Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1517388
8 APRIL 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TYLER HORKA L ast fall, Marcus Freeman said Mike Mickens is ready to be a defensive coordinator. This spring, he said Deland McCullough is ready to be a head coach. They're both still on Notre Dame's coaching staff in 2024. Retaining both wasn't impossible, clearly, but it might have been improb- able. And it was definitely immense, without a doubt. Why? "Consistency is so important," Free- man said. In a time in which there is never a shortage of job openings in college and professional football, Notre Dame kept its cornerbacks coach in Mickens and running backs coach in McCullough. Mickens is entering his fifth season in South Bend. McCullough is going into his third. They're the men in charge of two of the best position groups on the Irish roster. Benjamin Morrison, Chris- tian Gray, Jaden Mickey. Thanks, Mr. Mickens. Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Gi'Bran Payne. Thanks, Mr. McCullough. It goes beyond recruiting and devel- opment with those two. They're right- hand men for Freeman. McCullough, in particular, participates in some of Free- man's head coach meetings with his el- evated title of associate head coach. "I want to help him in as many ways as I can," Freeman said. "It's not saying, 'I have the answers.' It's saying, 'Come be a part of this.' He can take some things off of my plate. He's earned the right." The Irish also hung onto defensive coordinator Al Golden, the leader of a defense that ranked No. 5 nationally in yards allowed per game in 2023. The only losses to the on-field staff were offensive coordinator Gerad Parker, who became the head coach at Troy, Chris O'Leary, who's now the safeties coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, and wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey, whom Freeman chose to part ways with. Freeman promoted Mickens to defen- sive backs coach. He's now responsible for corners and safeties with help from special teams coordinator Marty Biagi. And, of course, Notre Dame brought in Mike Denbrock from LSU to replace Parker. Denbrock, 60, is in his third stint at Notre Dame, and it sounds like it's go- UNDER THE DOME CONSISTENCY IS KEY Notre Dame made the right coaching staff moves this offseason, so now it's time to take advantage of them while they last Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman (flanked by Mike Mickens on the left and Marty Biagi on the right) kept his coaching staff largely intact for Year 3. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER