ND Coaching Search Megathread

[irish o'phile]

Bottom line is we just don’t know how he’ll work out. Freeman working with him and hiring him indicates some level of assumed competence by Freeman.

 

[irish o'phile]

Yeah, that all kinda sounds like a worse version of Brewster.

I would have preferred Brewster too.

 

[Rogue219]

So MF hiring a bunch of dudes he knows or has worked with... Kelly would get shit on by some for doing as much.

Mason and Parker. That's two.

Hiestand is a known quantity, Stuckey by all accounts is an all around superior human, McCullough is a bat flip home run, Parker was at Purdue with Freeman and Mason at UC.

They snagged Al Washington fast before anyone else could. We don't know who the DC is yet, most likely Al Golden.

This isn't Grand Valley State South under Kelly by any stretch, or am I missing something with the other guys?

 

[ab2cmiller]

That WV offensive coordinator position room was pretty full and sounds like a mess. Parker and Scott were Co-offensive coordinators with the head coach actually calling the plays. Now they've brought in Graham Harrell

 

[irish o'phile]

Hiring a guy who was co-OC at WVU sounds intriguing.

But he has what, 2 years of TE experience?Definitely strange that he was the only interview.

I just looked and WVU didn’t exactly set the world on fire, but like I said in another post, we have no idea how he’ll do as ND TE coach until he does the job.

 

[Armyirish47]

A write up of West Virginia's last two years on offense.

2020

2021

 

[Rogue219]

All the turnover had caused some anxiety among some fans here and there, and now the openings are being filled and we're all kinda "WTF" with some of the hires.

I had come to a place where my mind was set on Brewester at TE coach, so of course they didn't hire him. LOL. Belk and Brewster were ships that passed me in the night. Whatever.

 

[Dale]

WVU TEs were only on the field for about 20% of passing snaps last year. This feels like a hire where they might be in part trying to sell a more “open” passing future to recruits (see Tate interest in Tennessee).

 

[NDPhilly]

Seemed to be a pretty solid recruiter at both PSU and WVU. Signed a few 4 star WRs at each.

 

[chicago51]

WVU TEs were only on the field for about 20% of passing snaps last year. This feels like a hire where they might be in part trying to sell a more “open” passing future to recruits (see Tate interest in Tennessee).

You think Parker winds up coaching TEs as well as spending some time with inside slot WRs?

 

[Rogue219]

So why was Brewster not retained at Florida?

2026 Football Coaches - Florida Gators

The official Football Coach List for the Florida Gators Gators

floridagators.com

Hard to say, but in looking at this, they have CB and S split out along with ILB and OLB. So someone might not be full time on there.

In my day, WR and TE were coached together as a group. That's since changed for sure, but I always thought it made sense. Hence Parker having spent more time recently coaching WR and now coaching TE isn't going to be that huge of a deal as far as I'm concerned. I don't think it's anything to be worried about.

 

[IrishLax]

Brewster never stays in one spot long. Him and guys like Warriner always give me pause... like there has to be some friction or other issues if they never stay put or are never retained even when having "success."

 

[stpeteirish]

Hiring a guy who was co-OC at WVU sounds intriguing.

But he has what, 2 years of TE experience?Definitely strange that he was the only interview.

FWIW WVa's QB and top WR were in the portal. Not sure if they still are.

 

[Dale]

Brewster never stays in one spot long. Him and guys like Warriner always give me pause... like there has to be some friction or other issues if they never stay put or are never retained even when having "success."

He was with Jimbo for (4 years FSU) 5 years and Jimbo brought him A&M. Back to UNC was a promotion and coincides with Mack‘s return. Then to UF where he again, is back with Mullen and probably got a raise. Napier cleaned house I believe for the most part this off-season. But that means Jimbo, Mullen and Mack all either brought him to a new stop or brought him back.

 

[DONTH8]

FWIW WVa's QB and top WR were in the portal. Not sure if they still are.

Yeah, but does he have kids that are committed/enrolled 4 stars?

 

[irishff1014]

Didn’t interview anyone else per Loy. Again scratching my head here. Tommy supposed to have full autonomy and we hired MF’s friend with no other interviews? I’m digging myself into a negative stance but just don’t get this one yet.

Another rookie head coach mistake.

 

[stpeteirish]

Brewster never stays in one spot long. Him and guys like Warriner always give me pause... like there has to be some friction or other issues if they never stay put or are never retained even when having "success."

Yeah and you don't have to interview a guy like that everyone in the profession knows him and what you're getting. Wanting coaches who'll be around for a few years is something we appear to be looking for so this move fits into that thinking.

