Bartrum Handed Reins of Rio Grande Program

(Story provided by Rio Grande Sports Information)

RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Former Marshall University standout and 13-year National Football League veteran Mike Bartrum has been named the new head football coach at the University of Rio Grande.

School officials made the announcement late Friday afternoon.

A native of nearby Meigs, Ohio, Bartrum was a tight end at Marshall from 1988-1992 and a member of the Thundering Herd's NCAA Division I-AA championship team in 1992. He was a second-team All-American selection as a senior.

Bartrum followed his collegiate career with 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as a tight end/long snapper with the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles.

Bartrum appeared in two Super Bowls and also earned an All-Pro selection in 2005. He caught 11 passes in his career, six of which went for touchdowns.

"It's such a blessing. I feel humbled and honored to have the opportunity to come back close to home and be a part of this," Bartrum said. "(Rio Grande) President (Ryan) Smith and I actually talked a few years ago when I was a County Commissioner in Meigs County, and he was a State Representative about how great it would be to start a program at Rio. Now, to be a part of it is pretty exciting."

Bartrum, who was named to the Marshall University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007, spent seven seasons as the head coach at Meigs High School before spending two seasons as an assistant tight ends coach with the Philadelphia Eagles.

In February 2021, Bartrum was hired at Marshall University as a senior analyst and special assistant to the head coach.

As for job one as the leader of the RedStorm program?

"We have to surround ourselves with people who are going to hold each other accountable - both the players and the coaching staff - and you do that through your culture," he said. "Our vision and mission statement is all-inclusive. You need to be living for, breathing for and playing for something bigger than yourself. When you realize that - the servant leadership is what we believe in. That's what we want to instill on day one."

Rio Grande athletic director Jeff Lanham said that vision is what made Bartrum an attractive candidate for the position.

"Coach Bartrum brings a clear vision for developing young men, not just as athletes, but developing our student-athletes as people," said Lanham. "His hiring goes beyond football. Coach understands the importance of being visible and engaged across campus, and we're excited about the positive energy he'll bring to our students, faculty, staff, and alumni."

Bartrum replaces Mark Thurston, who was relieved of his duties as the program's head coach last week.

Rio Grande, in its first season back on the gridiron since 1950, finished 0-9 under Thurston, who was elevated to the head coaching position in November 2024 when the school parted ways with its original head coaching hire, Quincy Wilson.

"After careful consideration of the program, we decided to move in a different direction," Lanham said. "We appreciate coach Thurston's efforts and his dedication to our student-athletes. We wish him the best in his future endeavors."

Bartrum, who credits his friend and former MU teammate, the late Phil Ratliff, with getting him into the coaching profession, said he hopes to finalize a staff in the coming days and hasn't ruled out retaining current staff members.

His first face-to-face with returning players will come when students return to campus in early January.

The timing of Bartrum's hiring could make the task of stabilizing the team's roster - and adding to it through recruiting - a difficult task, but he's approaching the situation with an open mind.

"You just have to dig in and make sure that, whoever is there, is committed," he said. "We've got to hit the ground running, that's for sure. You have to have guys who embrace what you want to do ,and you can usually tell early on who will and who won't. We'll find out a lot when we meet with them in person."

Bartrum, whose daughter, Taylor, is a member of the Rio Grande women's volleyball program, also admitted that his NFL ties could be a big asset when it comes to trying to push the program forward - both in terms of personnel and toward the drive to getting an on-campus playing facility.

"When you have guys at both the college and NFL level who've done so many great things in their life - who cares about football and Super Bowls, but because they're great people - it's infectious," he said. "If there's any way I can get a (Kansas City Chiefs head) coach (Andy) Reid or a (Baltimore Ravens head) coach (John) Harbaugh or whomever in here for a camp or a speaking engagement or a leadership conference, we'll do it. We want do things in the community and that includes getting our players out there. It's all about 'us' and serving our area."