Mike Hart (American football)

Leon Michael Hart (born April 9, 1986) is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the running backs coach at University of Michigan. Hart played college football as a running back at the University of Michigan from 2004 to 2007 and holds the Michigan Wolverines career rushing record with 5,040 yards. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Hart played three seasons for the Colts, mostly in a back-up role, before the team released him in the spring of 2011. He has previously worked as an assistant football coach at Syracuse University, Western Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, and Indiana University Bloomington.

Mike Hart

Hart with the Colts in September 2010
Michigan Wolverines
Position:	Running backs coach
Personal information
Born:	(1986-04-09) April 9, 1986 (age 36) Syracuse, New York
Height:	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:	206 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:	Onondaga Central (Nedrow, New York)
College:	Michigan
NFL Draft:	2008 / Round: 6 / Pick: 202
Career history
As a player:
Indianapolis Colts (2008–2010)
As a coach:
Eastern Michigan (2011) Offensive quality control Eastern Michigan (2012–2013) Running backs coach Western Michigan (2014–2015) Running backs coach Syracuse (2016) Running backs coach Indiana (2017–2019) Running backs coach Indiana (2020) Running backs coach/associate head coach Michigan (2021) Running backs coach Michigan (2022–present) Running backs coach/run game coordinator
Career highlights and awards
3× First-team All-Big Ten (2004, 2006–2007) Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2004)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts: 71 Rushing yards: 264 Rushing touchdowns: 2 Receptions: 12 Receiving yards: 97 Receiving touchdowns: 0
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

Hart attended Onondaga Central High School just outside Syracuse, New York where he set the national career record for rushing touchdowns (204), career points (for a non-quarterback) with 1,246,^[1] and finished second in career rushing yards (11,045). Onondaga Central went 46–1 (.979), losing only a single game to Mohawk Central School, and won three state championships (against Dobbs Ferry, Briarcliff and Cambridge) during Hart's career.

His national career touchdown record of 204 was surpassed by Johnathan Gray in 2011 although he remains first in career points.^[2]

Hart also excelled academically in high school scoring 1280 on the SAT and graduating in the top five of his class with a 94% average.^[3]

College career

 

2007 team huddle with Mario Manningham (86), Ryan Mallett (15), Hart (20), Jake Long (77), Adrian Arrington (16), Mike Massey (83), Justin Boren (65), Carson Butler (85), and Stephen Schilling (52) against Penn State

 

2004 Michigan Wolverines football team #20 Hart, #7 Chad Henne, #15 Steve Breaston, #8 Jason Avant, #88 Tim Massaquoi

 

Ryan Mallett hands off to Hart

 

Hart on the Michigan sidelines behind Zoltan Mesko and Carlos Brown

In the 2004 season, Hart set a Michigan record for most rushing yards in a season by a freshman with 1,455. He rushed for nine touchdowns and had 26 receptions for 237 yards and a touchdown catch. For the 2005 season as a sophomore, Hart missed significant time due to a hamstring injury. He started eight of Michigan's 12 games and played sparingly in three of those. He finished the season with 662 yards and four touchdowns rushing and added 16 receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown catch.

During the 2006 season, Hart rushed for 1,562 yards – the fifth-best season total in Michigan history – and 14 touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 125 yards. For his efforts, Hart was recognized as his team's co-MVP with linebacker David Harris. He was also selected by both coaches and media to the All-Big Ten Conference First-team, named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, and placed fifth in Heisman Trophy balloting.

As a senior in the 2007 season, Hart was elected team captain along with offensive tackle Jake Long and linebacker Shawn Crable. He entered the eighth week of the season as college football's leader in rushing yards, but after an ankle injury sidelined him for two games, he dropped in the rankings. Hart finished the season with 1,361 yards and 14 touchdowns.

In his Michigan career, Hart rushed 1,015 times for 5,040 yards; both marks are school records. His 41 career rushing touchdowns are third-best in Michigan annals. Hart's 28 career games with at least 100 yards rushing and 5 games with at least 200 yards rushing are each the most in Michigan history. Hart lost three fumbles in his college career, two of which came in his last game as a Wolverine in the 2008 Capital One Bowl. In that game, Hart also passed the 5,000 yard rushing mark for his career, becoming only the fourth player in Big Ten history to do so.

