Michael Horan enters his 15th season as an assistant coach for Harvard football in 2023. Horan is in his 12th season at the helm of the defensive line after serving for three years as assistant defensive line coach.
In 2022, Horan coached a defensive line that helped the Crimson rank fourth in the FCS in rushing defense, ninth in first downs defense, 12th in sacks and 21st in team tackles for loss. He helped a pair of Harvard players earn All-Ivy League First-Team accolades in Truman Jones and Thor Griffith, with Jones, a Bushnell Cup winner, garnering All-America accolades from several media outlets. Nate Leskovec, meanwhile, was an Honorable Mention All-Ivy choice.
After not competing in 2020 due to the pandemic, Horan helped Harvard become the top rushing defense in the FCS in 2021, as the unit allowed just 64.6 yards per game and 2.01 yards per rush attempt. The Crimson defensive line played a key role in Harvard finishing second in sacks (3.8 per game), which included a program-record-tying 9.0 against Lafayette, second in fourth-down conversion defense (.250), fifth in team tackles for loss (8.0) and fifth in scoring defense (14.9). Horan tutored Thor Griffith to FCS Freshman All-America honors, with Chris Smith and Jacob Sykes garnering first-team All-Ivy League accolades, and Leskovec receiving second-team recognition.
Horan directed a defensive line that was a problem for opposing offenses in 2019. The Crimson ranked first in the FCS in team sacks (4.3 per game), fifth in team tackles for loss (8.6 per game) and sixth in rushing defense (89.8 yards per game), all of which led the Ivy League. Horan tutored first-team all-Ivy League performer Brogan McPartland, who totaled an Ivy-best 9.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in just seven games, and Honorable Mention all-Ivy League selection Nasir Darnell, who led the Crimson with three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Harvard capped the 2018 campaign by defeating Yale, 45-27, in the highest scoring episode of The Game. The Crimson earned 13 All-Ivy selections, including five on the first team, and finished 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the Ivy League. Stone Hart was a finalist for the Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year.
For the second year in a row, two defensive linemen earned All-Ivy recognition, as Hart and Richie Ryan were both honored by the conference. The Crimson finished third in the league with 26 sacks and was also third in run defense.
Two members of the defensive line - DJ Bailey and Langston Ward - earned All-Ivy League recognition in 2016, as Harvard finished 7-3 overall. The Crimson defense ranked No. 7 in the country in rushing defense and 15th overall in points allowed per game.Â
The defensive line helped the Crimson to its 17th Ivy title in 2015 by allowing just 13.0 points per game. Defensive end James Duberg was named to the All-Ivy second team after registering 16 tackles and four quarterback hurries.
In 2014, the Crimson posted the program's 17th undefeated, untied record, going 10-0 overall and winning the team's 16th Ivy title. The defensive line was at the center of the championship run, helping the Crimson rank first in the nation in scoring defense (12.3 points allowed per game) and fourth in rushing defense (86.8 yards allowed per game). Zack Hodges was named the co-recipient of the Asa S. Bushnell Cup, as Ivy Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and was one of three defensive linemen to be named to the All-Ivy team.
Horan's defensive line helped Harvard claim its 15th Ivy League title in 2013. The squad made up the nation's sixth-best rushing defense (97.3 yards allowed per game), while the Crimson's scoring defense came in at 25th allowing just 22.7 points per game. Harvard recovered 13 fumbles to tie for 15th nationally and lead the Ancient Eight, while Zach Hodges ’15 was the recipient of the Asa S. Bushnell Cup.
In Horan’s first season heading up the defensive line, the 2012 group helped Harvard lead the nation in rushing defense (69.4 yards allowed per game) and sacks (4.2 per game). Defensive ends Hodges and John Lyon ’13 ranked among the nation’s top 20 in sacks per game, and three linemen earned All-Ivy honors.
In 2011, defensive tackle Josue Ortiz ’12 was named the Ivy League’s Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-America selection. Harvard’s defense led the Ivies in scoring defense, rushing defense and sacks and ranked among the nation’s top 15 teams in each of those categories.
Since graduating from Bates College in 2005, Horan has coached at four colleges and one high school. He began his coaching career at Stoughton High School, where he worked as an assistant coach under his former head coach, Greg Burke. After one season at Stoughton, Horan moved on to become the tight ends coach at Curry College. During his time at Curry, the Colonels went undefeated in the regular season, captured the New England Football Conference championship and qualified for the Division III playoffs.Â
In 2007, Horan was named linebackers coach at The United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, and in 2008, he moved to Wagner, where he coached the defensive backs.
At Bates, Horan was a senior captain and a two-time All-New England Small College Athletic Conference selection at safety as well as an All-ECAC pick in 2004.
Horan resides in Marlborough, Massachusetts, with his wife, Susie, and sons, Thomas and George.
