ORLANDO, Fla. — Six employees from across the Beehive State flocked to Ann Arbor.
The latest? Offensive line coach Jim Hardin is expected to assume the same position with the Michigan football team under new coach Kyle Whittingham, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
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Of all the Wolverines’ hires on Thursday, Jan. 1, this was the most logical and likely the most successful.
SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 28: Utah Utes offensive coordinator Jim Hardin speaks to his players during the Foster Farms Bowl at Levi’s Stadium on December 28, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Harding hails from Maumee High School in northwest Ohio and played at Toledo, where he was a four-year starter at tackle (1997-2000), including his senior season when he served as captain and was named a first-team all-conference selection and eventually inducted into the Rockets’ Athletic Hall of Fame.
Hardin has been Utah’s offensive line coach for the past 12 years, holding the title of assistant head coach starting in 2017. He coached 11 players to All-Pac-12 or Big 12 honors and had seven players drafted into the NFL while in Salt Lake City.
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That doesn’t include right tackle Spencer Fano, who won Utah’s first Outland Trophy this season and is projected to be a first-round pick in April’s NFL draft.
Hardin’s line has paved the way for 1,000-yard rushers in 11 of the last 12 seasons, and 2025 marks the first time in more than a decade that the Utes don’t have a 1,000-yard rusher; sophomore Wayshawn Parker finished with 981 yards.
Prior to joining Utah State, Harding coached at Missouri and Wyoming and has extensive experience at Michigan State thanks to four seasons as the head coach at Troy High School (2005-08). His wife, Meredith, is a native of Troy. Harding is also considered an elite recruiter and was named the Big 12 Recruiter of the Year by 247 Sports this season.
He’s the latest of several coaches formerly on Whittingham’s staff to join the Wolverines — on Thursday, Michigan also added offensive coordinator Jason Baker, tight ends coach Freddy Whittingham (Kyle’s brother), wide receivers coach Micah Simon and quarterbacks coach Coy Detmer Jr.
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Also Thursday, Michigan drafted defensive coordinator Jay Hill from BYU and retained Tony Alford to continue coaching the team’s running backs.
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines news writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Michigan football team adds Utah veteran coach Jim Hardin
