Boston College Athletics
Mike Hart Hired as Eagles' Running Backs Coach
January 27, 2026 | Football
Michigan's all-time leading rusher makes Northeast homecoming
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College Head Football Coach Bill O'Brien has hired Mike Hart as Running Backs Coach. Hart was most recently an Offensive Analyst with Eastern Michigan in 2025.
Hart brings 14 years of college coaching experience at Western Michigan, Syracuse, Indiana, Michigan, and Eastern Michigan with him to The Heights. He served as Michigan's Interim Head Coach for one game in 2023, a 35-7 win over UNLV, on the way to the Wolverines winning a national championship. Michigan's all-time leading rusher, Hart was a two-time Doak Walker Award finalist and finished fifth in the 2006 Heisman Trophy voting.
As an Offensive Analyst in 2025, Hart was critical in running back Dontae McMillan rushing for over 1,000 yards and four others posting 100-yard games last season. The Eagles finished first in the MAC in fourth down offense at 61.1 percent. In addition, Eastern Michigan's red zone offense closed at 94.6 percent, ranking second nationally and first in the MAC.
Hart returned to Ann Arbor in 2021 as Running Backs Coach and was elevated to Run-Game Coordinator in 2022 before serving as Interim Head Coach for one game in 2023.
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 over four years. Corum led the offense with 1,245 rushing yards and a school record 27 rushing touchdowns in 2023, earning unanimous All-American honors and a second straight Big Ten Running Back of the Year Award.
In 2022, Hart guided the Wolverine rushing attack to a top-15 national rank and the No. 1 rank in the Big Ten, including finishing the season ranked No. 5 nationally at 238.9 yards per game. U-M eclipsed 3,000 yards on the ground in two of his three seasons to go along with 39 touchdowns in 2021 (No. 1 in the NCAA) and 41 in 2022 (No. 2 in the NCAA).
Hart has coached two Wolverines to first-team All-Big Ten honors: Corum (2022) and Hassan Haskins (2021). Both backs rushed for at least 1,200 yards and scored at least 18 touchdowns. Haskins scored a Michigan record 20 rushing touchdowns and totaled 169 yards and five touchdowns in the 2021 win over Ohio State, becoming the first-ever player to score five times on the Buckeyes.
In his 10 seasons coaching before Michigan, Hart mentored four 1,000-yard rushers and the 2014 MAC Offensive Player of the Year, Jarvion Franklin.
Before returning to Ann Arbor, Hart spent four years coaching running backs at Indiana (2017-20). As a member of the Hoosiers coaching staff, Hart was a 2018 Broyles Award nominee. He was elevated to Associate Head Coach in 2020 after serving as an Assistant Coach during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Under Hart's coaching, Stevie Scott set Indiana's true freshman rushing record with 1,137 yards on 228 attempts and 10 rushing touchdowns in 2018. He had six 100-yard rushing games as a freshman and became the 19th Hoosier to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark. In 2020, Scott became the 14th Hoosier running back to surpass 2,000 career yards and is currently fourth in IU history with 30 rushing TDs.
Hart returned to his home state as the running backs coach at Syracuse University for the 2016 season before his time at Indiana.
He spent two seasons in Kalamazoo (2014-15), helping Western Michigan earn consecutive bowl bids for the first time in school history in the 2015 Bahamas Bowl and 2014 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Hart coached a pair of Broncos' running backs to MAC Freshman of the Year honors after 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Jamauri Bogan rushed for 1,051 yards and was second in the league with 16 TDs in 2015. Jarvion Franklin gained 1,551 yards, the second-highest total by a freshman, and set WMU single-season records for points (150) and rushing TDs (24) in 2014. Franklin was also named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year and earned USA Today Freshman All-American honors.
Hart began his coaching career at Eastern Michigan, serving as Offensive Quality Control Coach in 2011 before being promoted to Running Backs Coach in 2012 and 2013.
Hart was a four-year starter at running back for the Wolverines (2004-07), and set the school record with 5,040 yards on 1,015 carries and 41 rushing touchdowns. He holds the Michigan record with 28 career 100-yard rushing games, and his 117.2 rushing yards per contest is at the top in school history.
He was a three-time All-Big Ten first team selection and was named the 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Hart shared the Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player Award in 2006 and received the honor again in 2007.
After graduating from Michigan, Hart was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played three seasons for the Colts, carrying the ball 71 times for 264 yards and two TDs in 21 career games. He was a member of the Colts' Super Bowl XLIV team that was a runner-up to the New Orleans Saints in 2010.
A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Hart attended Onondaga Central High School. He set the national high school career record with 204 rushing touchdowns and finished second with 11,045 rushing yards. Onondaga Central compiled a 46-1 record and won three state championships during Hart's career.
Hart and his wife, Monique, have three children.
