2026 Master Thread

[NDpendent]

Clark is the replacement of Marcus goes to the NFL. The only call and you don't let him say no

I really hope Freeman stays long enough to take down that d bags win record

 

[FWIrish4]

Clark is the replacement of Marcus goes to the NFL. The only call and you don't let him say no

It’s been echoed on the board by other posters, but I’m not so sure. Pavia and Jerry Kill have been a massive part of the success there in the last 2 years.

He also wasn’t the greatest recruiter while at ND and we’re now recruiting at levels we haven’t seen since the Holtz years.

 

[arrowryan]

It’s been echoed on the board by other posters, but I’m not so sure. Pavia and Jerry Kill have been a massive part of the success there in the last 2 years.

He also wasn’t the greatest recruiter while at ND and we’re now recruiting at levels we haven’t seen since the Holtz years.

I think we might be approaching a time in CFB where the GM is more important than a coach’s ability to recruit.

 

[Dale]

Clark is the replacement of Marcus goes to the NFL. The only call and you don't let him say no

The only? Why?

 

[The Backer]

I think we might be approaching a time in CFB where the GM is more important than a coach’s ability to recruit.

Yup. Freeman is extremely engaged on the recruiting trail, but it's no coincidence that recruiting has taken a major uptick with the arrival of Mike Martin -- along with the ND friendly House ruling.

 

[Dale]

Depends on the GM and depends on the school. I don’t believe a single commit is coming here because of Mike Martin. Freeman and the staff get kids in the door. Martin and the staff center on the scouting and negotiation. The middle of that is still Freeman. At a place like Notre Dame, I don’t believe we can ever just go transactional and say well our GM will negotiate the contract to sign him. That can work at lower levels and lesser schools. I don’t think Notre Dame can compete for a national championship without an excellent high school recruiter at HC. If recruits start to value only the dollar, well that probably hurts Notre Dame.

 

[rtrn2glory]

The only? Why?

Take away the fact that he's a great coach, winner, and class act. He knows the make up of Notre Dame and what he's getting into. I see him as the closest thing to Marcus that would be on the market, and it's not even close TBH

 

[Dale]

Take away the fact that he's a great coach, winner, and class act. He knows the make up of Notre Dame and what he's getting into. I see him as the closest thing to Marcus that would be on the market, and it's not even close TBH

He’s 10 games under .500 as HC including a 7 - 6 season last year and 2 - 10 season just two years ago. Him and Freeman are also almost opposites with regards to recruiting including some quotes as Vandy HC I would take pause at.

Look I get people like Lea as a person. And he’s certainly a viable candidate but I really am stumped when described as the end all be all candidate.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Are you seriously comparing the state of the Vanderbilt program that he took over vs the state of the ND program that MF took over?

Say all you want about BK, but he didn't leave the place in shambles.

What he's done there is nothing short of remarkable, especially going against the blue bloods he has to on a weekly basis. All year I kept waiting for the magic to run out, but he continues to get his team ready to play on a weekly basis very similar to MF.

you're right I'm a Lea guy and will continue to be until he's proven that he can't coach.

in regards to recruiting probably not on the same level, but if they're in talks of flipping a 5* QB from Georgia then he or they must have something figured out.

 

[Dale]

Are you seriously comparing the state of the Vanderbilt program that he took over vs the state of the ND program that MF took over?

Say all you want about BK, but he didn't leave the place in shambles.

I didn’t make any comparison of the sort.

What he's done there is nothing short of remarkable, especially going against the blue bloods he has to on a weekly basis. All year I kept waiting for the magic to run out, but he continues to get his team ready to play on a weekly basis very similar to MF.

you're right I'm a Lea guy and will continue to be until he's proven that he can't coach.

That’s fine we can all be Lea guys but the emotional attachment doesn’t justify a candidate we should just hand the job yet.

 

[NDFAN2008]

I think Lea is a good coach but he isn’t anywhere near a recruiter Freeman is

 

[rtrn2glory]

I didn’t make any comparison of the sort.



That’s fine we can all be Lea guys but the emotional attachment doesn’t justify a candidate we should just hand the job yet.

Dude that's pretty much exactly how our current head coach was hired. Fortunately it has worked out.

 

[allenm5333]

I think Lea is a good coach but he isn’t anywhere near a recruiter Freeman is

There are stories of him not being a huge fan of recruiting. Good at it but not a MF grinder

 

[Dale]

Dude that's pretty much exactly how our current head coach was hired. Fortunately it has worked out.

Marcus Freeman is an elite high school recruiter. Clark Lea is not. That is the difference.

The idea that no other candidate exists that can top Lea, rooted in seemingly because he’s a nice guy who worked here, is silly.

 

[rtrn2glory]

You are totally taking out the importance of actually knowing ball to be a coach. Idk the guy personally, I just know that he's a helluva coach. Recruiting i can say yes prolly can be better, but the fact that he's been able to do what he's done at Vandy has me a believer. Recruiting very important, but if you can't coach the talent you get in here then it's just a waste of time and resources. He's shown to be a great developer of talent just like the current head coach, and with much fewer resources. I'm not convinced he wouldn't be able to do the same at ND.

 

[Dale]

You are totally taking out the importance of actually knowing ball to be a coach.

Lea isn’t the only coach who knows ball.

 

[rtrn2glory]

true, but he has experience doing it at ND too and TBH, I'm starting to think the list that does is becoming few and far between. It's very hard to win and he's winning at a place where it was near impossible to for the past decade.

 

[BoredIrish]

FWIW I would take Dan Lanning over Clark Lea.

