Michigan assistant Mike Hart is ‘stable’ after sideline collapse
BLOOMINGTON, IND. — Michigan pulled away from Indiana for a 31-10 win, but that wasn’t the main concern following the game. U-M running backs coach Mike Hart fell backwards and collapsed on the sideline in the first quarter, and there were reports of a seizure.
RELATED: Michigan pulls away from Indiana for 31-10 win
“Coach Mike Hart has left Memorial Stadium in an ambulance for further evaluation with his wife by his side and he was alert on the stretcher, giving the thumbs up,” sideline reporter Jenny Taft said during the broadcast.
The players were visibly shaken during the event, many of them on a knee and several surrounding him holding up towels while medical personnel tended to him.
Hart let the team know at halftime, through Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, he was OK and told them to finish strong.
“Mike had a medical emergency during the game. He’s in stable condition,” Harbaugh said in the postgame in updating his coach’s condition. “He’s going to stay overnight here in Bloomington for continued observation.
“Mike’s a strong guy. Just prayers go his way. It really can put things in perspective.”
The game was stopped for several minutes while Hart was taken off the field, but he was coherent.
“In the moment, everybody’s thoughts are with Mike,” Harbaugh said. “Mine were — everybody around us was to just get him the care he needed. I thought he was able to, before they took him off … he looked like he was back. The most important thing is his health at that point in time.”
Sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who threw for 300 yards in the win, helped rally the guys after the incident.
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“It’s definitely one of those events in life when you sit back and you’re just in shock and like, ‘What just happened?’” the Michigan QB said. “Especially on the football field, and especially on Coach Hart. That’s somebody that was waiting for this game, had it marked on his schedule.
“All prayers go up to him. He’s one heck of a coach; I have so much respect for him. I’m just happy to hear that he’s OK. But it definitely caught us off guard, for sure.”
Hart, of course, coached at Indiana under head coach Tom Allen for several years. He spoke earlier in the week about how much the game meant to him, as well as his time at IU.
It was “spooky,” grad student receiver Ronnie Bell said.
“It really just puts things in perspective, and you can’t take anything for granted,” the Michigan captain said. “Anything can happen. I just think the moment was spooky more than anything.”
But McCarthy was encouraged when told the coach was “doing well.”
“We gave him the game ball, and Blake [Corum] is going to get it to him as soon as possible,” McCarthy said.
