Mark Stoops is adding a former star Kentucky football quarterback to his coaching staff
Mark Stoops is adding a familiar face to his 2025 Kentucky football coaching staff.
Former UK quarterback Mike Hartline has joined the staff as an offensive quality control coach, the school announced Thursday.
“When I first got into coaching it was always in the back of my mind how thrilled I would be to return to Kentucky, and if the timing was right I wouldn’t hesitate to come back,” Hartline said in a news release. “My coaches made an incredible impact on me and I hope to return the favor.
“I’ve stayed in touch with Coach Stoops over the years and admire the coaching staffs and teams he has put together to take the program to where it is today.”
Hartline played for Rich Brooks and Joker Phillips at UK from 2006 to 2010. He first won the starting quarterback job as a third-year sophomore in 2008 but was benched in favor of Randall Cobb late in the season.
His 2009 season was ended early by a knee injury, but he rallied to post one of the best statistical seasons from a UK quarterback in program history as a senior in 2010. He completed 66.2% of his passes for 3,178 yards and 23 touchdowns that season. Only four UK quarterbacks have ever thrown for more yards in a single season.
Hartline is the only UK quarterback to start three consecutive wins against Louisville. No UK quarterback has thrown for 3,000 yards in a season since Hartline’s departure.
Hartline signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent after leaving UK but never appeared in an NFL game. He started his coaching career as an intern at Ohio State in 2015.
The two-year stint at Ohio State was followed by stops at Cincinnati (quality control), Division II Ohio Dominican (offensive coordinator), Auburn (offensive analyst), Charlotte (wide receivers coach) and Coastal Carolina (offensive analyst).
At Kentucky, Hartline, whose older brother Brian is reportedly being promoted to offensive coordinator at Ohio State, will serve in a support role for offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan. The NCAA changed its rules last year to allow quality control coaches and analysts outside the traditional 11 full-time assistants to provide on-field instruction during practices and games.
UK employed six additional assistants in quality control or analyst roles last season.
“We are excited for Mike Hartline to return to Kentucky,” Stoops said in the release. “It was the right time and opportunity to bring him back and I know he will be an asset to our coaching staff.”
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 4:43 PM.