Eastern Michigan Athletics
Mike Hart Named EMU Football Assistant Head Coach
1/5/2026 3:30:00 PM | Football
Hart will serve as Eastern’s wide receivers coach
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University Head Football Coach Chris Creighton announced the promotion of Mike Hart to the Eagles' full-time coaching staff for the 2026 season. Hart, who was an Offensive Analyst with the team in 2025, was previously on Eastern's staff from 2011-13. He will serve as EMU's assistant head coach and work directly with the wide receivers.
"Coach Hart is a winner," said Creighton. "He has the it factor. He selflessly helped us this year as an Offensive Analyst and made a positive impact. We know that he will be a major addition as Assistant Head Coach and Wide Receivers Coach."
Hart brings 14 years of college coaching experience at Western Michigan, Syracuse, Indiana, Michigan, and EMU. 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.
"I am excited to be a part of Eastern Michigan Football," Hart added. "Coach Creighton is one of the best leaders of men I have ever been around, and I look forward to learning and being a part of his program. EMU football and the Ypsilanti community have always held a special place in my heart, and I am excited to help the team reach our goals for the 2026 season."
As an offensive analyst in 2025, Hart had a significant impact on the Eastern Michigan offense, despite playing with multiple injuries to starters on the offensive line. That line kept quarterback Noah Kim upright while blocking for running back Dontae McMillan, a 1,000-yard running back, and helped four players post 100-yard games. The OL helped McMillan become the 12th different back to surpass 1,000 yards in a single season while ranking in the top 10 nationally and first in the MAC in both fewest sacks allowed (eighth at 0.92 sacks allowed per game) and fewest TFLs (ninth at 3.75 per game).
Overall, Eastern Michigan posted strong results across several areas. The group finished first in the MAC in fourth down offense at 61.1 percent. Red zone offense closed at 94.6 percent, ranking second nationally and first in the MAC. The passing offense ranked second in the league at 234.8 yards per game. Total offense ranked third in the conference at 377.3 yards per game.
Hart returned to Ann Arbor in 2021 as the running backs coach and was elevated to run-game coordinator in 2022. Additionally, in 2023, he served as interim head coach for Michigan's win over UNLV while then-head coach Jim Harbaugh was serving 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.
During the 2023 season, Michigan posted a dominant rushing attack, recording 2,536 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns across 15 games, averaging 169.1 yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry. Corum led the offense with 1,245 rushing yards and a school record 27 rushing touchdowns, earning unanimous All-American honors and a second straight Big Ten Running Back of the Year award. Michigan's ground game outperformed opposing rushing attacks, which averaged 3.0 yards per carry, and the Wolverines finished 15th nationally in total rushing yards.
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 (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, NCAA) and 41 in 2022 (No. 2).
Corum finished seventh in the 2022 Heisman Trophy voting, won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten's MVP, and was named the Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year as well as a Doak Walker Award finalist after rushing for 1,463 yards with 19 total touchdowns in 12 games. 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. Hart also oversaw Corum earning third-team all-league honors in 2021 and Donovan Edwards's promising sophomore season in 2022 (991 yards and No. 3 NCAA yards per carry).
In his 10 seasons coaching before Michigan, Hart tutored four 1,000-yard rushers, two Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year recipients, and the 2014 MAC Offensive Player of the Year, Jarvion Franklin. As a member of the Indiana coaching staff, Hart was a 2018 Broyles Award nominee and received recognition as a Top 25 recruiter by Rivals.com for his work on the 2019 signing class.
Before returning to Ann Arbor, Hart spent four years coaching running backs at Indiana University (2017-20). He was elevated to associate head coach for the Hoosiers in 2020 after serving as an assistant coach during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Hart was instrumental in the development of Indiana's running game, with the program gaining 1,888 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns in 2018. IU followed up by producing 1,695 yards and 24 TDs in 2019. The Hoosiers gained 869 yards and scored 12 TDs during the shortened 2020 campaign.
Hart developed Stevie Scott into an all-conference performer with the tailback earning second-team All-Big Ten accolades the past two seasons (2019-20) after collecting honorable mention honors as a freshman. 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 gained 561 rushing yards and scored 10 touchdowns in eight contests. He became the 14th Hoosier running back to surpass 2,000 career yards (2,543 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 accepting the running backs post 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 an offensive quality control coach in 2011 before being promoted to running backs coach in 2012 and 2013. Under Hart's tutelage, the 2013 ground game racked up 1,896 yards after gaining 1,960 yards in 2012. Bronson Hill eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in 2013 to finish 31st nationally and earn third-team All-MAC honors.
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 tops in school history. As a receiver, Hart added 67 receptions for 566 yards and scored two TDs.
