Mike Hart (American football) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mike Hart

Hart with Michigan in 2024
Personal information
Born:	(1986-04-09) April 9, 1986 (age 39) Syracuse, New York, U.S.
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 player:
Indianapolis Colts (2008–2010)
As 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 (2022–2023) Running backs coach & run game coordinator Michigan (2023) Interim head coach
Career highlights and awards
CFP national champion (2023) 2× Second-team All-American (2006, 2007) 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
Player stats at PFR

Mike Hart, whose full name is Leon Michael Hart, was born on April 9, 1986. He is a well-known American football coach and a former player. Mike played college football as a running back for the Michigan Wolverines from 2004 to 2007. He holds the record for the most rushing yards in Michigan's history, with an amazing 5,040 yards! After college, he was picked by the Indianapolis Colts in 2008 and played for three seasons in the NFL. Mike has also worked as an assistant football coach at several universities, including Michigan, Syracuse, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, and Indiana.

Early Life and High School Success

Mike Hart grew up near Syracuse, New York, where he went to Onondaga Central High School. He was an incredible football player in high school. Mike set a national record for the most rushing touchdowns in a career, scoring 204! He also scored 1,246 points, which is a lot for a player who isn't a quarterback. He finished his high school career with 11,045 rushing yards, which is the second-highest ever.

His high school team, Onondaga Central, had an amazing record of 46 wins and only 1 loss. They won three state championships while Mike was playing. Mike was also a great student. He scored 1280 on his SAT test and was among the top five students in his graduating class.

College Football Career

The 2007 Michigan team in a huddle during a game against Penn State.

Mike Hart (number 20) with his teammates from the 2004 Michigan Wolverines football team.

Ryan Mallett hands the ball off to Mike Hart during a game.

Mike Hart on the Michigan sidelines with teammates.

Freshman and Sophomore Years

In his first year at Michigan in 2004, Mike Hart set a new record for freshmen. He rushed for 1,455 yards, which was the most by any freshman in Michigan's history. He also scored nine touchdowns by running and caught 26 passes for 237 yards, scoring one touchdown from a catch.

During his second year in 2005, Mike had a hamstring injury that caused him to miss some games. He started eight of Michigan's twelve games. Even with the injury, he still managed to rush for 662 yards and score four touchdowns. He also caught 16 passes for 154 yards and one touchdown.

Junior and Senior Years

In 2006, Mike had an amazing season, rushing for 1,562 yards. This was the fifth-best season total in Michigan's history. He also scored 14 touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 125 yards. Because of his great performance, he was named the team's co-MVP (Most Valuable Player). He was also chosen for the First-team All-Big Ten Conference and was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the best college running back. He even placed fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, a very important award in college football.

As a senior in 2007, Mike was chosen as a team captain. He was leading college football in rushing yards for most of the season. However, an ankle injury made him miss two games. He still finished the season with 1,361 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Michigan Records and Achievements

During his time at Michigan, Mike Hart rushed the ball 1,015 times for a total of 5,040 yards. Both of these numbers are school records! His 41 career rushing touchdowns are the third-best in Michigan's history. Mike also had 28 games where he rushed for at least 100 yards, and 5 games where he rushed for at least 200 yards. These are also Michigan records. In his last game as a Wolverine, he passed the 5,000-yard rushing mark, becoming only the fourth player in Big Ten history to do so.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

Mike Hart playing for the Indianapolis Colts in 2010.

Mike Hart was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He was the 202nd player picked overall.

Playing for the Colts

In his first NFL season in 2008, Mike didn't play much because he was behind two other running backs. He rushed for only nine yards on two carries. In October, he got a knee injury during a game and was placed on "injured reserve," which meant he couldn't play for the rest of the season.

In 2009, Mike was first cut by the Colts but then signed to their "practice squad." This is a group of players who practice with the team but don't play in games unless they are moved to the main roster. He was later moved to the active roster and got his first chances to play that season in December. On January 3, 2010, Mike scored his first NFL touchdown on a one-yard run. He also played in Super Bowl XLIV in February 2010.

During the 2010 season, Mike scored his second career touchdown in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. This was the only touchdown in that game, and the Colts won 19–9. In November 2010, Mike had his best NFL game, rushing for 84 yards on 12 carries against the Houston Texans. The Colts released him in July 2011.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Mike Hart became a football coach. In August 2011, he started working at Eastern Michigan University as an offensive quality control coach. He then became the running backs coach for two seasons.

In 2014, he became the running backs coach at Western Michigan University. Then, in 2016, he moved to Syracuse University for the same role. In 2017, he joined Indiana University Bloomington as their running backs coach.

Return to Michigan and National Championship

On January 13, 2021, Mike Hart returned to his old college team, the University of Michigan, as the new running backs coach. In October 2022, during a game, Mike had a medical emergency on the sideline and was taken to the hospital. He recovered well.

In 2023, the head coach of Michigan, Jim Harbaugh, was suspended for three games. Mike Hart stepped in as the interim head coach for the second half of Michigan's second game of the season against UNLV. On September 9, 2023, Mike led the Wolverines to a 35–7 win. This was his first official win as a college football head coach, and he also became the first African American to be a head coach at Michigan.

Mike Hart helped Michigan win the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2023. He coached Blake Corum, who was named an All-American running back two years in a row.

Head Coaching Record

See also

• Michigan Wolverines football statistical leaders