MSU head football coach John L. Smith lost yet another assistant coach to a rival Big Ten school.
Defensive backs coach Paul Haynes was hired by Ohio State, he confirmed Monday.
Haynes joins running backs coach Reggie Mitchell and defensive line coach Steve Stripling as assistants who have left the Spartans in the past few months.
Haynes, a Columbus native, said the opportunity to move back to his roots was the only major factor in his decision.
"It's home for me," Haynes said. "It's an opportunity to get my family close to family. When you're from Ohio, it's the kind of move you want to make."
As for his time at MSU, Haynes said he is thankful for the opportunity he had.
"It wasn't an easy decision," he said. "Coach John L. has been the best guy that I've ever worked for."
Haynes graduated from St. Francis DeSales High School in Columbus in 1987. He said he had heard of the job through coaches and friends that he still has in the Columbus area.
Haynes spent one year at Louisville with Smith before following him to East Lansing in 2003, when Smith was hired as the Spartans' head coach.
Stripling also followed Smith to MSU from Louisville before leaving last week to coach the defensive line for Michigan.
In December, the Spartans also lost 20 years of experience when Mitchell left to take over as one of the main recruiters for Illinois.
Haynes said he talked on the phone with Smith on Monday to let him know of his decision.
"He understood this profession," Haynes said. "You don't get too many chances to get to go home."
Haynes is still in East Lansing, but said he will probably head down to Columbus later this week. He will continue to coach the secondary with the Buckeyes, replacing Mel Tucker who is now an assistant coach for the NFL's Cleveland Browns.
Before his time at Louisville and MSU, Haynes coached for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, Kent State, Northern Iowa and Ferris State.
Under Haynes, the Spartans ranked 52nd in Division 1-A and seventh in the Big Ten in pass efficiency defense, allowing just more than 121 yards per game through the air.
Chris Meagher can be reached at meagher3@msu.edu.
