Mike Mickens ND CB’s Coach

[benneboy]

Should be super easy to bring in an elite db coach right now with our head coach testing NFL waters for the last month

 

[IrishInOntario]

Mickens has been a beast as a coach and a recruiter. I wish him the absolute best in the NFL. Hopefully it gets him the experience he needs to run his own defense soon enough!

With Ash's background coaching safeties I wonder if he takes over that spot and ND hires a corners coach. Would have been great to still have J-Cod!

Freeman has to nail this hire because losing Mickens, his best position coach, is a tough (but not impossible to recover from) blow in a year when ND's looking to compete for a Natty.

 

[Dale]

Should be super easy to bring in an elite db coach right now with our head coach testing NFL waters for the last month

I mean if they were on staff for Freeman while he gets an NFL job, it would give them an inside track in said NFL job as well

Sucks to move multiple times but, that’s what the money is for. Mickens was the highest paid secondary coach in the country.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Corey Parker has done a heck of a job at Illinois. I wonder if he gets short listed.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jevaughn Codlin gets a call at North Texas to come coach the CBs while Ash handles the safeties. Dynamic recruiter and highly familiar with ND's system and players.

 

[Irish#1]

You knew it would eventually happen, but it still sucks.

 

[arrowryan]

 

[IrishSpartan]

Jimmy lake is the answer right?

 

[IAIrish]

Corey Parker has done a heck of a job at Illinois. I wonder if he gets short listed.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jevaughn Codlin gets a call at North Texas to come coach the CBs while Ash handles the safeties. Dynamic recruiter and highly familiar with ND's system and players.

Was thinking the same. Codlin knows the returning players and had a hand in recruiting the freshman. Plus recruiter based on this class and the 27's he was in on.

My guess is Freeman knows exactly what he'd get with him while an experienced Ash mentor.

Is this what a championship unit does though? With recruiting done and the portal closed, Free has time on his side to make the absolute best decision.

 

[Bluto]

View attachment 3062582
Casey McHugh come on down.

He needs to fix that cowlick. Seriously.

 

[DomeFieldAdvantage]

Perry Eliano could be an option. He was Mickens replacement when Mickens left Cincy, so he has worked with Freeman for a year.

 

[FalcoBro]

Told my wife tonight it’s been 24-48 hours since any Irish related drama, sure shit this news hits tonight to prove me wrong, congrats to Mickens he’s more than earned this opportunity and hope he knocks it out of the park and appreciate what he’s brought to the Irish while he was here!

 

[dublinirish]

Chris O’Leary return perhaps?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WineGate]

I can understand people being skittish with Ash's disastrous first impression but Freeman's hiring has been largely phenomenal. I'm probably forgetting someone but Stuckey is really the only person I can immediately think of that's a certified bad hire with hindsight. Have to trust he has someone in mind.

Agreed, I'm interested to see who they land

 

[IrishFanForever23]

Perry Eliano could be an option. He was Mickens replacement when Mickens left Cincy, so he has worked with Freeman for a year.

Pretty sure Ohio State hated him and I think he lasted a year.

 

[Dale]

Not a suggestion but a name - Doug Belk was not retained by USC. Experience as a CB and S and DBs coach. Floated around here before

 

[Rocketman84]

Let's see if we can steal another Buckeye and get Tim Walton on the line! Phil Parker and Chris Hampton wouldn't be bad choices either.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Congrats, coach. You turned a once bottom of the barrel position group into one of pure dominance. I bestow upon you the inaugural “thank you neat”.

 

[peadeam]

Should be super easy to bring in an elite db coach right now with our head coach testing NFL waters for the last month

Didn’t seem to hurt at all getting a dline coach

 

[bkess8]

Congrats Coach Mickens and thank you!

 

[notredomer23]

Jay Valai - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Good amount of Chris Ash overlap here.

 

[NDQuebec]

You’re forgetting a certain OC lol

Let's not forget ...Del

 

[rtrn2glory]

I would look at the NFL to find a replacement. There's gotta be someone you can poach with an NFL pedigree.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Corey Parker has done a heck of a job at Illinois. I wonder if he gets short listed.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jevaughn Codlin gets a call at North Texas to come coach the CBs while Ash handles the safeties. Dynamic recruiter and highly familiar with ND's system and players.

First name that came to my mind when I saw the news.

 

[arrowryan]

Jeff Burris?

 

[CoachB]

My first thought was J Cod. Iowas secondary coach would be fine too. They are always so good.

 

[Henges24]

Very excited for him and well deserved. He will be missed.

He, Deland and Golden were amazing hires

 

[The Backer]

Last time we lost an indispensable they went out and hired Seider. Let's just do that again!

The good news is ND should have some really nice options to replace Mickens. What's really exciting is they have a couple of very good "home grown" candidates in O'Leary and Codlin. I'm hoping this bodes well for the ND coaching network as something viable to grow a future head coach, you know in 2035 when Marcus retires to become the president of the school.

The guy from UIUC would be a really good candidate but my money is they'll end up bringing in somebody connected to the current defensive staff.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

There are some P5 DC out there would could fill this role and it would not be a step back for their careers.

I still like Parker a lot and have seen his name come up first at the top of a couple of articles about candidates.

They've probably known this was coming or could at least be a possibility. It's obviously a surprise to the public. Great move for Mickens. He will now have coached with Al Golden and Jesse Minter. If he has been taking notes and continues to, he will be coming up with some great defensive concepts.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Would be funny to take Tyler Stockton away from Michigan but not sure he's a CB coach.

 

[Rocketman84]

My first thought was J Cod. Iowas secondary coach would be fine too. They are always so good.

Isn't Codlin the analyst/Asst DL coach that just left?