Staff Directory
- Title:
- Director of Player Development/NFL Liaison & Player Academic Enhancement
- Email:
Mike Pechac enters his 11th season as director of player development & player academic enhancement for the IU football program in 2024 and is in his seventh year as the program’s NFL liaison.
In his role, he acts as a liaison between the players and coaching staff while developing complete student-athletes academically and socially. Pechac serves as the primary contact between the players and the student welfare and development office, and academic services.
Pechac also serves as the immediate contact for players’ families, assists freshmen transitioning to the college student-athlete life, and coordinates community service projects such as Read Across America, the 2nd & 7 Foundation, Special Olympics, Hoosiers Outrun Cancer, Boys & Girls Club, and Camp Riley.
From 2014-2023, 258 Hoosiers have received Academic All-Big Ten honors, including a program-record 40 honorees in 2022. Of that number, 24 finished with Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors, minimum 3.70 GPA or higher, and Mark Murphy (2014) and Harry Crider (2020) claimed Academic All-America status.
A part of seven bowl teams in his career, which includes five at Indiana - 2006 Fiesta Bowl, 2012 Military Bowl, 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, 2015 New Era Pinstripe Bowl, 2016 Foster Farms Bowl, 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, and 2021 Outback Bowl.
He spent two seasons at Bowling Green State University (2012-13) as the academic coordinator. BGSU captured the 2013 Mid-American Conference championship and nine Falcons earned Academic All-MAC honors over his two seasons with the program.
He spent two seasons as a defensive quality control coach at Ohio State (2005-06) and also made a stop at Otterbein College (2010-11) to coach the defensive line.
Pechac began his coaching career as a HS coach in NE Ohio before his collegiate coaching journey started with stops at Malone (2002) and Hiram (2003) Colleges. He then coached tight ends at Columbus Brookhaven High School (2004) for one season, where CBHS captured its first state title with the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II crown. A 15-0 record helped the Bearcats become the first Columbus City League program to win a state championship.
A three-year letterwinner and All-Ohio Atheltic Conference selection as a senior at Mount Union College, Pechac helped the Purple Raiders to the first two national championships in program history in 1993 and 1996.
Pechac earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Mount Union (1998).
He and his wife, Dr. Sharmaine Pechac, have three sons. Mike is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Sharmaine is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
