ND Defensive Coordinator search- 2025

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

tbf also Rutgers were a mess when he took over there. Not that he made them any better but still it was a desperate situation

Schiano's last 6 years there were pretty successful:
11-2
8-5
8-5
9-4
4-8
9-4

Flood took the controls and went:
9-4
6-7
8-5
4-8

I don't know much about the specifics of Rutgers and I'm willing to listen to arguments that Flood set them up for disaster. However, a team two years removed from a bowl game (and having gone to 8 of them in 11 years) doing this seems like more of a Chris Ash problem:
2-10
4-8
2-10
1-3 (before Ash was fired in the middle of the season)

That 2018 Rutgers team was legendarily bad. Granted, their defense was merely very bad compared to their offense which was almost impossibly bad: 5 passing touchdowns vs. 22 interceptions thrown.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Schiano's last 6 years there were pretty successful:
11-2
8-5
8-5
9-4
4-8
9-4

Flood took the controls and went:
9-4
6-7
8-5
4-8

I don't know much about the specifics of Rutgers and I'm willing to listen to arguments that Flood set them up for disaster. However, a team two years removed from a bowl game (and having gone to 8 of them in 11 years) doing this seems like more of a Chris Ash problem:
2-10
4-8
2-10
1-3 (before Ash was fired in the middle of the season)

That 2018 Rutgers team was legendarily bad. Granted, their defense was merely very bad compared to their offense which was almost impossibly bad: 5 passing touchdowns vs. 22 interceptions thrown.

So...2024 Michigan?

 

[IrishTusker]

Coach O would be great

 

[KPENN]

Schiano's last 6 years there were pretty successful:
11-2
8-5
8-5
9-4
4-8
9-4

Flood took the controls and went:
9-4
6-7
8-5
4-8

I don't know much about the specifics of Rutgers and I'm willing to listen to arguments that Flood set them up for disaster. However, a team two years removed from a bowl game (and having gone to 8 of them in 11 years) doing this seems like more of a Chris Ash problem:
2-10
4-8
2-10
1-3 (before Ash was fired in the middle of the season)

That 2018 Rutgers team was legendarily bad. Granted, their defense was merely very bad compared to their offense which was almost impossibly bad: 5 passing touchdowns vs. 22 interceptions thrown.

Greg Schiano’s first stint was when they were in the Big East. That’s not even comparable

 

[RipWheeler]

I wonder if he knows Radar O'Reilly?

Are you talking about the Police K9?

 

[calvegas04]

Well sounds like most have moved on to the acceptance stage and trying to rationalize the hire.

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

Well sounds like most have moved on to the acceptance stage and trying to rationalize the hire.

Yep. Awful hire IMO, but whatever. Kick in the nuts after having a good season and ending up with a bad retread DC.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Greg Schiano’s first stint was when they were in the Big East. That’s not even comparable

In their first year in the B1G (Flood's third season) they were 8-5. Two years later it was Ash's team.

 

[Kingbish01]

It's looking like a meh hire if they go with Ash. But what I don't get is how do we lose out on big time DCs? I get the excuse as to why we can't bring in top flight talent because of academics. But missing out on top coaches is mind bending. It's ND, you just made a ton of money off your football team.... seriously...Ash is the best guy ND can get???? Always something

OSU is also looking for a DC, if they go external I bet it's a splash hire like a Chip Kelly. It will be fun to watch how both programs come out of this. Any bets on who will have the better hire?

 

[IrishSpartan]

Interesting to see if any big name people affiliated with ND stand up to this. Also why hasn’t there been any more info, all we know is that coaches are on the road today recruiting, it’s weird that all this is coming out but freeman is not in the bend

 

[IrishTusker]

It's looking like a meh hire if they go with Ash. But what I don't get is how do we lose out on big time DCs? I get the excuse as to why we can't bring in top flight talent because of academics. But missing out on top coaches is mind bending. It's ND, you just made a ton of money off your football team.... seriously...Ash is the best guy ND can get???? Always something

Name names. Leonhard apparently doesn't want to leave the NFL. Do you mean coaches at other programs?

 

[PolishDomer]

I’d pay greatly to listen to him sing the fight song

He doesn't sing...he just talks...LOL

 

[Kingbish01]

Name names. Leonhard apparently doesn't want to leave the NFL. Do you mean coaches at other programs?

Just copy and paste who OSU is looking at. I said Mike Tressel a month ago wouldn't be a bad hire. But knowing OSU, they'll talk Fickell into going from Wiscy HC to their DC.

It's just frustrating because every time I feel like ND is right there it just feels like they get ND'd

 

[IrishTusker]

Just copy and paste who OSU is looking at. I said Mike Tressel a month ago wouldn't be a bad hire. But knowing OSU, they'll talk Fickell into going from Wiscy HC to their DC.

It's just frustrating because every time I feel like ND is right there it just feels like they get ND'd

Okay. Who is OSU looking at?

 

[dublinirish]

Just copy and paste who OSU is looking at. I said Mike Tressel a month ago wouldn't be a bad hire. But knowing OSU, they'll talk Fickell into going from Wiscy HC to their DC.

It's just frustrating because every time I feel like ND is right there it just feels like they get ND'd

saw some shortlists for OSU and it was the Pitt DC, then a bunch of NFL guys like Hafley

 

[Kingbish01]

Okay. Who is OSU looking at?

