Mike Hart is back in the Big Ten.
Michigan's all-time leading rusher made his official return to the conference Friday, announced as the new running backs coach at Indiana.
After racking up 5,040 yards as a Wolverine, Hart spent three seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts before beginning his coaching career, which featured stops at Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Syracuse.
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"We are very excited to welcome Mike Hart to our staff," Indiana head coach Tom Allen said in the announcement. "He was a tremendous player in the Big Ten, played with the Colts and has an impressive reputation in this part of the country. I love the way he's developed running backs and the level he has recruited as a coach. We are thrilled to have him as a part of our family."
"I'm excited to be back in the state of Indiana," Hart said in the announcement. "I jumped at the opportunity to work with Tom Allen. I believe I will become a better coach and a better man on his staff. Joining Mike DeBord, my offensive coordinator in college, and Nick Sheridan, my former teammate, made this decision a no-brainer."
As Hart mentioned, Allen's staff is starting to look very Michigan-y indeed. Offensive coordinator DeBord spent a total of 11 seasons as a Michigan assistant, four of those coming during Hart's playing career. Sheridan, the Hoosiers' quarterbacks coach, played at Michigan, too.
Hart has had success as a running backs coach at the college level. He coached a pair of 1,000-yard rushers during his tenure at Western Michigan.