Mike Anthony Tatum (born April 29, 1986) is an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

coach who is the

head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...

and

offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator (OC) is a Coach (sport), coach responsible for a gridiron football team's offense (American football), offense. Generally, the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second ...

for the

Omaha Beef The Omaha Beef are a professional indoor American football, indoor football team based in Omaha, Nebraska. The Beef plays their home games at Liberty First Credit Union Arena in nearby Ralston, Nebraska, Ralston. The Beef competes in the National ...

of the

National Arena League The National Arena League (NAL) is a professional indoor football league that began play in 2017. As of the end of the 2024 season, the league consisted of five teams. A team's typical payroll budget is $600,000 per season, but as of the 2022 ...

(NAL). He is former

indoor American football Arena football is a variety of gridiron football designed to be played indoors. The game is played on a smaller field than American football, American or Canadian football, Canadian football, designed to fit in the same surface area as a standa ...

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

for the

Nebraska Danger The Nebraska Danger was a professional indoor American football, indoor football team based in Grand Island, Nebraska, and a member of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The team was founded in 2011 by Charlie Bosselman as an expansion member of ...

, Bismarck Bucks, and the

Sioux Falls Storm The Sioux Falls Storm are a dormant professional indoor football team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Storm joined the original Indoor Football League as an expansion team in 1999 as the Sioux Falls Cobras, and first took the field for ...

of the

Indoor Football League The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional indoor American football league in the United States. The league comprises 14 teams, divided equally between the Eastern Conference (EC) and Western Conference ...

(IFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

at Oxnard College. He signed as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

with the

Marion Mayhem The Marion Mayhem were a professional indoor American football, indoor football team based in Marion, Ohio. The team was a charter member of the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIFL), later renamed the Continental Indoor Football League (CIF ...

in 2009. He played with the Mayhem until their disbanding during the 2010 season. Tatum then finished the 2010 season with the Fort Wayne FireHawks. Tatum then returned to Marion in 2011, when a new franchise called the Marion Blue Racers expanded into the CIFL. Tatum has also played for the

Everett Raptors The Everett Raptors were a professional indoor football team based in Everett, Washington. The Raptors were member of the Intense Conference of the Indoor Football League (IFL). They played their home games at the Comcast Arena at Everett in E ...

of the IFL.

Early life

Tatum was a graduate of Marion-Franklin High School in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

. He excelled in football, basketball and track & field.

College career

Tatum continued his academic and athletic abilities at Oxnard College in

Oxnard, California Oxnard () is a city in Ventura County in the U.S. state of California, United States. On California's Central Coast (California), Central Coast, it is the most populous city in Ventura County and the List of largest California cities by populati ...

Professional career

Marion Mayhem

In 2009, Tatum joined the

as a wide receiver and return man. After a 61–57 comeback win over the Wheeling Wildcats, Tatum was named the CIFL Special Teams Player of the Week. After 6 games with the Mayhem in 2010, the team folded for financial reasons. At the time Tatum was leading the Mayhem with 20 catches for 243 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tatum also had 23 kickoff returns for 500 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Fort Wayne FireHawks

After the season abruptly ended for the Mayhem, Tatum, as well as a few other Mayhem players, signed to play with the Fort Wayne Firehawks, also of the CIFL. Tatum was able to return one missed field goal for a touchdown in the final game of the season against the

Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...

. In his two games for the FireHawks, he had 2 catches for 19 yards and a touchdown, as well as returning one kickoff for 21 yards. For his efforts on the season, Tatum was rewarded with the CIFL's Special Teams Player of the Year award.

Marion Blue Racers

In 2011, the city of Marion got a new indoor football team in the form of the Marion Blue Racers, owned by former

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

player, LaMonte Coleman. He was twice named the CIFL Special Teams Player of the Week. The team went on to a record 8–2 regular season, during which Tatum racked up 23 kickoff returns for 568 yards and 2 scores, and again won CIFL Special Teams Player of the Year honors. He led the Blue Racers with 26 catches for 310 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also rushed for 2 touchdowns and threw for another. Tatum re-signed with the Blue Racers for the 2012 season, as they transitioned into the UIFL.

Everett Raptors

In 2012 Mike Tatum signed to play with

expansion team

. The team ultimately finished 5–9, Tatum was named IFL Special Teams Player Of The Week 2 times, including week 3 and week 12. Playing in only 12 games, due to injury, he racked up 1015 kick return yards on 48 attempts, averaging 21.1 yards per return and also had 5 kickoffs returned for touchdowns. He tied the record for the longest return at 48 yards. Tatum also had 23 receptions for 325 yards averaging 14.1 yds per game. His longest reception was 41 yards. He also had 5 receiving touchdowns. Tatum rushed for 28 yards and a score on 16 attempts. Tatum finished the season second in all purpose yards with 1478 and 11 total TDs Tatum's efforts were good enough to earn him 2012 IFL Special Teams Player of The Year honors.

Sioux Falls Storm

Tatum signed with the

, also of the Indoor Football League, for the 2013 season.

Marion Blue Racers

Tatum re-joined the Blue Racers for the 2014 season.

Sioux Fall Storm

After the Blue Racers season ended, Tatum re-joined the Storm. Tatum enjoyed a 2015 season that saw him finish 7th in the IFL in All-purpose yards. Tatum returned to the Storm for 2016. On October 16, 2017, Tatum re-signed with the Storm.

Bismarck Bucks

On January 28, 2019, Tatum signed with the Bismarck Bucks.

Coaching career

Omaha Beef

On February 6, 2023, Tatum was hired as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the

Champions Indoor Football Champions Indoor Football (CIF) was a professional indoor American football minor league created in 2014 out of the merger between the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) and Lone Star Football League (LSFL), plus one team fr ...

(CIF). On December 22, 2023, Tatum was promoted to head coach for the Beef for their first season in the

(NAL), after the previous head coach

Rayshaun Kizer Rayshaun Kizer (born February 3, 1985) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator of the Tucson Sugar Skulls of the Indoor Football League (IFL). He was the former head coach and defensive coordinator of the Massachusetts P ...

resigned.

Head coaching record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tatum, Mike Living people American football wide receivers Marion Mayhem players Fort Wayne FireHawks players Marion Blue Racers players Sioux Falls Storm players Bismarck Bucks players 1986 births Everett Raptors players National Arena League coaches Players of American football from Ohio Coaches of American football from Ohio Nebraska Danger players