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Mel Tucker shuffles Michigan State football staff, promotes Travares Tillman to CB coach

Mel Tucker continued to restructure Michigan State football’s staff from within.

The second-year MSU head coach promoted Travares Tillman to cornerbacks coach Thursday and shifted Harlon Barnett to secondary coach.

The moves come a day after Mike Tressel officially was named defensive coordinator at Cincinnati.

Tillman, a former Georgia Tech defensive back who spent seven seasons in the NFL, followed Tucker from Boulder, Colorado to East Lansing last February to become MSU’s senior defensive assistant. The 43-year-old served as Tucker’s defensive backs coach with the Buffaloes and was his defensive graduate assistant at Georgia in 2016-17 and the Bulldogs’ defensive quality control coach in 2018.