 

[chicago51]

My understanding is Brewster is a great recruiter BUT he's got a dirty reputation in how he recruits. He's a bad cultural fit for ND.

 

[Dale]

My understanding is Brewster is a great recruiter BUT he's got a dirty reputation in how he recruits. He's a bad cultural fit for ND.

Yeah virtually zero chance he pulled off his FSU days without cheating, especially given Jimbo. If we got 25% of what he did at FSU though it’d still be massive recruiting for a TEs coach.

 

[Irish4life]

I'm perfectly fine with Brewster, and to be quite frank, I don't think the TE coach will make or break the staff guys. Lol. I like that he's got a background in the air raid, and as a WR coach.

 

[irishog77]

Brewster never stays in one spot long. Him and guys like Warriner always give me pause... like there has to be some friction or other issues if they never stay put or are never retained even when having "success."

He was with Jimbo for (4 years FSU) 5 years and Jimbo brought him A&M. Back to UNC was a promotion and coincides with Mack‘s return. Then to UF where he again, is back with Mullen and probably got a raise. Napier cleaned house I believe for the most part this off-season. But that means Jimbo, Mullen and Mack all either brought him to a new stop or brought him back.

Yeah, looks like he was at unc/texas for a long time with Mack (13 years). Other than taking a lesser job as position coach after getting fired as HC at minnesota, his moves seem to be promotions/better jobs rather than demotions or even lateral jobs.

I'm with STL here, Lax. Now, he may not truly be a good fit for MF at ND, but I don't think it's because of how he moved around. If he truly was interested in the job and/or reached out, you gotta at least kick the tires on him.

Didn't McNulty leave Monday? And MF already has his new guy? Parker may end up being a good coach, but this definitely screams of MF simply hiring his guy- right away, almost no questions asked. The anti-approach of MF's own philosophy of "challenge everything."

 

[irishandy]

WVU TEs were only on the field for about 20% of passing snaps last year.

Mayer needs to be on the field 95% or more of the time.

ND always seems to have a TE on the field, even for a running play to block.

Anyone think this was a hurry up hire?

 

[Irish4life]

This is the indication I think would be bizarre. If Tommy (or MF) just wants to incorporate some Air Raid concepts go visit Mumme or someone in the off-season I’m confident Tommy can pick up on it. But fully leaning into Air Raid would kind of fly in the face of TE and OL tradition. Gonna ask Harry to start recruiting certain OL and widen out his splits? Unlikely.

I completely disagree that it flies in the face of the "TE tradition" at ND if I'm being honest. Simply run the air raid passing concepts and throw to TEs! Also, I don't think they're going full Mike Leach style air raid, but bringing some of those concepts to ND's pro-spread offense would be a pretty great addition to the repertoire, imho.

 

[Irish#1]

IE every time a new coach is announced.

 

[Dale]

I completely disagree that it flies in the face of the "TE tradition" at ND if I'm being honest. Simply run the air raid passing concepts and throw to TEs! Also, I don't think they're going full Mike Leach style air raid, but bringing some of those concepts to ND's pro-spread offense would be a pretty great addition to the repertoire, imho.

Unless they are Kyle Pitts (coincidence) NFL teams want to see the blocking. The mauling well coached ND TEs. Playing TE at the level we have seen and just have your TEs run WR routes are very different.

 

[chisea03]

Gerad Parker is going to be the new TE coach

 

[StPaul_Irish]

Unless they are Kyle Pitts (coincidence) NFL teams want to see the blocking. The mauling well coached ND TEs. Playing TE at the level we have seen and just have your TEs run WR routes are very different.

Maybe they do a combo platter? HH on blocking drills and GP with routes and catching stuff?

 

[chicago51]

I completely disagree that it flies in the face of the "TE tradition" at ND if I'm being honest. Simply run the air raid passing concepts and throw to TEs! Also, I don't think they're going full Mike Leach style air raid, but bringing some of those concepts to ND's pro-spread offense would be a pretty great addition to the repertoire, imho.

Yeah TE coach isn't designing the play book folks. He's teaching guys to run good routes and block.

A hitch is still a hitch, a post is still a post, an out is an out, a dig is a dig, etc regardless of what scheme/ concepts you are using.

 

[SouthSideChiDomer]

Maybe they do a combo platter? HH on blocking drills and GP with routes and catching stuff?

So you're going to ask the coach that is already responsible for 1/6 of the roster to also spend a bunch of time coaching someone else's position?

 

[irishog77]

So you're going to ask the coach that is already responsible for 1/6 of the roster to also spend a bunch of time coaching someone else's position?

Might as well also just have the WR, RB, and QB coach chip in and not even hire a TE coach.