ND Coaching Search Megathread

[Rogue219]

How funny is it a month and a half ago it felt like a coup to retain almost every coach under BK outside of the ones we weren't interested in keeping...none of them really wanting to follow BK to Baton Rouge. Now almost every coach has bolted for other positions (Although they've all been steps up outside of Elston). I'm glad those guys are doing better for themselves, it's just wild.

They kept it together for Signing Day and the bowl game, which served it's purpose and was enough at the time. When position coaches are given chances to become coordinators, those jobs may not come back around for them, so in addition to the money if you want to call your own plays and move up you might want to take these opportunities if you think they're the right ones.

Most wanted Del and Quinn out. So we get that and then the unexpected departures. To me, I think it is an tremendous opportunity for Freeman and Rees to reset the staffs on both sides of the ball with a fresh, new approach not only because they are in the position that they don't have a choice but for the possibilities the situation is presenting them to move forward with the program now that it is theirs.

I think this all opens up the door for some exciting possibilities and don't see this as anything negative to be stressed out about. The program is getting a serious reboot that is going to pay dividends in the long term. So we wait another few weeks for Al Golden and during that time they go out to get a new RB and TE coach. You have about five months to get everyone on the same page and get ready to go to Columbus.

 

[Rogue219]

Here ya go moving the goal post to fit your narrative again.... ever thought about politics ?

I don't have a narrative on Tim Brewster. LOL. I don't have that kind of time or knowledge. I'm asking about him because apart from his time at Minnesota I haven't a clue what he's been up to lately.

I asked a question about what tight ends he coached and developed. A handful of people answered with the same guy, who he coached for an eight game season. Multiple posters call him a "home run". I'm trying to ascertain why this is. I even said he'd be an experienced uncle in the offensive room with Hiestand.

No narrative here, dude. Have a good week.

 

[irishog77]

Staff turnover is normal and can even be seen as a positive when coaches leave for promotions elsewhere. Not sure though even if/when Saban has had turnover like this. But somebody like him is also literally a veteran of veterans. He's been coaching so long (with unparalleled success), that even when he may not have a coaching connection on speed dial, he has numerous contacts to talk to about a new name.

The concerning part for me is Freeman's lack of contacts and networking, along with his lack of and/or undeveloped and proven system. For lack of a better term, he's essentially winging it when it comes to implementing a program system that has success. I have some first hand knowledge of who Clark Lea contacted and the struggles he has had in implementing his coaching system, as well as who he asked to be on his staff.

Does this mean Freeman will automatically fail? Of course not. But getting ~15 coaches, most of whom are new, to gel and have continuity to a system that is still somewhat unknown to the boss is a difficult task. I think in a perfect world, seeing guys like Taylor or McNulty move on to greener pastures is fine, but maybe after a year or so of establishing himself with some familiar faces would be better.

 

[Dale]

It goes pretty far back. He churned some pretty good TEs at his original UNC stop and parlayed that into the San Diego Chargers which is where his rep really takes off with Antonio Gates. Then the Minnesota mess but rebounded with Nick O’Leary at FSU and was an elite elite elite recruiter (clean or not would be a question). UF time was short but Pitts skyrocketed under him.

 

[Rogue219]

McNulty didn't care for BK. He wasn't a BK lieutenant but ND can do equal from a coaching standpoint and better from a recruiting standpoint.

He was hired with Kelly as HC. Rees is going to now have an entire new staff on the offensive side of the ball. It has to be a great opportunity for him knowing he and Freeman can plug in guys that are going to fit their vision.

We're basically looking at Freeman and Rees getting just about a clean slate here to start fresh from top to bottom. It really isn't a bad thing at all on top of being sort of a normal part of the coaching profession.

Tight end coach is interesting because Notre Dame this century has been churning guys out into the NFL since Anthony Fasano up to the the present. It will surely be an attractive job they'll be able to fill rather easily. Depends who lines up for it.

