Notre Dame enters its 118th season of college football and the third under head coach Marcus Freeman.
The Irish have won double-digit games in six of the previous seven seasons. The lone season they failed to reach at least 10 wins was Freeman’s first full season in 2022 when the Irish finished 9-4.
The knock on the Irish has been the same for most of the decade: They can’t win the big game when matched up in the postseason against a perennial power.
Freeman and his coaching staff are determined to get the Irish over the hump in 2024.
So, who makes up the Notre Dame coaching staff tasked with that challenge?
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Coaching Staff
Head Coach, Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame’s head coach Freeman led the Fighting Irish to an impressive 10-3 record in 2023, culminating in a Sun Bowl victory over No. 21-ranked Oregon State. The season also featured notable wins against ranked opponents, including No. 9-ranked USC and No. 17-ranked Duke.
Under Freeman’s leadership, the 2023 Notre Dame defense excelled, ranking first in team pass efficiency defense, second in red-zone defense, fourth in passing yards allowed, and eighth in scoring defense and total defense.
Offensively, the Irish were just as formidable, averaging 39.1 points per game. That was the second-highest mark in program history, trailing only the 1912 team that averaged 48.6 points over eight games. Notre Dame’s offense also averaged 7.0 yards per play, matching the program record set in 2015.
Freeman’s tenure began in 2022, when he guided the Irish to a 9-4 record, capped off with a victory over No. 19 South Carolina in the Gator Bowl.
A former standout at Ohio State, Freeman was a four-year letter-winner for the Buckeyes from 2004 to 2008. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2008 and helped lead Ohio State to four conference titles, three BCS bowls, and two national championship appearances.
Freeman went on to play in the 2009 Senior Bowl and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. He also spent time with the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans before a medical condition ended his playing career.
Defensive Coordinator, Al Golden
Al Golden completed his 31st year of coaching and his second season at Notre Dame in 2023, during which he continued to make a significant impact on the Irish defense.
Under his guidance, the 2023 Notre Dame defense emerged as one of the top units in the nation. The Irish ranked first in the country in pass efficiency defense, second in red-zone defense, fourth in passing yards allowed, and eighth in total defense.
The 2023 defensive unit wasn’t just outstanding for the season — it ranks among the best in Notre Dame’s storied history. The ’23 defense set or approached top marks in eight categories, including opponent pass yards per attempt, total pass yards allowed, and opponent yards per play. This performance solidified the 2023 defense as one of the most formidable in the program’s history.
Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach, Mike Denbrock
A 36-year coaching veteran, Mike Denbrock returned to the University of Notre Dame football program in Dec. 2023 as the “John and Bobbie Arlotta Family Offensive Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach.”
This marks Denbrock’s third stint with the Irish, having previously served as the offensive tackles and tight ends coach from 2002-04 and later coaching the tight ends and wide receivers while also taking on roles as passing game coordinator, offensive coordinator, and associate head coach from 2010-16.
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Denbrock’s return to Notre Dame reunites him with coach Freeman, with whom he shares a significant coaching history. The two played pivotal roles in Cincinnati’s rise to prominence, helping the Bearcats reach a New Year’s Six bowl in 2020.
While Freeman transitioned to Notre Dame as defensive coordinator and eventually head coach, Denbrock remained at Cincinnati, where he contributed to the program’s first and only College Football Playoff appearance in 2021.
Special Teams Coordinator/Assistant Defensive Backs Coach, Marty Biagi
Marty Biagi, a 15-year coaching veteran at the collegiate level, completed his first season as Notre Dame’s special teams coordinator after joining the program in 2023. As the 2024 season approached, Biagi’s responsibilities expanded to include the assistant defensive backs coach role.
In his inaugural season at Notre Dame in 2023, Biagi played a crucial role in helping senior kicker Spencer Shrader establish himself as one of the best long-distance kickers in school history. Shrader set a school record by hitting a 54-yard field goal at NC State and made two more 50+ yard kicks at Louisville.
Wide Receivers Coach, Mike Brown
Joining the Notre Dame coaching staff in Dec. 2023, Brown coached the Irish wide receivers in their decisive 40-8 Sun Bowl victory over No. 21 Oregon State. Before coming to Notre Dame, he was the associate head coach and wide receivers coach at the University of Wisconsin for the 2023 season.
Brown transitioned to Wisconsin alongside head coach Luke Fickell, having previously worked with Fickell at the University of Cincinnati, where he was the wide receivers coach from 2019 to 2022 and served as the passing game coordinator in 2022.
