Montario Hardesty is in his third season as an assistant coach at Norfolk State. He coaches the running backs and also serves as special teams coordinator.
Hardesty came to NSU from Chowan University in Murfreesboro, N.C., where he served as an intern in 2014 under the NFL Players Association internship program. Prior to Chowan, Hardesty had a successful career at the University of Tennessee that culminated in his selection by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Hardesty played at Tennessee from 2005-09. He rushed for 2,391 yards in his career, including 1,345 in All-SEC second-team campaign as a senior in 2009. Hardesty ranked fourth in the SEC and had the fourth-best season in terms of rushing yardage in school history that year, when he also scored 14 total touchdowns (13 rushing, one receiving).
Hardesty was drafted by Cleveland in 2010 and spent four seasons with the team. Injuries sidelined him for the 2010 and ’13 seasons. He played in 23 games with the Browns in 2011 and 2012, compiling 537 rushing yards, 138 receiving yards and one touchdown.
A native of New Bern, N.C., Hardesty earned his bachelor’s degree in sports management from Tennessee in 2009.