A two-time Doak Walker Award finalist, Hart finished fifth in the 2006 Heisman Trophy balloting. 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 in 2009, Hart was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played three seasons for the Colts, primarily in a back-up role, carrying the ball 71 times for 264 yards and two TDs in 21 games. He was a member of the Colts' Super Bowl XLIV team and had two carries in the loss to the New Orleans Saints.
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.
"Coach Hart is a winner," said Creighton. "He has the it factor. He selflessly helped us this year as an Offensive Analyst and made a positive impact. We know that he will be a major addition as Assistant Head Coach and Wide Receivers Coach."
Hart brings 14 years of college coaching experience at Western Michigan, Syracuse, Indiana, Michigan, and EMU. 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.
"I am excited to be a part of Eastern Michigan Football," Hart added. "Coach Creighton is one of the best leaders of men I have ever been around, and I look forward to learning and being a part of his program. EMU football and the Ypsilanti community have always held a special place in my heart, and I am excited to help the team reach our goals for the 2026 season."
As an offensive analyst in 2025, Hart had a significant impact on the Eastern Michigan offense, despite playing with multiple injuries to starters on the offensive line. That line kept quarterback Noah Kim upright while blocking for running back Dontae McMillan, a 1,000-yard running back, and helped four players post 100-yard games. The OL helped McMillan become the 12th different back to surpass 1,000 yards in a single season while ranking in the top 10 nationally and first in the MAC in both fewest sacks allowed (eighth at 0.92 sacks allowed per game) and fewest TFLs (ninth at 3.75 per game).
Overall, Eastern Michigan posted strong results across several areas. The group finished first in the MAC in fourth down offense at 61.1 percent. Red zone offense closed at 94.6 percent, ranking second nationally and first in the MAC. The passing offense ranked second in the league at 234.8 yards per game. Total offense ranked third in the conference at 377.3 yards per game.
Hart returned to Ann Arbor in 2021 as the running backs coach and was elevated to run-game coordinator in 2022. Additionally, in 2023, he served as interim head coach for Michigan's win over UNLV while then-head coach Jim Harbaugh was serving 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.
During the 2023 season, Michigan posted a dominant rushing attack, recording 2,536 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns across 15 games, averaging 169.1 yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry. Corum led the offense with 1,245 rushing yards and a school record 27 rushing touchdowns, earning unanimous All-American honors and a second straight Big Ten Running Back of the Year award. Michigan's ground game outperformed opposing rushing attacks, which averaged 3.0 yards per carry, and the Wolverines finished 15th nationally in total rushing yards.
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 (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, NCAA) and 41 in 2022 (No. 2).
Corum finished seventh in the 2022 Heisman Trophy voting, won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten's MVP, and was named the Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year as well as a Doak Walker Award finalist after rushing for 1,463 yards with 19 total touchdowns in 12 games. 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. Hart also oversaw Corum earning third-team all-league honors in 2021 and Donovan Edwards's promising sophomore season in 2022 (991 yards and No. 3 NCAA yards per carry).
In his 10 seasons coaching before Michigan, Hart tutored four 1,000-yard rushers, two Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year recipients, and the 2014 MAC Offensive Player of the Year, Jarvion Franklin. As a member of the Indiana coaching staff, Hart was a 2018 Broyles Award nominee and received recognition as a Top 25 recruiter by Rivals.com for his work on the 2019 signing class.
Before returning to Ann Arbor, Hart spent four years coaching running backs at Indiana University (2017-20). He was elevated to associate head coach for the Hoosiers in 2020 after serving as an assistant coach during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Hart was instrumental in the development of Indiana's running game, with the program gaining 1,888 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns in 2018. IU followed up by producing 1,695 yards and 24 TDs in 2019. The Hoosiers gained 869 yards and scored 12 TDs during the shortened 2020 campaign.
Hart developed Stevie Scott into an all-conference performer with the tailback earning second-team All-Big Ten accolades the past two seasons (2019-20) after collecting honorable mention honors as a freshman. 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 gained 561 rushing yards and scored 10 touchdowns in eight contests. He became the 14th Hoosier running back to surpass 2,000 career yards (2,543 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 accepting the running backs post 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 an offensive quality control coach in 2011 before being promoted to running backs coach in 2012 and 2013. Under Hart's tutelage, the 2013 ground game racked up 1,896 yards after gaining 1,960 yards in 2012. Bronson Hill eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in 2013 to finish 31st nationally and earn third-team All-MAC honors.
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 tops in school history. As a receiver, Hart added 67 receptions for 566 yards and scored two TDs.
A two-time Doak Walker Award finalist, Hart finished fifth in the 2006 Heisman Trophy balloting. 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 in 2009, Hart was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played three seasons for the Colts, primarily in a back-up role, carrying the ball 71 times for 264 yards and two TDs in 21 games. He was a member of the Colts' Super Bowl XLIV team and had two carries in the loss to the New Orleans Saints.
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.
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