USATSI
Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart will not return for the 2024 season, according to 247Sports. A former standout running back for the Wolverines, Hart spent the last three seasons as an assistant on former coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff where he coached three first-team All-Big Ten selections.
Hart joined Harbaugh’s staff in 2021 after four seasons in the same position at Indiana. He was elevated to run-game coordinator in 2022, and in 2023 he served as co-interim head coach for Michigan’s win against UNLV while Harbaugh served a three-game suspension.
Under Hart, Michigan’s rushing attack paved the way to three straight Big Ten titles and a run to the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship. He helped Blake Corum become Michigan’s first back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher since Denard Robinson as he also set the program rushing record with 58 scores on the ground in four years. Michigan led the Big Ten in rushing from 2021-22 and finished third in rushing yards per game in 2023.
As a player, Hart’s 5,040 career rushing yards still stand as a program record, and his 41 rushing touchdowns rank fourth among Michigan rushers. He was also a three-time All-Big Ten selection and finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2006.
Hart’s departure is the latest shift in an offseason of change for Michigan football. Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers after guiding the Wolverines to a perfect season and a national title. Michigan turned to offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore as his replacement, and he’s been charged with rebuilding the staff as assistants leave…
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