A standout player, Brown was a two-time All-American wide receiver at Liberty University and spent three seasons in the NFL after signing a free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Linebackers Coach, Max Bullough
In 2023, Max Bullough played a crucial role in guiding Notre Dame’s linebacking corps to a strong season, with the starting linebackers combining for 182 tackles. The unit was led by JD Bertrand, who topped the team with 76 stops. Additionally, the linebackers accounted for 16.5 tackles for loss throughout the season.
Before joining Notre Dame, Bullough was instrumental in developing Alabama’s Henry To’oTo’o, who earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors in 2022 after being named to the second team in 2021.
Bullough’s expertise has consistently helped elevate the performance of his linebackers at the highest levels of college football.
Quarterbacks Coach/Pass Game Coordinator, Gino Guidugli
In 2023, Gino Guidugli completed his first season as the quarterbacks coach at the University of Notre Dame, serving as the interim offensive coordinator for the Sun Bowl victory over No. 21 Oregon State.
During the 2023 season, Guidugli guided the Irish quarterbacks to throw 31 touchdown passes, the fourth-highest total in program history. The team’s average of 9.13 yards per passing attempt ranked third best in Notre Dame history.
Under Guidugli’s direction, graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman achieved a passer rating of 159.5, the third-best in Notre Dame history. Hartman finished the 2023 season, completing 63.5% of his passes for 2,689 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Guidugli brings 13 years of coaching experience, including four years as a passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During his tenure at Cincinnati (2018-22), where he served as offensive coordinator, passing game coordinator, and quarterbacks coach, the Bearcats completed over 60% of their passes, amassing 14,317 yards and 116 touchdowns.
Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Coach, Deland McCullough
In 2022, Deland McCullough served as Notre Dame’s running backs coach and continued in 2023 with the added responsibility of run game coordinator.
During the 2023 season, he worked closely with junior running back Audric Estimé, helping him achieve one of the best rushing seasons in the program’s history. Estimé rushed for 1,341 yards, ranking fifth on Notre Dame’s single-season list, and finished the regular season with the eighth-highest rushing total in the nation.
McCullough’s playing career was equally impressive. As a three-time All-MAC selection at Miami (OH) — earning first-team honors in 1992 and 1995 and second-team honors in 1994 — he became the first Miami player to be named MAC Freshman of the Year in 1992 and a finalist for the prestigious Doak Walker Award.
McCullough concluded his RedHawk career as the MAC and Miami record holder for career rushing yards (4,368) and career rushing attempts (949).
Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Defensive Pass Game Coordinator, Mike Mickens
Mike Mickens completed his fourth season with the Irish in 2023, taking on additional responsibilities as the defensive passing game coordinator. Under his guidance, the Notre Dame defense emerged as the top pass efficiency unit in the nation (94.91) and ranked fourth in passing yards allowed per game (154.2).
Mickens played a crucial role in developing one of the nation’s top cornerback duos, sophomore Benjamin Morrison and senior Cam Hart, who combined to break up 14 passes, intercept two, and force two fumbles during the 2023 season.
Additionally, he helped graduate transfer nickel cornerback Thomas Harper have the best season of his career, recording 39 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, and three pass breakups.
Offensive Line Coach, Joe Rudolph
Joe Rudolph completed his first season as the offensive line coach at Notre Dame in 2023. He oversaw a unit named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the best offensive line in the country.
Under his leadership, the offensive line played a pivotal role in the team’s success, helping Notre Dame average 7.0 yards per play — a mark that ranks as the second-best in program history, dating back to 1967.
Before joining Notre Dame, Rudolph served as the offensive line coach at Virginia Tech in 2022 following seven successful seasons in the same role at Wisconsin. His extensive experience significantly impacted Notre Dame’s offensive production in his first year with the team.
Defensive Line Coach/Defensive Run Game Coordinator, Al Washington
In 2023, Al Washington completed his second season leading the Irish defensive line, crucial in one of the nation’s top defensive units.
Notre Dame’s defense ranked first in pass efficiency defense, second in red-zone defense, fourth in passing yards allowed per game, and eighth in total defense.
Washington’s impact was also evident in 2022 when the Irish defensive line contributed significantly to Notre Dame’s 21st-ranked total defense, recording 29 tackles for loss and 29 sacks.
Before joining Notre Dame, Washington coached at Ohio State, where his defense ranked in the top-20 nationally in both defensive touchdowns and turnover margin during his final season with the Buckeyes.
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