Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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8 MARCH 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Notre Dame introduced Chad Riley as the next head coach of the Irish men's soccer program Jan. 4. He replaced Bobby Clark, who retired after 17 years at the helm. Riley returns to his alma mater (2000-04) where he remains second on the all-time assists list with 32 in four seasons. The four-time monogram win- ner also served as an assistant coach under Clark for six years (2006-11). Riley spent the past five years serving as the head coach of Dartmouth, leading the Big Green to a 51-26-14 record, four Ivy League titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances. BGI: What was the decision-making process like when you were interviewing for and then ultimately offered the position? Riley: "Overall, it was an easy decision. I had been gone for six seasons, so I certainly wanted to learn a little about how things have changed over those six years. When Notre Dame calls, it's a pretty easy decision. It really brings everything together for me with the university as a whole to the athletic department, soccer program, the conference and the part that is unique to Notre Dame about the overall spirit of the place." BGI: How would you describe the style of play you want from your teams? Riley: "We talk more about an identify than a style. … We want to be powerful, purposeful and skillful. "We want to be good athletes, have a purpose to what we're doing collectively as a team … and then we love guys that can handle the ball and make exciting plays in a game." BGI: What experiences as a player and assistant at Notre Dame are you drawing from to help you now? Riley: "You draw from all your experiences. I've been involved in a college season every year since 2000, which is crazy for me to think about. Every place is always evolv- ing, but I think what the students I will work with are experiencing I will have been through in some form. "Hopefully that gives me a good connection with everyone. Playing with Bobby and working with him, you really got a sense of how a high-level, achieving team can feel. … I think I've become very attuned on how you create that environment and know when you're doing it right." BGI: What do you hope to bring to the program to help keep it going in the right direction? Riley: "When you work closely with Coach Clark, you knew how much every year was about what we need to tweak, what we need to evolve to set this team up for success. I think that's the piece coming in. "For the most part, my princi- ples and philosophies are going to be very similar to Coach Clark, but going away and solving different challenges and how to bring some of those new solutions to Notre Dame [will also be vital]." BGI: When you look at the ros- ter, what's the early outlook for 2018 in your mind? Riley: "I'm just getting to know the team well. They're a really hardworking group and I think we have some really good pieces. … Every year it's going to be replacing some of the seniors that have departed, so both starting strik- ers have departed, a center back and a goalkeeper. "So, a lot of the key positions in the middle of the field, I think there are a lot of good options moving forward." — Corey Bodden Five Questions With … NOTRE DAME MEN'S SOCCER COACH CHAD RILEY Jeff Quinn Will Be Under Much Scrutiny By Lou Somogyi Initially, my answer was first-time coordinator Clark Lea, who returns 10 starters and quality depth from last year's appreciably upgraded defense. Upon further review, it's Jeff Quinn — who was promoted from offensive analyst the past three years at Notre Dame to offensive line coach, replacing Harry Hiestand. Lea will be the 16th defensive coordinator at Notre Dame the past 34 years. They come and they go, and for the most part Fighting Irish faithful are used to the hit-or-miss nature of the position. Conversely, the offensive line demands continu- ity, familiarity and rhythm, both from five players working as one and the line coach as a bedrock of stability. Hiestand was that the past six years, as was Joe Moore from 1988-96. Quinn worked with head coach Brian Kelly from 1989-2009, but he has not coached a line on his own since then. The line also is destined to take a step back in 2018 minus unanimous All-American Quenton Nelson and consensus All-American Mike McGlinchey. That's not to say it can't be productive, but if you're expecting 269.3 rushing yards per game again, be prepared for a letdown. Remember when Jim Colletto replaced Moore in 1997? During the 1998 regular season, the Irish finished 16th in rushing (212.5 yards per game) and averaged 30.0 points during a 9-1 start — but Colletto often was vilified be- cause "he's no Joe Moore," and he eventually left for the NFL after the season. Quinn faces a somewhat similar situation replacing Hiestand, who will have de- veloped the most first-, second- and third-round selections (six) the past five years. Clark Lea Must Thrive With A Veteran Defense By Bryan Driskell The Irish offense suffered major losses this offseason, with linemen Quen- ton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey, running back Josh Adams and wide re- ceiver Equanimeous St. Brown all headed to the National Football League. Fortunately, the Irish defense returns 10 starters and 14 players with at least three career starts. Seventeen of the defense's top 20 tacklers will be back in 2018. The last time Notre Dame had 10 or more defensive starters coming back was in 1977. A dominant defense carried Notre Dame to a national title that season, with the Irish giving up just 11.6 points per game. Notre Dame ranked 20th in defensive effi- ciency last season according to the Fremeau Efficiency Index. With so much talent returning, it is expected that new defensive coordinator Clark Lea will be able to build on the foundation laid in 2017 by Mike Elko. Lea has never been a coordinator before, but he did a masterful job developing the Irish linebackers and rovers last year. In 2016, Irish linebackers compiled 319 stops, 29 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and two quarterback hurries. This past season, the position group racked up 400 tackles, 36 stops for loss, six sacks and 15 quarterback hurries. The loss of McGlinchey, Nelson, Adams and line coach Harry Hiestand has most expecting the offense to take a step back next season, at least in the run game. For Lea, expectations will be that he does for the entire defense what he did for the linebackers last fall — take its play to an elite level. There will be no "first-year coordinator" excuses next season. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHICH NEW ASSISTANT COACH PROMOTION WILL FACE MORE PRESSURE IN 2018? JEFF QUINN CLARK LEA Riley returns to Notre Dame after spending the past six seasons, including five as the head coach, at Dartmouth. PHOTO COURTESY DARTMOUTH COLLEGE