ND Coaching Search Megathread

[BoredIrish]

Aazhar Abdur Raheem is a really interesting name. Ex high school super coach that Saban hired as a recruiter. Kind of surprised that he ended up at BC.

 

[NDdomer2]

Almost every rumored candidate has been a corner or safeties coach it seems. Move O'Leary to LBs with Pusloszny as analyst and Freeman around?

Keep Mickens + outside hire.

 

[NDIrish88]

Almost every rumored candidate has been a corner or safeties coach it seems. Move O'Leary to LBs with Pusloszny as analyst and Freeman around?

Keep Mickens + outside hire.

Could be a strategy to really recruit DBs hard. What has been the weakest part of the Defense from a recruiting standpoint? The line is great and Freeman knows he can get LBs. Makes sense to have extra fire power for o Leary and Mickens if needed.

 

[BobbyMac]

Would love a guy like Abdur-Rahim on the staff. Longtime HS coach in DC and followed by Bama, MD and BC? Great resume for the growing importance of the DMV and VA in particular. It's the new Georgia for ND.

 

[IrishLax]

I think he’d be a terrible hire as a DC. Has no track record of success and we don’t need a “recruiter” in that role who will muddle the message. Need either an experienced DC who is a scheme fit with Freeman or need to do an internal promotion where Freeman still has his fingerprints all over the defense outside of game day.

 

[Irish#1]

I think he’d be a terrible hire as a DC. Has no track record of success and we don’t need a “recruiter” in that role who will muddle the message. Need either an experienced DC who is a scheme fit with Freeman or need to do an internal promotion where Freeman still has his fingerprints all over the defense outside of game day.

You can say that about every coach at some point. All unproven, but someone believed in them.

 

[IrishLax]

You can say that about every coach at some point. All unproven, but someone believed in them.

The difference is that this guy is in the Donte Williams/Jimmy Lake brand of coaching and I just do not believe that ever ends well. “Let’s have the guy who is the best recruiter make all the tactical decisions!” is not a recipe for success. If you’re going to gamble on a guy without experience it needs to be someone you’ve worked with extensively. Clark Lea is an example. Kelly knew with a high degree of certainty what kind of coaching he was tabbing at DC because of his experience working with Elko and displaying DC traits.

 

[NDIrish88]

I think he’d be a terrible hire as a DC. Has no track record of success and we don’t need a “recruiter” in that role who will muddle the message. Need either an experienced DC who is a scheme fit with Freeman or need to do an internal promotion where Freeman still has his fingerprints all over the defense outside of game day.

Agreed. Even Mickens would be a better DC and then Abdur Rahim could coach corners.

 

[NDdomer2]

I think he’d be a terrible hire as a DC. Has no track record of success and we don’t need a “recruiter” in that role who will muddle the message. Need either an experienced DC who is a scheme fit with Freeman or need to do an internal promotion where Freeman still has his fingerprints all over the defense outside of game day.

Under the assumption there is even truth to those tweets -

I have no clue about Abdur-Rahim but perhaps its lateral move, i.e. remains title safeties/passing game coord, eslton is running game coord., move O'Leary to LB.

Belk has been the most experienced name we've seen, I believe. Also safeties/cb coach. Experience in Georgia, Bama, WVU, Houston. He's covered the majority of the talent area for recruiting.

If we go with the cincy boys, we would practically have the entire core of those who can claim Sauce's eval and development, that can't hurt our DB recruiting with whats been solid front 7 recruiting for a while now.

It's unfortunate there arent more rumblings about WR position. I'm hoping its a sign that Tommy is focusing on unleashing a can of whoop ass Saturday that will make every WR recruit take notice.

 

[MacIrish75]

Does this account actually have legit sources for info? From past tweets, this particular account just passes off premium info from paid sites as his own. I believe Loy refuted these statements but has anyone else on the ND best commented on these names??

 

[chicago51]

The Mike Elston disrespect is real on this forum. Driskell said Elston is a candidate after all. Surprise nobody is thumping for Elston. Everyone is chasing the shiny object. I would rather have continuity in our scheme instead of having to marry our current scheme with the new DC scheme.

I say promote Elston. Promote Nick Lesynsky to LB coach. Keep the great chemistry of defensive staff in tact. Go outside program and get some dynamic for special teams.

I think coach MF wants a promption for Nick L. It's either LB or Special Teams. I think LB is better spot, our defensive room is solid, and coach Freeman will always be involved with the defense. Our special teams need a major jolt though.

 

[Dale]

The Mike Elston disrespect is real on this forum. Driskell said Elston is a candidate after all. Surprise nobody is thumping for Elston. Everyone is chasing the shiny object. I would rather have continuity in our scheme instead of having to marry our current scheme with the new DC scheme.

