Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/226401
Under the Dome Point ✦ Counterpoint: Where Should Notre Dame Look For Its Next Offensive Coordinator? Find Fresh Blood By Dan Murphy Promote From Within By Andrew Owens Notre Dame is in the market for a new offensive With offensive coordinator Chuck Martin departing coordinator. When Chuck Martin took the head to take the head coaching position at Miami (Ohio), coaching position at Miami (Ohio), it opened the many will clamor for a fresh face to join the Irish staff door for Brian Kelly to pick a to help spark what has mostly new right-hand man for his been a stagnant offense duroffense. Kelly won't be seeking Brian Kelly's four seasons ing any innovative visionaries at the helm. However, the to scrap the playbook he has best course of action would spent two-plus decades combe for Kelly to promote from piling, but that doesn't mean within rather than seek an there isn't space for a new unfamiliar voice. face in the coaches' room. By promoting wide receivNotre Dame's offense ers coach Mike Denbrock — sagged without quarterback the interim offensive coordiEverett Golson in the 2013 Promoting wide receivers coach Mike nator for the Pinstripe Bowl regular season. The group Denbrock, who is serving as the interim — Kelly would continue to finished No. 75 nationally offensive coordinator for the Pinstripe have a trusted assistant runwhile averaging 398.8 yards Bowl, would mean head coach Brian Kelly ning the offense. It is much per game. A fresh perspec- would continue to have a trusted assistant more likely that the Irish head tive might be what they need running the offense. coach would allow Denbrock photo by joe raymond to call plays next season than to start churning out more points. let a newcomer handle the duties. Such a trend — Kelly rarely ventures far from his coaching tree one that began with Martin in 2013 — allows Kelly or close connections when replacing assistants. He to be more of a CEO with the unit. made an exception with offensive line coach Harry The desire for a different offensive style is not unHiestand last year, and the results have garnered rave founded considering the program's issues on offense reviews. Sometimes a new set of eyes can provide since Kelly arrived. However, it is not fair to judge just the right tweak to take a group to its next level. the offense's potential success in his system just yet Notre Dame has capable assistants worthy of a because Tommy Rees has started most of the games promotion on campus now in Mike Denbrock and under center, thus preventing the Irish from running Tony Alford. The problem is neither has any experi- an up-tempo offense or taking advantage of a signalence coaching quarterbacks, which might be the caller's mobility. bigger part of the new hire's role. Your best bet at With Everett Golson returning for his second landing a top-notch quarterbacks coach to help Kelly, season as the starting quarterback, 2014 and 2015 Golson and the younger players coming up behind should determine the fate of Kelly's offensive dihim is to hire one who is also good enough to be a rection and whether he should implement a new coordinator. approach.