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It’s been a long time coming, but the prodigal son finally returned to Ann Arbor this offseason — though there was close to no doubt Mike Hart wouldn’t eventually end up a part of a Michigan football coaching staff.
The former Wolverines running back who is still the last tailback drafted out of Ann Arbor and still the all-time leader in career yards wearing maize and blue is back as Michigan’s new running backs coach. As head coach Jim Harbaugh retooled the staff this offseason, Hart comes aboard after spending the last several years at Indiana. He has also coached at Syracuse, Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan before returning to his alma mater.
Speaking with Jon Jansen on the ‘In the Trenches’ podcast, Hart notes that he’s ‘excited to be back,’ and while it was a no-brainer for him to come back to A2, it was also tough for him to leave behind the school he just spent quite some time at.
“I was in a great situation at my previous institution,” Hart said. “Really, the program we were building — kind of the longest I’ve been anywhere, which was really four years —it was one of those things, when (Harbaugh) called, I knew what we had. It wasn’t just a ‘yes, let’s come,’ but it was a ‘yes, let’s come’ if that makes sense! It’s just hard when you leave your guys. That’s the biggest thing. (The people in) the administration at Indiana, it was one of those things where it was just tough. But this is home. This is obviously where I wanted to be for a long time. I’m just excited to be here and really just excited to work with these guys, because there’s a lot of talent on the team. So I’m just really looking forward to spring ball and getting back into the office and getting around the players. Just getting this thing back on track.”
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Of course, this is different for Hart. As a player, the Syracuse, New York, native was known for his quintessential love for all things University of Michigan.
He was only a few years removed from his senior year at U-M by the time he took the field as an opposing coach, this time wearing green and white signifying he was on-staff with Eastern Michigan — seven miles down the road. Hart told Jansen he cut short his NFL career at the end of his contract because he knew that his heart was in coaching rather than playing — it was a purposeful move, rather than seeking out another opportunity either with the Indianapolis Colts or another franchise around the league.
So now his route has been circuitous and he has set foot into Schembechler Hall wearing maize and blue again, did he hear the echoes of his former playing career just over a decade ago?
Kind of. There was some nostalgia, but also a recognition of how much things have changed.
“First, I heard the voice of Bo in the parking lot!” Hart said. “The first time I met Bo was probably my third day on campus as a freshman. He was getting out of his car walking in, and he said, ‘You’re that Hart kid, huh?’ And I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ ‘You’re too small to play running back here!’ And then he just kept walking. I was like, ‘That’s great!’
“It was one of those things, and I’ve coached — I haven’t been back in the facility in probably 10 years, so I haven’t even been there since they redid the museum part. So just to see what they’ve done, the investment they’ve made, it’s beautiful. From the museum, to just — I saw the indoor before, but everything else — the weight room, the nutrition area. The things they’ve done are just amazing. I’m just really excited to be back and excited to work with everybody.”
While Hart certainly looks back at his time here as a player with fond memories, he’s also not planning on revisiting those days much, or resting on his laurels.
Just like in his time as a Wolverines running back, there’s no time to get misty eyed about what might be, it’s time to work for what could be.
“I think that it’s a little nostalgic coming back, because I haven’t been back in so long,” Hart said. “That first day, when you’re kinda standing around, walking in the office, it’s kind of one of those things that you really dream of — almost like when you’re a player. When you get that opportunity, the first time you walk in, when you step into your locker, it’s like, ‘OK, I’m here.’ Of course, I’m always thinking forward, like, ‘OK, you’re here, but what are you gonna do?’ So, it’s like, once you walk in, you enjoy it for a little bit, but then it’s time to get to work. And I’m really just excited to get to work, coach this team and coach these guys and really building relationships with players as a team.”
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