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Matt Barnes (DC Memphis Tigers)

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Per Ryan Days presser today, the fake punt was Matt Barnes design. He went to Coach Day early in the week with a play after he saw something on Wisconsin’s film.

Was confident in Drue executing it because Drue had actually had spring reps as the emergency backup QB last year before Chugs transferred in, and had played QB in high school.
 
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Excellent quotes in here from the fathers of Derrick Davis Jr. and Jantzen Dunn, along with Jager Burton. Also a nice little anecdote about which two coaches made an in-school visit with JK Johnson shortly after Kerry Coombs was hired (hint: neither was named Kerry Coombs).

Barnes is more than doing his part in the recruiting game.

 
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OSUBasketballJunkie said:
Click to expand...


Re: Barnes has long been an under-the-radar recruiter for the Buckeyes, but he is starting to emerge as one of their top behind-the-scenes guys. The Ohio State assistant was the first to offer Harris, last week, after a long conversation about how Harris could help the team’s future moving forward.

Harris got on the program’s radar by putting in work over the past few years and showing it on film. Barnes and Coombs showed a lot of interest in Harris, and that interest has been reciprocated.

“I really like Coach Barnes and Coach Coombs,” Harris said. “They’ve coached and been around some of the top athletes and they definitely know what it takes to make it to the next level and have success. I like everything about the program – the history, the consistency over a long period of time, the talent produced, playing on the biggest stages. It’s exactly what I’m looking for in a school and program.

“I’ve already seriously considered them a choice and look forward to building the best relationship possible with Coach Coombs, Barnes and the rest of the Ohio State staff.”

Just sayin': Matt Barnes, "ace recruiter" too!!! Let's face it, if you can't recruit you can't coach at Ohio State.
:banger:
 
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In case you weren't aware of his resume:

Matt Barnes
Special Team’s Coordinator / Assistant Secondary Coach
Ohio State University

Matt Barnes is in his second season as Ohio State’s special team’s coordinator and assistant secondary coach. He was hired by head coach Ryan Day in January, 2019, after spending the prior three seasons coaching at the University of Maryland. Barnes has 11 years of collegiate coaching experience.

This past season, Barnes help develop outstanding special teams play and defensive backs on a 13-1 Ohio State team that won its third consecutive outright Big Ten Conference championship. Ohio State’s defense led the nation in fewest passing yards allowed (156.0 per game) and also led the nation in pass-efficiency defense with a rating of 97.50.

Barnes served as linebacker coach and specials team’s coordinator while at Maryland. Under his guidance, the Terrapins ranked 18th nationally and third in the Big Ten with a 23.9 yard average on kickoff returns. Maryland had two players – Ty Johnson and Tavion Jacobs – who averaged better than 25 yards per kick return and ranked in the top five in the conference in yards per return. Johnson and Jacobs also returned kicks of 97 and 98 yards, respectively, for touchdowns during the 2018 season. Additionally, Maryland tied for 11th nationally in blocked punts (two) and was 39th in net punting (38.8 yards).

During his three-year stay in College Park, Barnes also mentored second-team All-American and first-team all-Big Ten linebacker Tre Watson this year and another pair of Terp linebackers who garnered All-Big Ten recognition: Jermaine Carter and Shane Cockerille. Carter went on to be a fifth-round draft choice of the Carolina Panthers while Cockerille signed as a free agent with the New York Jets.

Barnes arrived at Maryland after spending the 2015 season at Michigan as a defensive analyst. During his one season in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines ranked first nationally in defensive pass efficiency, third in passing yards allowed, fourth in total defense and 11th in scoring defense.

From 2012 to 2014, Barnes was a defensive and special team’s graduate assistant at Florida. Over his three-year stay, the Gators’ special teams was eighth nationally in punt return average and No. 24 in kick return average (22.6 yards/kick). Florida was also No. 11 in net punting average (43.2 yards). On defense, the Gators ranked 15th nationally in total defense and 10th in defensive pass efficiency during the 2014 season. In two of his three seasons, Florida boasted a top 15-ranked scoring defense.

Barnes spent the 2011 season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he helped coach Adam Neugebauer to Division II Quarterback of the Year honors and a fifth-place finish in the Harlon Hill voting, which goes to the top player in Division II. Barnes’ offense led the conference in total offense, passing offense, passing efficiency and first downs.

Barnes began his coaching career in 2009 as the running backs coach at Delaware Valley College, before moving on to West Virginia Wesleyan in 2010 as running backs coach.

