How Mike Hart helped make Blake Corum an elite back
Michigan senior Blake Corum came to Ann Arbor with great promise and skill, one of the top-rated running backs in the country. His work ethic and ability alone made him destined to succeed at U-M.
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But Corum needed some direction to become the Heisman Trophy candidate he’s become. He found it when Mike Hart joined the staff in 2021 as running backs coach. He became run game coordinator as well in 2022, and Corum took off the way Hassan Haskins had a year earlier.
As similar as they are, it’s not surprising the two have become extremely close.
“I would honestly do anything for coach Hart. That’s how much he means to me,” Corum said this spring. “Whether that means running through a wall or taking a bullet … coach Hart is my guy, and I’m going to go put it all on the line for him.
“He’s the best running backs coach in the nation. I believe he deserves way more recognition than he gets, because he’s more than a running backs coach. He could be an offensive coordinator, or he could be a head coach. He’s a very knowledgeable guy. I’m just blessed to have him.”
Before Hart arrived, Corum said, he was still trying to figure out the nuances of the position. He learned quickly from one of the best Michigan has ever had.
One factor in particular changed his game.
“Really it was just how to read a defense,” Corum continued. “Before he got here, I was just kind of out there using my God given talent. But he told me how to read a defense. From the defensive line to the linebackers … this blitz could be coming if the safety comes down. Small things. It’s football IQ. He’s played a tremendous role just with my presnap reads, the way I think of football now.
“Before, I was just out there being an athlete. Now, I’m a smart football player.”
Hart has always called Corum a faster version of him. He’s got great feet and can make a tackler miss in a phone booth, just like he used to.
Off the field, the two might as well be brothers.
“Personality-wise, we’re dang near identical, honestly, the way we handle our business,” Corum said. “The way we treat people … really, all aspects of life, we’re kind of the same.
“Coach Hart and I we have a great relationship. I know I can count on him for anything. He has a great family, and I love being around them.”
While they might not be related by blood, they’ve become family, too, with one more year to cultivate their relationship at Michigan.
