SIAP: ND Hires TE Coach as OC - Laughter Ensues
ND tears can power the planet
February 16th, 2023 at 3:42 PM ^
Is Freeman trying to give Urban the job after this year?
February 16th, 2023 at 5:36 PM ^
It's not on Freeman, Notre Dame refused to pay the buyout for Utah's OC.
February 16th, 2023 at 3:44 PM ^
ND is always easy to hate. After last offseason when their fanbase was relentless before Freeman even coached a game....It sure is even sweeter.
February 16th, 2023 at 3:45 PM ^
Odd hire, but he was OC at WV. So its not his first go at it.
February 16th, 2023 at 3:52 PM ^
Their first choice, the Utah OC, was a no-go because ND wouldn't pay the buyout. I think that was the case with the Kansas State OC as well.
Kind of weird they would embrace NIL the way they have and then let a buyout prevent them from getting two very good OC candidates. This guy might be good, but he wasn't their first choice and I wonder if Freeman had to hire from inside the program because of the buyout issues.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:20 PM ^
I'm very confused by ND's NIL. A lot of ND fans and media claim it's similar to ours, but the results of their recruiting certainly do not back that up. You can't tell me that ND's staff is that likeable where they will go to ND with an NIL program like ours and also not really win. They have to have a very good NIL program
February 16th, 2023 at 4:22 PM ^
Yeah, I don't know much about it but I got the sense that the university embraced it more and they were a bit more organized about it than UM and that was why they were winning out on some recruits. I think their staff is also good at recruiting, but having something coherent with NIL got them a lot further than us.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:39 PM ^
I'm seeing ND with the 10th class per 247 and M at 18. That gap doesn't seem all that significant when you factor in the amount of uncertainties with potential talent. I imagine ND had an easier path for some recruits to earn playing time where M has significant talent returning. Big year for Freeman to start proving something on the field though.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:42 PM ^
ND's NIL includes holy cards.
February 16th, 2023 at 10:17 PM ^
Don’t forget the felt scapulars.
February 16th, 2023 at 10:25 PM ^
Holy water and sacramental wine chasers…
February 16th, 2023 at 4:59 PM ^
The idea that ND NIL is so great is born out of nothing other than the fact that Michigan fans don't want to admit the fact that NIL isn't the reason for the recruiting downturn this year.
It is actually extremely believable that an elite recruiter like Freeman, who was smoking Michigan on the trail in the year before NIL existed as a DC taking over the head coaching job and having nothing but hype and no results could out recruit Michigan. Just like Harbaugh landed a top 5 class his first full year.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:24 PM ^
I have always been a bit suspect of ND's NIL program as some juggernaut but this does throw a wrench in the narrative that they're willing to pay like the big boys. I do think Freeman seems like a dynamic, cool young guy and that probably goes a long way with a lot of recruits. One of the consistent knocks against guys like Weiss and Helow were that they didn't "connect" with recruits and Harbaugh, as the head guy at UM, is an acquired taste. So I do wonder if some of ND's early recruiting success with him was just his personality and age and not that they were out-bidding everyone.
ND's offense wasn't great this year and while I heard a raft of excuses for why it's not like they'll be more talented next year even with Hartman at QB. They lose Mayer to the draft, their OC to Alabama and OL coach to retirement, and while they have some young pieces it's not like they're loaded to the gills with elite playmakers. So we'll see how they look next year but it's weird to see them cheap out on the offense when they clearly need to get an infusion of momentum on that side going into year 2.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:35 PM ^
Sam said if you've had a kid looking at ND and UM, usually all things are equal. Academics, facilities, NFL development, etc. But with NIL, ND was able to give a dollar amount and UM wasn't, so kids took the sure thing. But ND wasn't competing with the SEC schools in terms of dollar amounts, it was just that they gave something, and M doesn't.
February 16th, 2023 at 3:57 PM ^
His wikipedia page says that he was demoted at WVU which is why he left for Notre Dame.
Very odd for an OC to get "demoted" as opposed to fired - ironically, it may be that WVU didn't want to pay the buy out to fire him! LOL
February 16th, 2023 at 3:58 PM ^
ND not willing to pay a buyout…eep. Now is not the time to get cheap fellas.