I guess you're missing the point, I doubt they will take a DC comparable to what I've seen from Ash. That's my point. Ash looks like a guy that would be considered for Pitt. Not a 14-2 ND with a ton of momentum. Make a little more sense?

 

[Dale]

Interesting to see if any big name people affiliated with ND stand up to this. Also why hasn’t there been any more info, all we know is that coaches are on the road today recruiting, it’s weird that all this is coming out but freeman is not in the bend

Nothing needs to be in person besides a final interview, which Ash may have already done this past weekend

 

[stlnd01]

Name names. Leonhard apparently doesn't want to leave the NFL. Do you mean coaches at other programs?

I would’ve thought the guy at Indiana would be a strong candidate for either our job or Ohio State but he signed an extension yesterday to stay there. For instance.

 

[IrishTusker]

I guess you're missing the point, I doubt they will take a DC comparable to what I've seen from Ash. That's my point. Ash looks like a guy that would be considered for Pitt. Not a 14-2 ND with a ton of momentum. Make a little more sense?

I'm not missing the point, I'm interested in actual names.

 

[Kingbish01]

Think of the best (like PSU did) and make a run. Kwiatkoeski, Knowles, and Schumann pop in mind.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

• Ash has same agent as Free and has worked with Rudolph before.
• Leonhard was a candidate but he's staying in the NFL.
• Rossi is a candidate.
• Bryant Haines was a candidate but that seems to have fizzled.

If I get to pick among this list, I'd go Rossi.

Lukabu would be my magic wand hire.

 

[Dale]

It's looking like a meh hire if they go with Ash. But what I don't get is how do we lose out on big time DCs? I get the excuse as to why we can't bring in top flight talent because of academics. But missing out on top coaches is mind bending. It's ND, you just made a ton of money off your football team.... seriously...Ash is the best guy ND can get???? Always something

OSU is also looking for a DC, if they go external I bet it's a splash hire like a Chip Kelly. It will be fun to watch how both programs come out of this. Any bets on who will have the better hire?

Who did we get rejected by besides likely Leonhard and Knowles?

OSU has some big name targets like Hafley and Leonhard but no real info yet. Some momentum behind promoting their safeties coach

 

[Dale]

Think of the best (like PSU did) and make a run. Kwiatkoeski, Knowles, and Schumann pop in mind.

PSU did not hire Knowles just because they asked for the best and got it. That you would call a unique circumstance. Good for them. But applying it to then mean taking the Texas or UGA DC is dumb

 

[rtrn2glory]

So Ash is a prick but the players like him? Got it

All seriousness this is something that can go both ways. I think Urban is the perfect example. He's a prick but I think players like playing for him because he knows how to play good cop and bad cop. The ones that consider him a prick are the ones that got their feelings hurt too much when he was a bad cop

 

[NDohio]

Interesting to see if any big name people affiliated with ND stand up to this. Also why hasn’t there been any more info, all we know is that coaches are on the road today recruiting, it’s weird that all this is coming out but freeman is not in the bend

We all believe that the ND beat isn't fed as much information under the Freeman regime as what came out while BK was in charge. The Ash news came from Pete - who works at a national sports media outlet. I kinda wonder if he didn't hear something through his The Athletic connections and maybe it isn't as deep into the process as it initially seemed. It is kind of odd that his Tweet generated a bit of a firestorm and then crickets...

 

[dublinirish]

We all believe that the ND beat isn't fed as much information under the Freeman regime as what came out while BK was in charge. The Ash news came from Pete - who works at a national sports media outlet. I kinda wonder if he didn't hear something through his The Athletic connections and maybe it isn't as deep into the process as it initially seemed. It is kind of odd that his Tweet generated a bit of a firestorm and then crickets...

i would guess the info was a feed from Ash's agent

 

[stlnd01]

PSU did not hire Knowles just because they asked for the best and got it. That you would call a unique circumstance. Good for them. But applying it to then mean taking the Texas or UGA DC is dumb

Yep.
There was some friction pushing Knowles to leave Ohio State. He didn’t just jump to Penn State for a modest raise, and we shouldn’t feel bad that some other elite program DC won’t do the same thing and come to Notre Dame. (Which is not to say we shouldn’t settle for Ash either.)

 

[Kingbish01]

Who did we get rejected by besides likely Leonhard and Knowles?

OSU has some big name targets like Hafley and Leonhard but no real info yet. Some momentum behind promoting their safeties coach

Bet it won't be a bum hire by OSU.

PSU did not hire Knowles just because they asked for the best and got it. That you would call a unique circumstance. Good for them. But applying it to then mean taking the Texas or UGA DC is dumb

I'm not sure the unique circumstance you speak of. But why can't we take a run at UGAs or UTs DC? It's ND, we have the money...coming off a Natty with a ton of momentum. If they hire Ash, are you gonna be like "fuck ya, ND is in fire!" Or are you going to be "well....hope MF knows what he's doing"

 

[Dale]

Bet it won't be a bum hire by OSU.

I'm not sure the unique circumstance you speak of. But why can't we take a run at UGAs or UTs DC? It's ND, we have the money...coming off a Natty with a ton of momentum. If they hire Ash, are you gonna be like "fuck ya, ND is in fire!" Or are you going to be "well....hope MF knows what he's doing"

Okay I guess what the other poster is pushing back on is you clearly are using examples you don’t really know anything about, admittedly.

 

[mrmcgrail]

Yeah I don't think the beat knows any more than the national guys. Nakos on on3 in the message board threads has said there are other candidates but it seems ash is the case if it's a mickens co dc situation