It was announced Saturday that Dantonio has named Harlon Barnett (secondary) and Mike Tressel (linebackers/special teams) as co-defensive coordinators in 2015, both of whom will be making their coaching debut at that position in the college ranks.

Narduzzi, the former defensive play caller for the Spartans for the last eight years, will replace Paul Chryst at Pittsburgh, who’s now the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers.

Even though the 48-year-old is expected to coach at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day when MSU (10-2) takes on Baylor (11-1), the reigning Co-Big 12 champions.

Tressel, who has been on the MSU staff throughout Dantonio’s tenure, has produced three All-Americans in his tenure while 13 All-Big Ten honors have been awarded to his linebacking corp.

Tressel has also coached two first-team All-Big Ten placekickers and two first-team All-Big Ten punters.

"The standard has already been set here at Michigan State in terms of how we play defense,” Tressel said, “and we look forward to continuing that tradition of excellence."

Like Tressel, Barnett has coached underneath Dantonio since 2004 when he left Ohio State to become the head coach of Cincinnati.

Before a prolonged relationship with Dantonio, Barnett spent a year as a graduate assistant for Nick Saban and the LSU Tigers and as an assistant for Princeton high in Ohio, after playing for MSU as a safety from 1986-1989.

"As a player, I never dreamt about coaching here let alone being named co-defensive coordinator,” Barnett said. “It's truly a blessing and an honor.”