ND is going to have to get into a conference sooner rather than later.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:40 PM ^
They're delusional. They actually think they're going to get $75M/yr from their next NBC contract.
February 16th, 2023 at 5:02 PM ^
screw them they made their bed, let them lie in it and whither on the vine
February 16th, 2023 at 6:31 PM ^
The new spin is that ND was willing to pay, but Ludwig got back to Utah and realized what a hellhole South Bend is.
Or there was some confusion on the account & routing number to send the money - something like that.
People who complain about Sam Webb repeating the company line have no idea what life is like on the ND board.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:01 PM ^
Hopefully this fails. Would like to see ND recruiting fall off a cliff.
Tight end coaches aren't always bad OCs. Ben Johnson has done a pretty good job for the Lions after his promotion.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:18 PM ^
It seems like ND wasn't willing to pay the only $2M buyout for the Utah OC lol
February 16th, 2023 at 5:11 PM ^
Not being willing/able to pay the buyout is bad enough but they flew the guy in and had him next to Freeman at a hockey game. Suggests delusion or dysfunction to me.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:19 PM ^
It's not a terrible resume but I'm sure Irish fans were expecting more. Their new QB coach they poached from Wisconsin actually seems more qualified.
Looks like he and Freeman are pretty close from their time together at Purdue. Hopefully this is his Drevno and starts a downward trend in recruiting and player development. They've probably been the biggest thorn in our side from a recruiting perspective the past 5 years.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:24 PM ^
TE coach did great. Watching their massive TE do everything for them.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:25 PM ^
It's funny they missed on the KSU and Utah OCs for sure. At the same time, they are now taking the same approach that Michigan took when Gattis left. Bring in 1 guy from the outside that has some experience (Guidugli - OC from Cinci and Weiss from Baltimore) and promote internally (Moore).
Worked out well for Michigan...
February 16th, 2023 at 5:49 PM ^
That is incorrect. Weiss and Moore were both on staff when Gattis left. Also, Moore's trajectory has only been going up whereas their internal promotion was recently demoted from that same position at WVU.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:40 PM ^
I'll wait before LOLing this. I rolled my eyes when Ben Johnson got promoted from TE coach to OC and the Lions had a top 5 offense.
The Ravens have been a playoff mainstay with a HC that was a special teams coordinator most of his career.
Having Sam Hartmann should help this ease into the role.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:43 PM ^
Former tight ends represent the same preponderance of football coaches as former catchers in baseball.
I too will reserve judgment on this hire until there is data to evaluate, but we can still laugh at all the Domer faithful who are pissy because he wasn't their first choice.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:41 PM ^
Hope it goes poorly for ND, but I'm pretty sure tons of Lions fans are happy they hired a TE coach as their Head Coach.
February 16th, 2023 at 4:57 PM ^
Young OC, incomplete on rather it’s a good hire. All hires, esp as coordinators for young head coaches are critical hires. Many thought Freeman flopped a bit in his 1st season but replacing your OC after 1 season is a big step. I do think part of this is to keep the offense in tact as he was on staff, knows the offense they ran and he likely made a good pitch of things he keeps and runs with the offense and things he does different, adds to or takes away.
February 16th, 2023 at 5:03 PM ^
obligatory fuck the fig things. south bend is a shithole
February 21st, 2023 at 9:11 AM ^
Is that really necessary? So you don’t like ND but do you have to sound like a mad kid at recess?
ND has spanked us continually on the recruiting trail so I guess that has built up a lot of hatred for you.
Why do we care who ND hired as OC - we don’t even play them.
February 16th, 2023 at 5:18 PM ^
Given the coaching questions, the lack of explosive players, and a hard schedule -- Ohio State, Clemson, NC State and USC -- ND is looking at an 8-4 season, tops. Pressure's on.
February 16th, 2023 at 9:31 PM ^
Is it wrong to hope for 6-6 so the ND fan base comes completely unhinged?
February 16th, 2023 at 6:56 PM ^
Not a laughter of a hire, the guy has been an OC previously, and is an internal promotion. Better way to put it is "not the most exciting hire" since they couldn't get the top candidates.