INDIANAPOLIS – Orange running backs coach Mike Hart is among the 34 NCAA football coaches selected to participate in the 2017 NCAA and NFL Coaches Academy from Feb. 9-12 in Tampa, Fla.
Hart was one of 25 coaches selected by a committee composed of coaches and administrators from member schools. The NFL selected nine additional participants through its own internal process.
Developed in 2011 as a collaborative effort between NCAA leadership development and NFL Player Engagement, the NCAA and NFL Coaches Academy aims to boost diversity in the college game. The invitees from NCAA schools are coaches who have fewer than eight years of college coaching experience. The college coaches will learn and network with NCAA athletics administrators, NCAA national office staff, current and former NFL players, NFL directors of player personnel and NFL Player Engagement staff.
At the academy, coaches are trained in a variety of areas that encourage effective coaching and improve student-athlete well-being at both the college and professional levels. Topical education and conversation during the academy can include effective communication with campus and community constituents; the importance of building a culture focused on the overall success of athletes, both on and off the field; budget management of a football program; and coaching strategies and philosophies. In addition, the group will have the opportunity to network with other participants, NCAA and NFL staff, and other key resources in the sport.
A Syracuse, N.Y. native and the University of Michigan’s all-time leading rusher, Hart completed his first season on the Orange staff in 2016. Prior to returning to Central New York, Hart spent three seasons at Eastern Michigan (2011-13), including two as the team’s running backs coach. He also served as the running backs coach at Western Michigan in 2014 and 2015.
During his five-year stint in the Mid-American Conference, Hart mentored three 1,000-yard rushers, two MAC Freshman of the Year award winners and 2014 MAC Offensive Player of the Year Jarvion Franklin.
The academy is one of three programs NCAA leadership development tailors to specific points in a football coach’s career. The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA)/NCAA 30 Under 30 Leadership Institute is a professional development and networking opportunity offered in January at the AFCA Convention to select individuals who have shown a passion for the college football coaching profession. In June, the NCAA Champion Forum will kick off a unique, year-long professional development opportunity for current coordinators and assistant and associate coaches to help them grasp a realistic view of a head football coach’s role and the preparation required to build a successful program.
This is the second year in a row a Syracuse assistant has been invited to take part in one of the NCAA’s coaching leadership development programs. In 2016, Orange co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Sean Lewis participated in the inaugural AFCA/NCAA 30 Under 30 Leadership Institute.