Coaching Career
2026-Present: Boston College (Running Backs)
2025: Eastern Michigan (Offensive Analyst)
2022-23: Michigan (Interim Head Coach/Running Backs/Run-Game Coordinator)
2021: Michigan (Running Backs)
2020: Indiana (Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs)
2017-19: Indiana (Running Backs)
2016: Syracuse (Running Backs)
2014-15: Western Michigan (Running Backs)
2012-13: Eastern Michigan (Running Backs)
2011: Eastern Michigan (Offensive Quality Control)
Hart brings 14 years of college coaching experience at Western Michigan, Syracuse, Indiana, Michigan, and Eastern Michigan with him to The Heights. He served as Michigan's Interim Head Coach for one game in 2023, a 35-7 win over UNLV, on the way to the Wolverines winning a national championship. Michigan's all-time leading rusher, Hart was a two-time Doak Walker Award finalist and finished fifth in the 2006 Heisman Trophy voting.
As an Offensive Analyst in 2025, Hart was critical in running back Dontae McMillan rushing for over 1,000 yards and four others posting 100-yard games last season. The Eagles finished first in the MAC in fourth down offense at 61.1 percent. In addition, Eastern Michigan's red zone offense closed at 94.6 percent, ranking second nationally and first in the MAC.
Hart returned to Ann Arbor in 2021 as Running Backs Coach and was elevated to Run-Game Coordinator in 2022 before serving as Interim Head Coach for one game in 2023.
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 over four years. Corum led the offense with 1,245 rushing yards and a school record 27 rushing touchdowns in 2023, earning unanimous All-American honors and a second straight Big Ten Running Back of the Year Award.
In 2022, Hart guided the Wolverine rushing attack to a top-15 national rank and the No. 1 rank in the Big Ten, including finishing the season ranked No. 5 nationally at 238.9 yards per game. U-M eclipsed 3,000 yards on the ground in two of his three seasons to go along with 39 touchdowns in 2021 (No. 1 in the NCAA) and 41 in 2022 (No. 2 in the NCAA).
Hart has coached two Wolverines to first-team All-Big Ten honors: Corum (2022) and Hassan Haskins (2021). Both backs rushed for at least 1,200 yards and scored at least 18 touchdowns. Haskins scored a Michigan record 20 rushing touchdowns and totaled 169 yards and five touchdowns in the 2021 win over Ohio State, becoming the first-ever player to score five times on the Buckeyes.
In his 10 seasons coaching before Michigan, Hart mentored four 1,000-yard rushers and the 2014 MAC Offensive Player of the Year, Jarvion Franklin.
Before returning to Ann Arbor, Hart spent four years coaching running backs at Indiana (2017-20). As a member of the Hoosiers coaching staff, Hart was a 2018 Broyles Award nominee. He was elevated to Associate Head Coach in 2020 after serving as an Assistant Coach during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Under Hart's coaching, Stevie Scott set Indiana's true freshman rushing record with 1,137 yards on 228 attempts and 10 rushing touchdowns in 2018. He had six 100-yard rushing games as a freshman and became the 19th Hoosier to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark. In 2020, Scott became the 14th Hoosier running back to surpass 2,000 career yards and is currently fourth in IU history with 30 rushing TDs.
Hart returned to his home state as the running backs coach at Syracuse University for the 2016 season before his time at Indiana.
He spent two seasons in Kalamazoo (2014-15), helping Western Michigan earn consecutive bowl bids for the first time in school history in the 2015 Bahamas Bowl and 2014 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Hart coached a pair of Broncos' running backs to MAC Freshman of the Year honors after 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Jamauri Bogan rushed for 1,051 yards and was second in the league with 16 TDs in 2015. Jarvion Franklin gained 1,551 yards, the second-highest total by a freshman, and set WMU single-season records for points (150) and rushing TDs (24) in 2014. Franklin was also named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year and earned USA Today Freshman All-American honors.
Hart began his coaching career at Eastern Michigan, serving as Offensive Quality Control Coach in 2011 before being promoted to Running Backs Coach in 2012 and 2013.
Hart was a four-year starter at running back for the Wolverines (2004-07), and set the school record with 5,040 yards on 1,015 carries and 41 rushing touchdowns. He holds the Michigan record with 28 career 100-yard rushing games, and his 117.2 rushing yards per contest is at the top in school history.
He was a three-time All-Big Ten first team selection and was named the 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Hart shared the Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player Award in 2006 and received the honor again in 2007.
After graduating from Michigan, Hart was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played three seasons for the Colts, carrying the ball 71 times for 264 yards and two TDs in 21 career games. He was a member of the Colts' Super Bowl XLIV team that was a runner-up to the New Orleans Saints in 2010.
A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Hart attended Onondaga Central High School. He set the national high school career record with 204 rushing touchdowns and finished second with 11,045 rushing yards. Onondaga Central compiled a 46-1 record and won three state championships during Hart's career.
Hart and his wife, Monique, have three children.
Coaching Career
2026-Present: Boston College (Running Backs)
2025: Eastern Michigan (Offensive Analyst)
2022-23: Michigan (Interim Head Coach/Running Backs/Run-Game Coordinator)
2021: Michigan (Running Backs)
2020: Indiana (Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs)
2017-19: Indiana (Running Backs)
2016: Syracuse (Running Backs)
2014-15: Western Michigan (Running Backs)
2012-13: Eastern Michigan (Running Backs)
2011: Eastern Michigan (Offensive Quality Control)
BC Football Camp Report | Episode 6
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Thursday, August 21
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