 

[Free Manera]

Staff turnover is normal and can even be seen as a positive when coaches leave for promotions elsewhere. Not sure though even if/when Saban has had turnover like this. But somebody like him is also literally a veteran of veterans. He's been coaching so long (with unparalleled success), that even when he may not have a coaching connection on speed dial, he has numerous contacts to talk to about a new name.

The concerning part for me is Freeman's lack of contacts and networking, along with his lack of and/or undeveloped and proven system. For lack of a better term, he's essentially winging it when it comes to implementing a program system that has success. I have some first hand knowledge of who Clark Lea contacted and the struggles he has had in implementing his coaching system, as well as who he asked to be on his staff.

Does this mean Freeman will automatically fail? Of course not. But getting ~15 coaches, most of whom are new, to gel and have continuity to a system that is still somewhat unknown to the boss is a difficult task. I think in a perfect world, seeing guys like Taylor or McNulty move on to greener pastures is fine, but maybe after a year or so of establishing himself with some familiar faces would be better.

I would be a lot more worried about this if he wasn't Jim Tressel's adopted son.

 

[stlnd01]

The concerning part for me is Freeman's lack of contacts and networking, along with his lack of and/or undeveloped and proven system. For lack of a better term, he's essentially winging it when it comes to implementing a program system that has success. I have some first hand knowledge of who Clark Lea contacted and the struggles he has had in implementing his coaching system, as well as who he asked to be on his staff.

Does this mean Freeman will automatically fail? Of course not. But getting ~15 coaches, most of whom are new, to gel and have continuity to a system that is still somewhat unknown to the boss is a difficult task. I think in a perfect world, seeing guys like Taylor or McNulty move on to greener pastures is fine, but maybe after a year or so of establishing himself with some familiar faces would be better.

Yep. This is the thing. None of these moves are in and of themselves a bad thing or all that big a deal or even surprising, and hopefully, probably, the new hires will be upgrades in many cases. It does not seem to have had much impact on recruiting, and assuming everyone's in place by spring they should have plenty of time to do the on-field coaching stuff.

But it is A LOT to heap all this change on the plate of a first-time head coach, all as he's trying to learn the job, manage a whole slate of new responsibilities and, oh, also be the alpha dog recruiter on every major player on our board. If BK ever turned over seven out of 11 assistants in an offseason (barring a 2016-style purge anyway) we'd all be freaking out, and BK knows exactly how he wants to run a college football program. Freeman is still learning that part.

Long run I'd bet it'll be fine, but expect some bumps in the road, is all.

 

[irishog77]

One other point in noting the staff changes is that Rees, the seeming head lieutenant, is 29 and has very little experience outside of the Burnt Ends tree. Again, not necessarily a bad thing. But he himself has very few contacts given his age and proximity to Burnt Ends.

 

[dublinirish]

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/BGInews/status/1488164590542282757?s=20&t=Yy_BMlYpzYw1frrOrRVO0g[/TWEET]

he gone

EDIT: Mcnulty is gone https://twitter.com/BGInews/status/1...JpOsJXuGaX_ibA

Mods can you fix the twitter embed

 

[chicago51]

One other point in noting the staff changes is that Rees, the seeming head lieutenant, is 29 and has very little experience outside of the Burnt Ends tree. Again, not necessarily a bad thing. But he himself has very few contacts given his age and proximity to Burnt Ends.

Yep very true.

Chanci Stuckey ironically was a McNulty referral partially because Rees / Freeman don't have a lot of contacts. Al Golden (if he is indeed the DC choice) might be a McNulty referral as we'll, they were teammates in their playing days. I can't imagine Marcus Freeman saying "I need a DC, I'm going to call Al Golden". Golden was either a McNulty recommendation as well and/or Golden expressed interest in Notre Dame when the position came open.

 

[Rogue219]

One other point in noting the staff changes is that Rees, the seeming head lieutenant, is 29 and has very little experience outside of the Burnt Ends tree. Again, not necessarily a bad thing. But he himself has very few contacts given his age and proximity to Burnt Ends.

True. His father, however, has a lot, and is also ND's director of scouting. That's an asset.

