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Northwestern DC Mike Hankwitz reflects on start to legendary coaching career: ‘I just got hooked’
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Northwestern defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz will be coaching his last game on Friday against Auburn in the Citrus Bowl but he isn’t thinking about that currently.
In a Facebook Live interview, he reflected on how he got his start in coaching and how he became hooked to the gig. According to Hankwitz, it all started because of a simple conversation with legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler who he played for in college:
“I wasn’t sure I was going to coach, but coach Schembechler came in, he met with each player to try and get to know you. And he asked me ‘Well, what are you going to do?’ And I said ‘Not sure,'” said Hankwitz. “And he says ‘Have you ever thought about being a graduate assistant?’ It’s like learning football from the ground up and you get to coach a JV team.
“I thought man, that sounds like fun! From the minute I started, I was hooked…I just got hooked.”
Hankwitz will be seeking his 400th career win as an assistant when the Wildcats take on Auburn. He’s been at Northwestern since 2008 and on Pat Fitzgerald’s staff for 13 years. This was also his 51st year of coaching at the collegiate level.
We’ll have to see if the Wildcats can send him off with a bang against Auburn. The kickoff for the Citrus Bowl is at 1 p.m. ET.