I say promote Elston. Promote Nick Lesynsky to LB coach. Keep the great chemistry of defensive staff in tact. Go outside program and get some dynamic for special teams.

I think coach MF wants a promption for Nick L. It's either LB or Special Teams. I think LB is better spot, our defensive room is solid, and coach Freeman will always be involved with the defense. Our special teams need a major jolt though.

It’s not disrespect to Elston by anyone it’s just been reported he is not a candidate.

 

[Dale]

I think he’d be a terrible hire as a DC. Has no track record of success and we don’t need a “recruiter” in that role who will muddle the message. Need either an experienced DC who is a scheme fit with Freeman or need to do an internal promotion where Freeman still has his fingerprints all over the defense outside of game day.

I don’t know if no track record is what I’d call it. The BC D has definitely improved under him (and Lukabu/Hafley). I believe the Maryland D did as well. Alabama tree. Hafley tree. Turned HS into a power. That may not qualify for ND DC, it’s also not nothing.

 

[SouthSideChiDomer]

Could be a strategy to really recruit DBs hard. What has been the weakest part of the Defense from a recruiting standpoint? The line is great and Freeman knows he can get LBs. Makes sense to have extra fire power for o Leary and Mickens if needed.

To me, if we hire another guy with DB experience and don't move O'Leary to LB, it speaks not only to recruiting, but also to the greater emphasis placed on the secondary in the modern game. It would seem to be similar to the Brandon Staley idea of not building from the front of the defense to stop the run, but from the back to stop the pass.

 

[ab2cmiller]

The Mike Elston disrespect is real on this forum. Driskell said Elston is a candidate after all. Surprise nobody is thumping for Elston. Everyone is chasing the shiny object. I would rather have continuity in our scheme instead of having to marry our current scheme with the new DC scheme.

I say promote Elston. Promote Nick Lesynsky to LB coach. Keep the great chemistry of defensive staff in tact. Go outside program and get some dynamic for special teams.

I think coach MF wants a promption for Nick L. It's either LB or Special Teams. I think LB is better spot, our defensive room is solid, and coach Freeman will always be involved with the defense. Our special teams need a major jolt though.

Right or wrong, I think most people's hesitancy regarding Elston is the fact that BK's loyal soldier could've been promoted to DC multiple times by BK, but he never did. Does it mean that Elston couldn't be a good DC, no of course not. But it certainly brings out some hesitancy from the masses.

 

[IrishLax]

Right or wrong, I think most people's hesitancy regarding Elston is the fact that BK's loyal soldier could've been promoted to DC multiple times by BK, but he never did. Does it mean that Elston couldn't be a good DC, no of course not. But it certainly brings out some hesitancy from the masses.

This is valid, but I think with Freeman around he could still run “his defense” and take leadership on that side of the ball. So that kind of collaboration would lessen the inherent risk of a first time DC IMO.

 

[chicago51]

It’s not disrespect to Elston by anyone it’s just been reported he is not a candidate.

Driskell on IB said apparently Elston is a candidate. I don’t doubt Driskell has the capacity to blow smoke up our rear ends. But if I don’t see a conflicting source that he isn’t a candidate I’m going to assume he is and this Fiesta Bowl is kind of a job interview.

 

[Dale]

Driskell on IB said apparently Elston is a candidate. I don’t doubt Driskell has the capacity to blow smoke up our rear ends. But if I don’t see a conflicting source that he isn’t a candidate I’m going to assume he is and this Fiesta Bowl is kind of a job interview.

It’s been reported he’s not a candidate by I believe Loy and Singer

 

[Irish#1]

This is valid, but I think with Freeman around he could still run “his defense” and take leadership on that side of the ball. So that kind of collaboration would lessen the inherent risk of a first time DC IMO.

I have no idea what Elston is thinking, but he strikes me as a guy that has built this little empire (D-line) and is very happy to be its ruler. He may be the next DC or he may be handling the duties for the bowl game more out of necessity.

 

[chicago51]

If Jason A and Foskey come back this defense is championship caliber in 2022 (rather the offense will be or not is to be determined). With that in mind we all saw the growing pains of a new system even with a good teacher like Marcus Freeman. This was with Marcus Freeman going out of his way to convert as much of his terminology as possible over to what ND was using under Lea / Elko, and even tweaking his scheme somewhat. With all that we still had growing pains with a new system.

You don’t want growing pains of learning new system going up against Ohio State week 1. If the goal is to win a championship right away like Marcus Freeeman said in his press conference you either hire Mike Elston or someone who would run virtually the same scheme (not just a similar scheme) like I assume Mike Tressell at Cinci would. You change schemes defensively you’re conceding 2022. Now offense might not be ready to win a championship in 2022 anyway . But if you change defensive schemes defensive I think you’re conceding the season.

