Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1529781
4 NOV. 30, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED S u c c e s s f u l o r s t r u g g l i n g , working as a head foot- ball coach will forever be a damned-if-you-do, damned-if you-don't endeavor. When a program struggles, the assistant coaches can't wait to flee the scene. And, when a program finds success, other teams can't wait to lure the assistants away. The latter scenario is where third- year Irish head coach Marcus Freeman will find himself again after the season. Expect Irish defensive coordi- nator Al Golden, associate head coach/running backs coach De- land McCullough and defensive line coach/defensive run game coordinator Al Washington to get calls, consideration and courtship after this season to leave Notre Dame for another destination. It's the natural order of things. All of the above would be great coaches, here or elsewhere. But if there is one position coach Freeman needs to do everything in his power to keep, it's defensive backs coach/defensive pass game coordinator Mike Mickens. He has been building a strong case this season as the best po- sition coach in the country and will be one of the hottest coaching commodi- ties in the country this offseason. Even while working through multiple injuries in the secondary this year — including a season-ender to junior All- American cornerback Benjamin Morri- son — Mickens has still fielded the best pass defense in the country, based on the eye test and statistics. The Irish entered the Army game ranked No. 1 nationally in team passing efficiency defense (88.89 rating) and No. 2 in passing yards allowed per game (150.9). Only twice had Notre Dame given up more than 200 passing yards in its first 10 games this season, and only once had it allowed more than 1 touch- down pass to an opponent. And Mickens' unit seemingly im- proved all season. Three times in the previous five games before Army, Irish opponents didn't even reach the 100-yard pass- ing mark. And in those five games from Stanford through Virginia, Notre Dame allowed only 1 touchdown pass in total. It entered the Army game third in the country with only 6 touchdown passes allowed, and tied for seventh nationally with 15 interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns — the fourth-best mark in the country. "All of the things that go into the 'what,' which is having a really good pass defense," Freeman said, "it starts with really good players and a really good coaching staff." When asked in the preseason what makes Mickens such a talented coach, Freeman explained that it starts with his talent recognition and ends with player development. As far as development, Mickens has already helped turn former Irish de- fensive backs Nick McCloud, Thomas Harper and Cam Hart into NFL players. "[Mickens] did a really good job of preparing me to play any position in the NFL," said Hart, who has become a starting cornerback for the Los Angeles Chargers. And as far as talent recognition, Mickens had a heavy influence in recruiting Morrison, sophomore cornerback Christian Gray, fresh- man cornerback Leonard Moore a n d so p h o m o re sa fe ty Ad o n Shuler, all of whom are on the fast track to great Irish careers and a spot on an NFL roster someday. Mickens was brought to Notre Dame in 2020 as cornerbacks coach by former head coach Brian Kelly. Freeman wisely retained Mick- ens in 2022 — the two played high school football together and coached side by side at Cincinnati — when Freeman was promoted to Irish head coach. In another vote of confidence, Freeman broadened Mickens' responsibil- ity scope this offseason when he put his close confidant in charge of the entire defensive secondary, not just the cornerbacks, a move that Mickens has openly celebrated. "The advantage of it is you hear one voice," said Mickens, who took on the added responsibilities in February when Irish safeties coach Chris O'Leary took a job with the Los Angeles Chargers. "It grows the knowledge as a football player as well, just being able to hear the whole philosophy, the whole backend, the sys- tem of it, not just only position-specific work." Freeman said last season that Mick- ens was "absolutely ready to be a de- fensive coordinator." And there's a good chance Mickens will get that oppor- tunity in 2025, but only if the perfect opening and offer comes along. "I'm not just jumping to jump into a job. I'm not that type of guy," Mickens said when asked about moving on. "It has to be the right fit, the right place for me to ever think about leaving." As hard as it is to root against the ca- reer advancement for Mickens, here's hoping the right fit and the right place can wait at least another year. ✦ A strong case can be made this season that Mickens, Notre Dame's defensive backs coach/defensive pass game coordinator, is the best position coach in the country. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER Mike Mickens Has Developed Into A Hot Commodity Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at tburlage@blueandgold.com. UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE