Eastern Michigan University football is starting the new year with a boost to its coaching ranks. On Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, Head Coach Chris Creighton announced that Mike Hart has been promoted to assistant head coach and will oversee the wide receivers for the upcoming 2026 season.
Hart, a prominent figure in Michigan football history, spent the 2025 season as an offensive analyst for the Eagles. His promotion marks a significant step for the program as it looks to build on the momentum of a highly efficient offensive performance last year.
Praise for a 'winner'
Coach Creighton did not hold back in his praise for Hart, citing the immediate impact he made upon his return to Ypsilanti. "Coach Hart is a winner," Creighton said in a news release.
Hart expressed equal enthusiasm for the role and the community. "EMU football and the Ypsilanti community have always held a special place in my heart," Hart said in the release. "Coach Creighton is one of the best leaders of men I have ever been around."
Resume of success
Hart brings 14 years of college coaching experience to the Eagles' full-time staff. His career has come full circle: he began his coaching journey at EMU in 2011 as an offensive quality control assistant, then served as the team's running backs coach in 2012 and 2013.
Since his first stint at EMU, Hart has built an elite coaching profile:
- Michigan (2021-2023): As the running backs coach and run-game coordinator, he helped lead the Wolverines to three straight Big Ten titles and the 2023 National Championship.
- Interim leadership: Hart served as Michigan's interim head coach for one game in 2023, leading the team to a 35-7 victory over UNLV.
- Player development: He has a proven track record of tutoring 1,000-yard rushers, including NFL draft pick Blake Corum, who became Michigan’s first back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher since Denard Robinson under Hart’s guidance.
- Stints across the region: Hart has also coached at Western Michigan University, Syracuse University and Indiana University, where he was a 2018 Broyles Award nominee.
Impact on the field
In his role as an offensive analyst in 2025, Hart’s influence was felt. Despite injuries to the offensive line, the Eagles’ offense remained one of the most efficient in the Mid-American Conference.
Under Hart's guidance, running back Dontae McMillan became a 1,000-yard rusher, and the team finished first in the MAC in red zone offense at 94.6% and fourth-down conversions at 61.1%.
Playing history
Before entering coaching, Hart was a standout player at the University of Michigan, where he remains the program’s all-time leading rusher with 5,040 yards. A two-time Doak Walker Award finalist, he finished fifth in the 2006 Heisman Trophy voting.
Hart also spent three seasons in the National Football League with the Indianapolis Colts, appearing in Super Bowl XLIV in 2010.