Awards and honors

 

Hart and family on Senior Day

National awards

• 2006 Doak Walker Award finalist
• 2006 Maxwell Award semifinalist
• 2006 Walter Camp Award watchlist
• 2006 Heisman Trophy fifth place
• 2007 Maxwell Award semifinalist
• 2007 Doak Walker Award finalist

Conference honors

• 2004 All-Big Ten Conference First-team (coaches and media)
• 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year (coaches and media)
• 2006 All-Big Ten Conference First-team (coaches and media, unanimous)
• 2007 Big Ten Preseason Offensive Player of the Year (media)
• 2007 All-Big Ten Conference First-team (coaches and media)

Team awards

• 2006 Michigan football team co-MVP with David Harris
• 2007 Michigan football team MVP

Statistics

Season	Team	GP	Rushing					Receiving
			Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
2004	Michigan	12	282	1,455	5.2	34	9	26	237	9.1	39	1
2005	Michigan	8	150	662	4.4	64	4	16	154	9.6	34	1
2006	Michigan	13	318	1,562	4.9	54	14	17	125	7.4	31	0
2007	Michigan	10	265	1,361	5.1	61	14	8	50	6.3	11	0
Career^[4]		43	1,015	5,040	5.0	64	41	67	566	8.4	39	2

Professional career

Indianapolis Colts

Hart was selected in the sixth round (202nd overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.

Third on the Colts depth chart behind Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes, Hart saw little action during the 2008 season, rushing for nine yards on two carries.^[5] During the second quarter of the Colts victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, Hart sustained a knee injury on an 18-yard reception from Peyton Manning. On October 15, Hart was placed on injured reserve,^[6] ending his season.

Hart missed the 2009 pre-season opener with an ankle injury. On September 5, Hart was cut by the Colts then was signed to the Colts practice squad on September 6.^[7] On October 4, Hart was reassigned to the Colts active roster, replacing Chad Simpson.^[8] On November 24, Hart was waived by the Colts. He was re-signed to the practice squad on November 25. Hart was promoted to the active roster on December 2. On December 6, Hart got his first touches of the 2009 season. He had 11 rushing yards and two receptions for 27 yards. He had 28 rushing yards on December 13.^[9] On January 3, 2010 in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills, Hart scored the first touchdown of his NFL career on a one-yard run on a hand-off from Peyton Manning.^[10] On February 7, 2010, Hart had two carries in Super Bowl XLIV.^[11]

During a 2010 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, Hart scored his second career touchdown. It was the only touchdown of the game, as the Colts won 19–9. On November 1, 2010, in a Monday night game against the Houston Texans, Hart rushed for an NFL career-best 84 yards on 12 carries. Hart was released by the Colts on July 26, 2011.^[12]

Coaching career

In August 2011, Hart accepted a job at Eastern Michigan University as the offensive quality control coach for the Eastern Michigan Eagles football team.^[13] He served in that capacity for the 2011 season and then for two seasons, 2012 and 2013, as the team's running backs coach. On February 4, 2014, Hart was announced as the running backs coach at Western Michigan University.^[14] On January 4, 2016, he was announced as the new running backs coach at Syracuse University. It was announced on March 2, 2017 that Hart was leaving Syracuse to assume the vacant running backs coach position at Indiana University Bloomington under his former coach Mike DeBord.^[15] On January 13, 2021, Hart was named the new running backs coach at the University of Michigan.^[16] On October 8, 2022, during the first quarter of Michigan's game against Indiana, Hart suffered a seizure on the sideline at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. He was carted off the field in a stretcher and taken to a hospital for evaluation.^[17]

See also

• Lists of Michigan Wolverines football rushing leaders

References

1. "All-time career points and touchdowns leaders". ESPN Internet Ventures. December 6, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
2. "All-time points and touchdowns leaders". ESPN HS. December 17, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
3. Windsor, Shawn (August 30, 2007). . Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2009.
4. . Regents of the University of Michigan. 2003. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
5. "Mike Hart #32 RB (2008 game log)". ESPN. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
6. Oehser, John (October 15, 2008). . Colts.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2008. Retrieved November 3, 2009.
7. "Training Camp Roundup: Sept. 5". ESPN Internet Ventures. September 5, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2009.
8. "Chad Simpson cut; Mike Hart re-added to Colts active roster". Sportsblogs, Inc. October 4, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2009.
9. "Mike Hart #32 RB (2009 game log)". ESPN. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
10. "Indianapolis 7, Buffalo 30 (play-by-play)". ESPN. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
11. "New Orleans 31, Indianapolis 17". ESPN. February 7, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
12. "Mike Hart, Michigan's all-time leading rusher, released by Indianapolis Colts". AnnArbor.com. July 26, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
13. . Eastern Michigan University. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
14. "Mike Hart Bio". Western Michigan University. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
15. "Mike Hart, Formerly At Syracuse, To Join IU Staff As Running Back Coach". TheHoosier.com. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
16. Ablauf, Dave; Shepard, Chad (January 13, 2021). "Mike Hart Joins Michigan Staff as Running Backs Coach". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
17. Vanhaaren, Tom (October 8, 2022). "Michigan RB coach Mike Hart carted off field at Indiana". ESPN. Retrieved October 8, 2022.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mike Hart (American football).

• Mike Hart on Twitter  
• Michigan profile
• Indiana profile
• Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference