Mike Summers
	Position: Offensive Line/Running Game Coordinator

As a graduate assistant coach at the University of Kentucky in 1980-81, Mike Summers helped recruit Joker Phillips to play at UK. Three decades later, Phillips returned the favor by recruiting Summers to the UK staff as offensive line coach.

It was an easy sell, as Summers -- a Lexington native -- was happy to return to his hometown when Phillips became head coach in 2010.

The results were quickly evident last season. Despite having only one returning starter in the offensive line, the Wildcat power plant blocked for an offense that averaged 6.1 yards per play, the second-best mark in school history. The 406 total points rank third all-time in UK annals.

Summers has the benefit of four returning starters in 2011. He also takes on additional responsibilities guiding the rushing attack as running game coordinator.

Summers has been involved with dynamic offenses throughout his career. He returned to Lexington from the University of Arkansas, where he was the assistant head coach and O-Line coach in 2008-09. Arkansas led the SEC in scoring offense in `09 and was champion of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. One of his protégés, center Jonathan Luigs, was an All-SEC selection, a finalist for the 2008 Rimington Trophy and played for the Cincinnati Bengals. Guard Mitch Petrus was a first-team All-SEC honoree in `09 and is currently a member of the New York Giants.

Summers got NFL experience with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 and was the offensive line coach at the University of Louisville from 2003-06. In his last year at Louisville, three of his linemen (Renardo Foster, Kurt Quarterman and George Bussey) earned first-team All-Big East Conference honors and center Eric Wood was a second-team pick. Summers' line fronted a unit that ranked second in the nation in total offense (475.3 yards per game), seventh in passing (290 per game) and 12th in rushing (185.3).

Two more of Summers' linemen, Jason Spitz and Travis Leffew, earned identical honors with first-team All-Big East in 2005, first-team All-Conference USA in 2004 and second-team All-Conference USA in 2003.

Foster, Spitz and Wood have played in the NFL while Quarterman, Bussey and Leffew either made active rosters or in-season developmental squads. Wood was a first-round draft pick and now starts for the Buffalo Bills.

Summers' 2004 line helped Louisville set a school record with 3,005 rushing yards and 47 touchdowns while allowing only 20 sacks and leading the nation in total offense and scoring offense. Louisville also set school records with 6,468 total offensive yards and 597 points scored. In Summers' first season, the Cardinals reduced sacks allowed from 46 to 13 and set a then-school rushing record while ranking seventh in the nation in total offense and 10th in rushing.

During Summers' time at Louisville, the Cardinals won a Conference USA championship and a Big East title while playing in the Orange Bowl, Gator Bowl, Liberty Bowl and GMAC Bowl.

Before Louisville, Summers spent two seasons at Ohio (2001-02), where his offense ranked No. 8 in the nation in rushing offense in 2002 (239.8) and No. 6 in 2001 (240.1).

In 2000, Summers was the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Oklahoma State. From 1996-99, he was assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of the South (Sewanee), where his offense ranked as high as fifth in the nation in rushing and second in the conference in total offense during his four seasons.

Summers was at Oregon State from 1991-95, where he was assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. He also was OSU's recruiting coordinator in his first season. The Beavers led the Pacific-10 Conference in rushing four straight years and he was named the league's top "Offensive Backfield Coach" in 1993. While at Northern Illinois from 1985-90, he coordinated an offense that established 51 school records and seven NCAA records.

Summers began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kentucky (1980-81) and Texas A&M (1982-84). The Lexington native is a graduate of Tates Creek High School and Georgetown College, where he played as a defensive back.

Summers is married to the former Kathy Hall, daughter of legendary Kentucky basketball coach Joe B. Hall. They have a daughter, Amy Lawyer and son-in-law, Ben Lawyer.

Coaching Experience