The best thing about these guys is that they are hungry and will do the work. They know ND doesn't just sell itself while they are on the back nine chipping out of sand traps. They'll sell Notre Dame and their vision for the program because they actually give a damn.

Hiestand and Stuckey are like polar end hires in terms of who they are and how they're connected to the program. Use every avenue you have at your disposal and do the work. Leave no stone unturned.

 

[Rogue219]

I would be a lot more worried about this if he wasn't Jim Tressel's adopted son.

This is a very good point.

 

[IrishRob16]

Been following/reading the IE for years. Im a ND alumn and huge fan. I definitely feel the optimism and share in the excitement over this young and energetic new regime. Tons of upside, but I have to admit as much as I share in that excitement, in equal measure I share in the concern. It is a ton of change and nothing we have right now beyond HH seems like a sure thing. That being said, it seems we have made a bet on youth and energy, on up and comers and their upside over more known and reliable proven experienced candidates. It's a gamble, but to be fair, how many times have we seen bets on "sure things" or experienced hires fail in this industry. It happens all the time. So if we are going to gamble and take this chance, my hope as a gambler would be that we go all in. No room for half measures or safe bets. I'm not a fan of hedging your bets. Why swing big and take chances on HC and OC, but play it safe with a Golden or someone established as a DC? I'm not saying I hate the idea of a Golden hire, especially if he can recruit like a rockstar (I say "if" because I have no idea about his recruiting abilities). What I'm saying is if we are making this bet, then make it big and go with someone who might just be the next big thing and is an energetic exciting young recruiter. For those reasons Belk would be my number one pick, but I also like some of the other younger guys mentioned too. Just my thoughts.

 

[Rogue219]

Tight Coaches:

Grant Cain, James Madison (also Special Teams)
Matt Drinkall, Army
Joe Graves, Georgia Southern (also Special Teams)
Slade Nagle, Tulane
Clay Patterson, Minnesota
Derek Shay, LSU grad assistant
Ron Whitcomb, Buffalo

Joe Jon Finley at OU would be outstanding but he just got there in 2021 and I believe Venables is keeping him. I Don't know how realistic that is. He also works with H Backs and Special Teams.

I suppose if I could pick one guy as the favorite, it would be Shay. He led the recruitment of Jason Taylor's son and has worked with Dino Babers, Sterlin Gilbert and Sean Lewis in the past. Mike Mickens follows him on Twitter, not that it means anything at all.

 

[BoredIrish]

I wonder if MF knew that McNulty would be leaving, if he still would have hired Mason for special teams. TE & ST seems like a common combination... could have killed two birds with one stone and free'd up a position for something else.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

I wonder if MF knew that McNulty would be leaving, if he still would have hired Mason for special teams. TE & ST seems like a common combination... could have killed two birds with one stone and free'd up a position for something else.

Another potential combo here is to hand TEs to Rees and bring in a QB-only coach. I would be surprised if they did that (since Rees will want to directly coach offensive philosophy to his QBs) but it might be worth considering.

 

[notredomer23]

There is only one move for this as far as I am concerned and it starts by moving Tommy to TE coach in addition to OC and bringing home someone that is a QB whisperer of sorts with plenty of ND ties...

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

There is only one move for this as far as I am concerned and it starts by moving Tommy to TE coach in addition to OC and bringing home someone that is a QB whisperer of sorts with plenty of ND ties...

I wouldn't even hate it.

I doubt Charlie would be up for it, though.

 

[irishog77]

I like the idea of Tommy at TE's too, but I don't see it happening. Another option, instead of looking all the other TE coaches out there, would be to go and hire another McNulty. He originally came to ND because of his connection to Rees (one of Tommy's few connections) and could sort of help implement Tommy's own plan and vision.

TE coaches, as position coaches, are not that valuable. Probably even less so at ND where the position sells itself. TE's can essentially be coached by OL and WR coaches. Bringing in an elder statesman, so to speak, who has experience coaching a couple positions and a long history of being involved on offense, would be my choice. Probably a guy, like McNulty was, currently in the NFL.

