Mike Hart to Indiana

[Frozen]

find a hot florida HS coach an hope that helps with recruiting down there

Rocco Casullo.

 

[orangenirvana]

I think this is great news. I'm seriously ecstatic about it. I've never publicly said it but I wasn't enamored with Mike as a RB coach or as a recruiter. I recently alluded to it in another post that RB coach is the one position we should go out and get a dynamic recruiter; a Stan Drayton type.

Mike didn't strike me as a strong recruiter and there's always the elephant in the room about him shunning his hometown team for Michigan. That's a tuff sell in imho.

The RB's were less than spectacular and our best one is transferring.

This is a huge opportunity to really go out and get an ace recruiter who can coach RBs.

Agreed. Always seemed like an odd hire to me.

"Yeah, I grew up near Syracuse. Went to Michigan instead of SU. But don't make the same mistake I did - come to Syracuse!"

 

[Moontan]

I bet that he just wasn't a cultist. Probably gave it a good go. He didn't quite fit in or buy into the system but was probably willing to give it another year... then a spot opened up with staff members that he knows and trusts.

I neither blame him nor hold it against him. Best of luck to him. Hopefully Dino will find a coach that fits in better with the staff.

 

[CIL]

Gary Barnaba.

 

[tipphill]

Yeah good luck to him this seems strange at first glance. Did he not pick up the system as fast as Babers wanted, did his personality not fit in with the rest of the coaches? Just odd seems he was set up for success he's from the area, with an innovative head coach, ACC football is a great conference. Good luck to him though. Now excited to see who replaces him.

maybe he wanted the big 10, a stepping stone to get to michigan?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[UD1954]

I remember when Babers was putting his staff together he had a inside receiver coach (Sowers?) who he wanted to come with him but he chose to stay at BGSU.....he resigned mid season.....just saying

 

[RICuse44]

I wondered if this had something to do with it. I liked having an East Coast guy on the staff from a recruiting perspective. But we really need more production out of the running game and maybe a new coach is the answer.

If you look at things though Hart really has not been an East Coaster since high school. UM then pros then directional Michigan coaching.

 

[Orangejet]

No big loss with Hart leaving for he left CNY once before and now again. I wish him good luck at IU and Dino will bring in the person he wants soon.

 

[All4SU]

But the timing doesn't exactly suggest that it's Babers' decision either. If Dino wanted him gone, why not let him go earlier? Identify someone at the coaches' conference and give Hart a chance to interview there too.

You wait until after the February LOI Day. Not saying Babers urged Hart to go. But IMHO it would make sense to wait until now rather than doing it earlier as you suggest.

 

[CuseLegacy]

You wait until after the February LOI Day. Not saying Babers urged Hart to go. But IMHO it would make sense to wait until now rather than doing it earlier as you suggest.

And aren't the coaches contract reviews usually about this time?

 

[ssbriefcase]

Agreed. Always seemed like an odd hire to me.

"Yeah, I grew up near Syracuse. Went to Michigan instead of SU. But don't make the same mistake I did - come to Syracuse!"

Well obviously he knew better than the SU coaches back then, that wanted him as a db instead of rb.

 

[Finwad32]

If this was something that the staff had agreed upon and discussed, common courtesy would be to hang onto MH until he had a new home.

They may very well have already interviewed/decided upon other options.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Gary Barnaba.

Aka bubbles

 

[PhatOrange]

I remember when Babers was putting his staff together he had a inside receiver coach (Sowers?) who he wanted to come with him but he chose to stay at BGSU...he resigned mid season...just saying

Sowers resigned mid season? Any idea why?

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

Makes me wonder what effect, if any, this will have on SSIII.

 

[Toga]

Blame Hart leaving on Laray Smith! Laray eventually transferred from IU to Delaware State. If Smith had originally gone to SU instead of Indiana, Hart might still be here. Smith according to many (got a few inside sources) was the reason that Wilson, Indiana's head coach lost his job. Alleged player mistreatment leading to his "resignation". Since than Wilson hired by Ohio State as OC where Urban doesn't mind mistreating his "employees" if it produces the desired results. . New IU coach Allen hired former Michigan OC DeBord who in turn hired Sheridan as QB coach and now joining the growing Michigan gang is Mike Hart. There you go! Karma is a bitch.

 

[two3zone]

Hart did play for the Colts for a short time, no clue about his personal life but maybe his wife (if he's married) or has a house out there?

 

[SUforme]

I'm pretty sure Sowers is with Texas as WR coach.

 

[Ish88888]

At the recruiting briefing, Hart spent much of the cocktail hour on his own. The other coaches were all close to each other, the defensive guys together and the offensive guys together. He didn't look like he was fitting in with the other coaches. The other offensive coaches are all from the 'Baylor Cult'.

Maybe Mike just wanted to be part of a staff where he was close to and had a shared background with some of the other coaches. From a career perspective, taking a pay cut and leaving the hottest scheme in college football for one of the most conservative schemes doesn't make sense but in other ways, maybe it did.

I suspect both sides didn't think it was working out great, they had a meeting after LOI Day and decided to part ways. I don't have any proof and I could be completely wrong but 2016 was the first year Dino had major problems running the ball and it didn't improve at all as the season progressed. The RBs looked really indecisive and confused and the results on the field reflected that.

I wish Mike the best at Indiana. I bet he does well there.

Totally agree, not about $$$. This is a move d/t lack of fit philosophy wise. Liked MH but didnt see him as a killer recruiter. Get a stud recruiter in here. Coaching 3-4 rbs is secondary as previously stated.

 

[Trueblue25]

We'll bring in someone even better. Tevin Coleman does hold up against Ernie Davis and co., Stevie.

 

[JLine]

This is for the best for both parties. We need to bring in a strong, well-known recruiter. If we can, with our money situation. Well, the seemingly unwillingness to pay. This could pay off in more areas than just RB. In Dino, I trust.

 

[OrangePA]

I think this is all about the lack of development from our RBs last season. They looked lost all year.

Glad Mike was able to land on his feet and I wish him the best of luck coaching with his UM friends at IU.

Interesting.

 

[OrangePA]

That doesn't make a lot of sense. The assistant coach salaries tend to fall in line with the salary of the HC.

Babers makes 2.5 million. Allen, the new IU coach, makes around 2.

I agree that the offensive style at IU (dull) is right up Hart's alley. And he gets to coach with old UM cronies.

The right fit – Tom Allen embraces IU football challenge - Indiana University - News-Sentinel.com

My IU friends tell me that the new IU OC was Hart's coach at Michigan and that another IU assistant was a Michigan teammate of Hart.

That may not explain his departure from Syracuse University but helps explain why he ended up at IU.

 

[shandeezy7]

My IU friends tell me that the new IU OC was Hart's coach at Michigan and that another IU assistant was a Michigan teammate of Hart.

That may not explain his departure from Syracuse University but helps explain why he ended up at IU.

OrangeDB made that connection earlier on in the thread. Makes sense.