Defensive line coach Randy Hart announces retirement

After 46 seasons as a collegiate coach and six years at Stanford, Randy Hart, one of the most distinguished and experienced defensive line coaches in the nation, announced his retirement from coaching on Tuesday.

“I am honored and blessed to have been at so many great places with so many fantastic coaches, student-athletes and fans,” Hart said. “And for that, I’m one of the luckiest coaches ever.

“I have loved each one of my players, and have enjoyed working with every staff member throughout the years. Everyone has to make this decision at some point in time, and this was the right time for me and my family.”

Under Hart’s tutelage, Stanford led the Pac-12 in rushing defense in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 (finishing in the top 10 nationally in all four of those seasons) and leads the nation in sacks since Hart joined the coaching staff in 2010, with 249. The Cardinal finished in the national top 15 in sacks in five of Hart’s six seasons at Stanford and led the nation in 2012.

In 2015, Hart helped the defense finish 24th in the nation in sacks and 30th in rushing defense despite not returning any starters and suffering from a chronic lack of depth and helped coax the maximum potential out of All-Pac-12 first team selection Aziz Shittu and fellow starters Brennan Scarlett and Solomon Thomas.

Hart has helped develop 20 NFL Draft selections on the defensive line, including four (so far) at Stanford: Sione Fua ’11, Ben Gardner ’14, Henry Anderson ’15 and David Parry ’15. In addition to those four, Josh Mauro ’14 went undrafted but has since developed into a solid NFL rotation player.

“Randy’s career speaks for itself when you look at a national championship, Rose Bowls and all of the players he helped get to the NFL,” said head coach David Shaw. “It has been a privilege for me to watch him push young men to be their best athletically, as well as academically, and prepare them for life.”

Aside from his 21 years at Washington, Hart also made coaching stops at Tampa, Iowa State, Purdue, Ohio State, Washington and Notre Dame, spending all but three of his 46 seasons as a defensive line coach.

While he was at Washington, he helped the Huskies clinch 12 bowl appearances and was part of three consecutive Rose Bowl appearances from 1991-93, highlighted by a Coaches’ Poll national championship for Washington in 1991 — the first in school history.

In all, Hart coached 27 bowl teams throughout his coaching career, including nine teams that played in the Rose Bowl — including, most recently, the 2015 Stanford squad.

Contact Do-Hyoung Park at dhpark ‘at’ stanford.edu.