Lea may be a better fit... but I think Lanning is a better coach.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Haven't been sold on Lanning at all TBH. You might be right, but I wouldn't take that side of the sand.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Clark is the replacement of Marcus goes to the NFL. The only call and you don't let him say no

What exactly does this look like, because I get a Sopranos kind of vibe the more I read it over and over again.

I would like to think that the first call they make is to someone that can only say yes.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Figure of speech more than anything I suppose. Won't argue with that. I'd think he'd be intrigued and want the job, but it's possible he's just too comfortable where he is too.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

FWIW I would take Dan Lanning over Clark Lea.

Lea may be a better fit... but I think Lanning is a better coach.

Could be. Lanning has lost 7 games in 4 seasons and really only two of them were ass kickings. He's only lost two home games. Had some issues with Washington in the PAC 12. We'll see how it goes this year.

I have a hard time seeing him leave Oregon for Notre Dame, though.

 

[allenm5333]

FWIW I would take Dan Lanning over Clark Lea.

Lea may be a better fit... but I think Lanning is a better coach.

Oh I disagree stronglyyyyy here. What is Lanning without Phil Knight's wallet?

 

[Bane]

Could be. Lanning has lost 7 games in 4 seasons and really only two of them were ass kickings. He's only lost two home games. Had some issues with Washington in the PAC 12. We'll see how it goes this year.

I have a hard time seeing him leave Oregon for Notre Dame, though.

Lanning feels more likely to end up at an upper crust SEC program than ND if he leaves Oregon.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Lanning feels more likely to end up at an upper crust SEC program than ND if he leaves Oregon.

That's my thought as well. Somebody crazy enough to come up with the money to make him move.

I don't know that being a mad dog recruiter in this era is a necessity anymore. It certainly helps and would be my preference for my head coach, but I don't know that it is necessary.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: If I'm getting Clark Lea, I want Jerry Kill and his OC to come with him too. In that order. Packaged deal. I'm inclined to give Jerry Kill a substantial raise to whatever Vanderbilt is paying him, too.

 

[PutuporShutup]

Oh I disagree stronglyyyyy here. What is Lanning without Phil Knight's wallet?

Oregon isn't the first or only school pumping serious money into recruiting and the portal.

Oregon has had top 5 recruiting classes the last 3 years, OREGON! Lanning is a HUGE part of that.

 

[Bane]

That's my thought as well. Somebody crazy enough to come up with the money to make him move.

I don't know that being a mad dog recruiter in this era is a necessity anymore. It certainly helps and would be my preference for my head coach, but I don't know that it is necessary.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: If I'm getting Clark Lea, I want Jerry Kill and his OC to come with him too. In that order. Packaged deal. I'm inclined to give Jerry Kill a substantial raise to whatever Vanderbilt is paying him, too.

I'm not sure if a coach has to be an elite recruiter anymore, but I know it never hurts if they are. All things being equal, I would take a chance on a coach who can recruit his ass off over one that maybe has a better system/scheme. Sure, there are GMs now and it's taken some of the load off of the HC and that's great for them, but it's never going to hurt if your HC is a killer on the recruiting trail.

And our own HC is proof of concept. When we hired Freeman we had no idea if he could actually coach a blue blood CFB program, but we knew he could recruit and even if he failed he would set the next guy up with a great roster. Thankfully for us, it turns out he can coach a little bit, too.

 

[Bane]

Oregon isn't the first or only school pumping serious money into recruiting and the portal.

Oregon has had top 5 recruiting classes the last 3 years, OREGON! Lanning is a HUGE part of that.

Yeah, Lanning is a really good coach and seems like an elite recruiter. I actually like the guy, but I don't know there just seems to be something missing. I know those Oregon teams have a ton of talent and that is in part why all of the computers seem to love them, but they don't really feel like a program with a lot of talent. They don't seem to overwhelm their opponents and they're not very physically imposing. I get this is sort of an "eye test" subjective thing, but watching them get pushed around by IU definitely colors my perception of them. They got obliterated by OSU in the playoffs last year too.

I'll be interested to see how they look against USC. Even when the ND game was tight with USC, it was pretty clear who the bigger, stronger, and more talented team was. We physically imposed our will in the run game over and over again, and held an explosive offense in check.

 

[Fbolt]

Marcus is breaking the mold on ND can't win. If - or when- he finally departs, there will be plenty of coaches willing to step in. He's making this job one of "The Jobs" in all of sports.

And I don't believe Lea will leave Vandy.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I'm not sure if a coach has to be an elite recruiter anymore, but I know it never hurts if they are. All things being equal, I would take a chance on a coach who can recruit his ass off over one that maybe has a better system/scheme. Sure, there are GMs now and it's taken some of the load off of the HC and that's great for them, but it's never going to hurt if your HC is a killer on the recruiting trail.

And our own HC is proof of concept. When we hired Freeman we had no idea if he could actually coach a blue blood CFB program, but we knew he could recruit and even if he failed he would set the next guy up with a great roster. Thankfully for us, it turns out he can coach a little bit, too.

Exactly. I think each situation is different but at the end of the day, it's Notre Dame. The head coach has to be down in the weeds and out there recruiting both high school players and the portal.

Freeman has made the exceptional OC and DC hires of Denbrock and Golden. He learns from his mistakes but he's got the guys there at the top who handle the Xs and Os. The fact that he's involved with recruiting is a really good thing in this particular scenario. I think he knows ball real well too, and probably doesn't get enough credit for that because of the aura and persona he gives off. He has Tressel and Holtz as mentors.

There may well come a time down the line where he puts more eggs into the HC and coaching ball bucket, but I honestly think he likes it too much and will probably always be out there. Hopefully for years to come at ND.