Looking Ahead
The Future...
When most people think of the Cradle of Coaches they think of the past and while it is certainly rooted in the history of football, it is still alive and kicking. There are several coaches with ties (graduates or former coaches) to Miami currently in prominent coaching positions. To name a few:
- John Harbaugh – Baltimore Ravens Head Coach
- Sean Payton – New Orleans Saints Head Coach
- Kevin Wilson – Indiana University Head Coach
- Aaron Kromer – Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator
- Mel Tucker – Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinator
- Pat Narduzzi – Michigan State University Defensive Coordinator
From that list, Harbaugh (1980-1984), Kromer (1985-1998) and Narduzzi (1990-1992) are all graduates of Miami. Payton (1994-1995), Wilson (1990-1998) and Tucker (1999) are former Miami assistant coaches.
John Harbaugh
Earlier this year, Miami University Athletics announced that John Harbaugh would be the latest alumnus to have his statue added to the Cradle of Coaches Plaza at Yager stadium; the induction is scheduled for early 2014. After graduating from Miami in 1984, Harbaugh began his coaching career as an assistant at Western Michigan. Famously, his Baltimore Ravens faced and defeated his younger brother's San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. Career overview:
- 1984-1987: Westerrn Michigan Running Back and Wide Receiver Coach
- 1987: University of Pittsburgh: Tight Ends Coach
- 1988: Morehead State Special Teams and Secondary Coach
- 1989-1996: University of Cincinnati Special Teams Coordinator
- 1997: Indiana University Bloomington Special Teams Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach
- 1998-2007: Philadelphia Eagles Special Teams Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach
- 2008-present: Baltimore Ravens Head Coach
Pat Narduzzi
Pat Narduzzi is the son of Miami Cradle of Coaches member Bill Narduzzi. Pat served as a graduate assistant at Miami from 1990-1991 under Randy Walker. He is currently the defensive coordinator at Michigan State University. He has led the Spartans defense to a top 10 national ranking the last two years. Career Overview:
- 1990-1991: Miami University Graduate Assistant
- 1992: Miami University Wide Receiver Coach
- 1993-1997: University of Rhode Island Linebacker Coach
- 1998-1999: University of Rhode Island Defensive Coordinator
- 2000-2002: University of Northern Illinois Linebacker Coach
- 2003: Miami University Defensive Coordinator
- 2004-2006: University of Cincinnati Defensive Coordinator
- 2007-present: Michigan State University Defensive Coordinator
Aaron Kromer
Aaron Kromer is a Miami graduate (’90) and was an assistant coach at Miami until 1998. He spent the last five years with the New Orleans Saints under Sean Payton, and was interim head coach for the first six games of last season. He is currently the offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears. Career Overview:
- 1990-1991: Miami University Graduate Assistant
- 1992-1998 : Miami University Tight End Coach
- 1999-2000: Northwestern University Offensive Line Coach
- 2001-2004: Oakland Raiders Offensive Line Coach
- 2005-2007: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offensive Line Coach
- 2008-2012: New Orleans Saints Offensive Line Coach
- 2013-present: Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator