio retired on Feb. 4, and conceded that he was interested in the job.

But Tressel, true to the form of a team operator, stepped aside with a smile after Tucker was hired, and was willing to become a position coach again. Tressel, who coached linebackers at Michigan State from 2007-2014, was willing to become the safeties coach as part of Tucker’s program.

“I think anybody would be foolish not to be interested in the Michigan State head coaching job,” Tressel said. “Certainly, there was interest, but I think any football coach in America should have interest in that position.”

Tucker hired Scottie Hazelton away from Kansas State to succeed Tressel as defensive coordinator. Tucker brought linebackers coach Ross Els with him from Colorado.

Tucker wanted Els and Tressel on his staff. Tressel, a former college safety who had worked in the DBs room with Tucker in the past, easily slid to that part of the field, and feels good about doing it for Tucker.

“I tell you what, Mel (Tucker) is awesome as a person, first of all,” Tressel said. “He makes you feel good, he gives you a lot of freedom to go about doing your job. There’s a lot of trust that you’ll do your job right and that you’ll work real hard at it, especially in this circumstance where everybody’s at home.”

Michigan State coaches and players have been off-campus and working remotely since the COVID-19 shutdown went into effect in mid-March.

“We’re a little bit on our own, and I really get a feel that this staff is grinding,” Tressel said. “We are grinding, which is fun to be around these types of guys.

“Coach Tuck’s (Tucker) focus is certainly recruiting, there’s no doubt he’s trying to be first hand with the top guys in the state, the top guys across the country. That’s been an emphasis without a doubt. He’s a defensive guru, which helps us obviously, but he’s also helped Coach (Scottie) Hazelton really run this show. It’s been fun to work with him. He’s a hilarious dude too, by the way.”

BARNETT, TRESSEL TOGETHER AGAIN

Tressel is sharing defensive back coaching duties with Barnett, who is overseeing the cornerbacks.

Tressel and Barnett worked together as co-defensive coordinators at Michigan State from 2015-17. From 2007 to 2014, Tressel coached the linebackers and Barnett coached the defensive backs for Michigan State.

“Man, (I’m) absolutely fired up to have Harlon back and to be directly working with him,” Tressel said. “He’s an outstanding human being first. He’s an outstanding coach. We worked together, I think I’m doing the math right, 15 years. We’re like brothers and really do play off each other’s strengths and work really well together.”

Tressel, Barnett, Tucker, Hazelton and Els have all been defensive coordinators at the college level. Too many cooks in the kitchen, or just the right amount of flavor? Tressel loves the latter. Good personalities and level egos make it that way.

“I think truth be told, that’s one of the first things Coach Tucker was looking at and Coach Hazelton was looking at, was how would this group of people work together,” Tressel said. “Because obviously, working together as a unit in the game of football or a coaching staff is absolutely critical. I think we have a pretty humble, but also a pretty smart group of guys who understand what their role is or where their space is and Coach (Scottie) Hazelton does a great job of letting us speak our expertise when it’s our turn.

“But I also watch Coach Barnett, Coach Els and understand that as much football knowledge as they have, (they know) when it’s time to just keep your mouth shut. There’s a lot of respect, and there’s also some expertise from different areas and different backgrounds. So we can truly say ‘Ok, what do our players do best?’, and I guarantee you that there’s someone in that room that has expertise in that area.”

Burton, 55, played four years in the NFL and has has 26 years of college coaching experience. But he’s still eager to learn.

“We all become lifelong learners in that room,” Burton said. “We have a lot of knowledge and every one is an open forum and I just enjoy it. It’s just like going to graduate school and you’re heading toward your PhD, I’m telling you, in football.

“These guys have a lot of knowledge. “(It’s) very stimulating with the group in there starting with Scottie Hazelton. He presents opportunity.

“Coach Hazelton has allowed us to be a part of putting this big puzzle together and having those guys with that knowledge in the front end and the back end. It’s just been enjoyable to me.

“From the graduate assistants to the analysts; everyone is involved and it starts with Coach Hazelton allowing to have that open forum where he’s willing to adjust to get us where we need to go. It’s been a pleasure.

“I tell you, every day, I mean I’ve got two notebooks already from the stuff that we talked about and making the adjustments and the terms of things that we want to do. It’s been unbelievable and it’s a joy to get up and talk football with such a group that has so much experience so it’s been a pleasure for me.”

Tressel shied away from discussing the value that he, Burton and Barnett have in relaying information about returning players to the new coaches.

“That’s probably a question better asked to Coach (Mel) Tucker or some of the guys who are new in here,” Tressel said. “(But) what I can comment on is that there’s certainly a brotherhood and a great working relationship and a great love between Coach (Ron) Burton, myself, Coach (Harlon) Barnett and some of the other auxiliary staff that it still around.

“So there is some knowledge. It’s important to have knowledge of the workers at the university, but we’re also trying to push our limits and make sure we don’t look at the way it’s been done or look at what previous ceilings might have been and try to bust through with all the new knowledge that’s in the coaching staff.”

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