 

[Henges24]

Delete..

 

[Irishbounty28]

I feel like a lot of people have assumed Elston wants to be DC in the past and has been hired over. I’m not sure this is the case. I think the guy honestly loves being a position coach, and having the role he has on the team.

There is absolutely no way IMO he wouldn’t be a candidate if he wanted the position. He has shown he can be an elite DL coach, while also being a great recruiter and guy the kids rally around. He has all the intangibles you would want in a coordinator. So why isn’t he a DC? I would say it is probably because he doesn’t want to be one at this point in time.

 

[GreenGemsOmally]

I feel like a lot of people have assumed Elston wants to be DC in the past and has been hired over. I’m not sure this is the case. I think the guy honestly loves being a position coach, and having the role he has on the team.

There is absolutely no way IMO he wouldn’t be a candidate if he wanted the position. He has shown he can be an elite DL coach, while also being a great recruiter and guy the kids rally around. He has all the intangibles you would want in a coordinator. So why isn’t he a DC? I would say it is probably because he doesn’t want to be one at this point in time.

There's something to be said about how life is more than your career and always trying to climb the ladder might just make you unhappier than you need to be. He's in a position he absolutely loves, he's almost certainly paid pretty well (My guess is probably around 400k a year, maybe/probably more? I couldn't really find anything in a quick search), his kids want to attend Notre Dame (his daughter is an excellent fencer and ND is a perfect spot for fencing), and it's not quite as stressful of a job as a coordinator might be.

Maybe he's like "you know what? I'm happy. I don't need to make a change and uproot my life." He's "been passed" on the DC position a few times now but is still full throat supporting ND and vocal about how much he loves the place. If he were bitter about not being coordinator, would he be so positive? Not sure.

 

[StPaul_Irish]

I feel like a lot of people have assumed Elston wants to be DC in the past and has been hired over. I’m not sure this is the case. I think the guy honestly loves being a position coach, and having the role he has on the team.

There is absolutely no way IMO he wouldn’t be a candidate if he wanted the position. He has shown he can be an elite DL coach, while also being a great recruiter and guy the kids rally around. He has all the intangibles you would want in a coordinator. So why isn’t he a DC? I would say it is probably because he doesn’t want to be one at this point in time.

THIS... It always blows my mind that people don't ever consider this. While both situations could be true, one would think that if he wanted to be a DC, he would have done so A LONG TIME AGO.... Long before his roots were deep in SB ect. He followed Bayou Brian all over the place, and could have left anytime.

It is not uncommon at all to pass up or not seek out promotion. I have done it, my wife has done it at times, and I am sure many here have. We don't live on an escalator where the only options are up or down. Sometimes people get off on and stay on the floor they feel comfortable/happy on.

 

[chicago51]

I agree with the notion that Elston doesn’t have this overwhelming desire to be defensive coordinator. But I think he would whole heartedly do it if that was what was best for Notre Dame.

Especially now. This is different situation than in the past. He doesn’t have to come up the scheme, and work out the nuts and bolts for all 3 level of the defense. That’s in place already. Marcus Freeman is the head coach, you got at least one great up and coming coach in the secondary with Mickens. I don’t think Elston is the most comfortable with stuff on the back end. But this is going to a collaborative effort. I actually think he’s kind of the perfect guy for this situation.

To me not changing the scheme is more important than who calls the plays. The call sheet is pretty much worked out before hand anyways by the entire staff. These are your 1st/2nd down calls, these are your 3rd down calls, these are your short yardage calls, and these are your red zone / goal line calls. From there it’s kind of a gut instinct thing.

If you bring in outside coach with different scheme even if it is similar you are reducing the impact Marcus Freeman is going to be able to have on the defense. If ND is going outside then they should just poach from Cinci again and get Mike Tressel because he’ll keep the scheme.

 

[NDPhilly]

Elston is from a small town in Ohio and almost certainly makes $500k+ as a position coach at a school he loves in a low Cost of Living city. He has a job for life as DL coach at ND. Could understand why he doesn't want the added risk / stress of DC.

 

[Dale]

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/kirk_barton/status/1476943529477824512?s=21[/TWEET]

Sounds like been in the works. When you got MF and JL as HC and some sort of Analyst/GA, that’s some pretty good LB coverage not even mentioning a LB coach yet lol

 

[NDFAN2008]

Extremely good higher

 

[clashmore_mike]

Barton is a douche, don't give him clicks.

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/mattfreemanISD/status/1476954822700003328[/TWEET]

 

[Luckylucci]

Love it. All the ex-OSU superstars.