Barnes is a 2008 graduate of Salisbury University on Maryland’s eastern shore, where he was a team captain and helped the Sea Gulls win three ECAC bowl games and compete in the NCAA Division III tournament in 2007. A fine student, he was a candidate for the academic Draddy Award as a senior. The award is now named the William V. Campbell Trophy and is given to the outstanding student-athlete across all four divisions in college football. His degree is in business.

Matt is married to Christina Holowinsky, who is from Annandale, Md. The couple has an infant son, Henry.

https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/coach/matt-barnes/
 
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SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR/ASSISTANT SECONDARY COACH MATT BARNES

WHO’LL BE THE STARTING SLOT CORNERBACK?
This is a bit of a stretch.

In reality, Coombs will have total control over the secondary. Barnes will assist him while also focusing much of his attention on special teams. But there just aren’t many questions among the kicking, punting and return units. Kicker Blake Haubeil and punter Drue Chrisman return, so replacing outgoing long snapper Liam McCullough might be the biggest special teams uncertainty.

The more important questions to get answered before the season kicks off all pertain to the defensive backfield.

Specifically, Coombs and Barnes need to determine the starter in the slot. Wade manned that position a year ago, but he’s moving primarily to the outside. Will he play some snaps at nickelback? It’s conceivable, but he won’t be there all the time. The coaches have to find someone else.

Marcus Williamson will be an option. At 5-foot-10 and 186 pounds, the senior is built differently from everyone else at his position. If it’s not him, it’ll likely be either Cameron Brown or Sevyn Banks, both of whom have primarily played on the outside. One of them could conceivably move inside if Barnes and Coombs want to get both of them, along with Wade, on the field all the time.

One way or another, this shouldn’t be an unanswered question that drags into the season.
 
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BARNES IMPACT
As we wrote about on Wednesday, there was a lot that went into Dunn’s specific recruitment, and it all culminated in that wild one hour in April in which he committed to Oklahoma and quickly flipped to Ohio State. A massive factor that went into it that we didn’t touch on as much, though, was the impact of Matt Barnes, the Buckeyes assistant secondary coach/special teams coordinator, who has remained an underrated part of the staff.

While a lot of coaches fill recruits’ heads with fluff or unrealistic expectations of what to expect when they get to college, Barnes was straight up with the Dunns. He told them exactly how hard it was going to be – that going into Ohio State and competing for a job in what is likely to be a loaded secondary is going to be cutthroat.

“We’re gonna be hearing about Coach Barnes for a long time in this sport,” Mitchell said. “He really knows his football, and he knows how to build relationships with kids. … Coach Day and Coach (Kerry) Coombs aren’t overrated whatsoever, but Coach Barnes is severely underrated.”
 
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Barnes now holds the title of safeties coach, in addition to his title as special teams coordinator, rather than the assistant secondary coach title he held last year. But much like last year, when Jeff Hafley was the lead secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator, Ohio State’s cornerbacks and safeties are continuing to meet together, and new defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs is leading the room while collaborating with Barnes.
 
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Thread is 4 pages long going on year 3.... special teams have been solid not special.... If I was Ryan Day I’d call him into a meeting this morning and ask
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  • Being at Ohio State is a dream come true for him
  • He highlights how much of a learning and growing experience it has been
  • First big job was OC at West Virginia Wesleyan... he ran an Air Raid offense
  • Addresses how the game has evolved on offense since he was an OC, one of the things he’s learned/believes in is to keep it simple; allows players to know what they are doing and play fast
  • Experience on both sides of ball helps with game planning and insight into how other teams might attack the defense
  • Mentions DJ Durkin (because Birm tees it up) as an influence on him as a coach with a reputation as a good teacher
  • Thinks his best quality as a coach is listening and learning
  • As alluded to in the Twitter tease, he refers to himself as a football nerd, which come through in his enthusiasm for teaching/coaching players
  • Believes that Ohio State’s culture/work ethic is the best that he’s been around and what separates the program from other elite programs where he’s coached
  • Believes that being a top 3 program helps them target high character recruits who fit in and continue to build the winning culture
  • Believes Ohio State is more diligent with early character evaluations to ensure they find players that fit
  • Gives a hat tip to players recruiting each other and how that also helps reinforce culture
  • Highlights Andre Turrentine as a player he connected with during COVID due to his love for football and learning the game over virtual meetings; calls him a fellow football nerd
  • Birm gives Barnes credit for successfully bridging the transition between Hafley and Coombs for the DB class
  • Looks at himself as an ambassador for Ohio State on the recruiting trail, does think he was in a good spot to provide continuity for the DB class but also acknowledges Coombs as a recruiter speaks for itself
  • In a surprise to no one, Barnes says Hafley is more laid back than Coombs
 
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