After building an extensive resume as a collegiate assistant, former Tennessee RB now gets a chance to fulfill one of his most ambitious goals. Although the standout RB Montario Hardesty, who spent five seasons with the Vols and four seasons with the Browns, has no head coaching experience, a Nashville high school is betting that his long journey through the coaching ranks is exactly what their program needs.

On Wednesday, Hardesty was announced as the head coach of James Lawson High School and was introduced to the school community. He takes over the program from Brian Lilly, becoming the second head coach in the school’s history. After getting this opportunity, Hardesty was nothing but thankful.

“I am truly thankful for this opportunity to lead young men as they develop into winners on and off the field,” said Hardesty. “Thank you to (Principal Stephen) Sheaffer (and athletic director) Pete Froedden for entrusting me with this leadership role. We want to be a beacon of light for our community. Go Lightning!”

Before taking this head coaching role, to sharpen his skills, Hardesty spent time at various collegiate stops. Starting in 2014, shortly after injuries ended his NFL career with the Browns, he joined Chowan, a Division II school in North Carolina, as a coaching intern. Following that first internship, he took his first full-time role at Norfolk State as the RB coach and special teams coordinator.

After spending two seasons there, in 2017, he reunited with his former college coach, Lane Kiffin, at FAU as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. Then, in 2018, he returned to his alma mater, Tennessee, serving as a quality control coach under Jeremy Pruitt. Following that, he served Charlotte as the WRs coach, South Carolina as the RBs coach, and the New York Jets as a special teams assistant. Last season, he pivoted to high school coaching, first as OC at Centennial High School.

Before hanging up his cleats and moving into coaching, he made plenty of noise on the field as a player. His career on “Rocky Top” saw 2,391 rushing yards and 27 TDs. Hardesty’s senior year is considered one of the best single seasons for a Tennessee RB. His performance with the Vols led to him being selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

He finished his NFL career with a total of 23 games played and 537 rushing yards. A knee injury abruptly ended his pro career, but now the former Tennessee RB has an opportunity to instill his confidence and energy into young minds. “We have a brand-new weight room, and we’re about to have turf next year. All those things are in place,” said Hardesty after becoming head coach. “It’s a new place. I can really build my own tradition and do it my own way. I want to give these kids a great program and a great foundation.”

However, his head coaching style could be influenced by LSU’s new head coach, as he played his final collegiate season under him and really loves him as a coach.

Who is the former Tennessee RB’s ‘favorite’ coach?

In his senior season with the Vols, Montario Hardesty led the SEC with 282 carries, which at the time was the second-most in a single season in Tennessee history. He cemented his legacy in his final two regular-season games, rushing for 171 yards against Vanderbilt and 179 yards against Kentucky in an overtime win. For Hardesty, it was a remarkable breakout season under Lane Kiffin, recording 1,345 rushing yards and 14 TDs.

“Coach Kiffin is one of my favorite coaches. Just because, as a player, he kind of helped my career excel. But then also as a coach, he gave me one of my first opportunities,” said Hardesty.

Hardesty has credited Kiffin for the “opportunity to come to FAU,” which helped him transition from a small Division II internship into the higher ranks of CFB coaching. However, he also praised Kiffin’s coaching style.

“Just the way that he’s able to instill that confidence in his players,” stated Hardesty. “He’s a great offensive mind. But I just love the way he’s able to instill that confidence in you. And he builds great relationships in a different way than some coaches do. He’s not super rah rah, but he’s just a really good coach, as far as instilling that confidence in you and then making the whole team believe in the goal.”

Now, we will see how Hardesty’s new chapter in his coaching journey unfolds.