 

[Trait Expectations]

Been following/reading the IE for years. Im a ND alumn and huge fan. I definitely feel the optimism and share in the excitement over this young and energetic new regime. Tons of upside, but I have to admit as much as I share in that excitement, in equal measure I share in the concern. It is a ton of change and nothing we have right now beyond HH seems like a sure thing. That being said, it seems we have made a bet on youth and energy, on up and comers and their upside over more known and reliable proven experienced candidates. It's a gamble, but to be fair, how many times have we seen bets on "sure things" or experienced hires fail in this industry. It happens all the time. So if we are going to gamble and take this chance, my hope as a gambler would be that we go all in. No room for half measures or safe bets. I'm not a fan of hedging your bets. Why swing big and take chances on HC and OC, but play it safe with a Golden or someone established as a DC? I'm not saying I hate the idea of a Golden hire, especially if he can recruit like a rockstar (I say "if" because I have no idea about his recruiting abilities). What I'm saying is if we are making this bet, then make it big and go with someone who might just be the next big thing and is an energetic exciting young recruiter. For those reasons Belk would be my number one pick, but I also like some of the other younger guys mentioned too. Just my thoughts.

The most positive way to look at the turnover is that Freeman will have a chance to completely redefine the feel of the program. The good news is he has tons of energy and he connects with the players. The bad news is the culture wasn't broken, so hopefully he keeps what works and builds on it.

As a fan, it's a really exciting time to follow along because there are variables all over the place.

 

[irishog77]

True. His father, however, has a lot, and is also ND's director of scouting. That's an asset.

The best thing about these guys is that they are hungry and will do the work. They know ND doesn't just sell itself while they are on the back nine chipping out of sand traps. They'll sell Notre Dame and their vision for the program because they actually give a damn.

Hiestand and Stuckey are like polar end hires in terms of who they are and how they're connected to the program. Use every avenue you have at your disposal and do the work. Leave no stone unturned.

The point about Tommy's dad is a good one.

As to the bolded, while you are correct, the worry is that that "vision" is cloudy, blurred, and incomplete. Nobody quite knows what the HC and OC's visions are, and in both cases (but especially the HC), those visions may not actually be conducive to success, as they are works in progress.

 

[BoredIrish]

Our TE's seem to be either blockers (i.e. Brock Wright) or receivers (Tremble).

I wonder if the TE position cant be handled between Hiestand and Stucky coupled with a good GA. Harry would be great at teaching the fundamentals of blocking.

I'd love to use the extra position as a boss QB / Passing game coordinator to help out Tommy with recruiting as well as some of the game planning.

I know these names have been thrown out many times before... but someone like a Dan Mullen or Cutcliffe. Maybe they come for a QB coach / Co-OC / AHC type role? Gotta be more attractive than just working as an analyst.

 

[MacIrish75]

Our TE's seem to be either blockers (i.e. Brock Wright) or receivers (Tremble).

I wonder if the TE position cant be handled between Hiestand and Stucky coupled with a good GA. Harry would be great at teaching the fundamentals of blocking.

I'd love to use the extra position as a boss QB / Passing game coordinator to help out Tommy with recruiting as well as some of the game planning.

I know these names have been thrown out many times before... but someone like a Dan Mullen or Cutcliffe. Maybe they come for a QB coach / Co-OC / AHC type role? Gotta be more attractive than just working as an analyst.

Imagine not identifying Tremble as a blocker…

 

[BoredIrish]

Imagine not identifying Tremble as a blocker…

My bad. I was referring to attached vs detached (or whatever the correct terminology is.

Tremble of course was a great blocker.

 

[arndtjc]

We have a new RB coach

 

[IrishRazor82]

o now we've likely upgraded coaches at: ST, DL, OL, WR, and RB?

RB was the one I said we wouldn't- we shot the moon!

 

[Henges24]

 

[Henges24]

I think you just post the link…unless a Mod fixed it.

 

[SoIll]

Now.. Does his sons come along...........

 

[irishff1014]

I don’t know anything about this running back coach but Indiana isn’t really running back u. I will read up on him and take others advice on him.