A former Tennessee football running back is joining the high school head coaching ranks. This week, former Vols back Montario Hardesty was named the head coach at James Lawson High School in Nashville. He previously served as the offensive coordinator at Centennial High School.
Hardesty played at Tennessee from 2005-09. This meant he started his career playing for Phillip Fulmer before rounding it out with a season under Lane Kiffin. Hardesty got his share of touches in the first four seasons of his career before blossoming into a star in his final year.
During the 2009 season, he ran for 1,345 yards and 13 touchdowns on 282 attempts. The yardage ranks fifth in a season in program history, and the touchdowns are eighth. He also racked up 25 receptions for 302 yards and a score. This resulted in a spot on the All-SEC Second-Team and a 2009 Shrine Bowl Offensive MVP honor.
James Lawson announces former #Vols running back and Centennial OC Montario Hatdesty. pic.twitter.com/0zrJOGNjDL
— Tyler Palmateer (@Tpalmateer83) April 22, 2026
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After his college career, Hardesty was selected 59th overall in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. However, in the preseason of his rookie year, he suffered a torn ACL, which held him out for the season.
The following year, Hardesty played in 10 games while rushing for 266 yards on 18 carries and catching 14 passes for 122 yards. The next year, he recorded 65 carries for 271 yards and a touchdown. In August of 2013, he was placed on injured reserve, effectively ending his season and playing career.
After his playing days, he turned to coaching. From 2015-16, he was the special teams coordinator and running backs coach at Norfolk State. In 2017, he served as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at FAU, joining Kiffin.
In 2018, Hardesty returned to Knoxville under Jeremy Pruitt as a quality control coach for Tennessee. It was just a one-year tenure, though, as he moved on to coach wide receivers at Charlotte from 2019-20. From 2021-23, he was the running backs coach at South Carolina.
