The number of changes made to the Notre Dame coaching staff this off-season is enough to make the average fan’s head spin. It has been great for media outlets covering Notre Dame football and for die hard fans that love discussing/debating every bit of Notre Dame news. Best of all, it can help us forget the disappointing 2016 season and distract us from facing the fact that Notre Dame is not playing in a bowl game for the first time in the Brian Kelly era.
Last week it was reported that Mike Denbrock is leaving to become the next Offensive Coordinator at Cincinnati. The departure of both Denbrock and Mike Sanford has left Brian Kelly with a sizable hole on the offensive side of his coaching staff. It appears that some of the staff’s needs will be met with the addition of Chip Long. Reports surfaced Friday that Long is expected to be hired as the next Offensive Coordinator at Notre Dame.
Chip Long was the Offensive Coordinator and Tight Ends coach at Memphis last season. Despite losing QB Paxton Lynch to the NFL draft the previous year, the Tigers still averaged just over 38 points per game in 2016 (16th in the FBS). Although it is still uncertain whether or not Long will assume play-calling duties at Notre Dame, fans can be confident in his ability to do so. Before taking the job at Memphis, Long was a Tight Ends coach at both Illinois and Arizona State. His experience with this position group should please Irish fans, who saw the team’s tight ends combine for a total of 12 catches for 159 yards and 4 TDs all season. With the return of Alize Jones, we should expect Notre Dame’s tight end production to be substantially greater than it was this past season.
Aside from his coaching ability, Long also has plenty of experience in recruiting. In addition to coaching tight ends at ASU, Long was also the team’s Recruiting Coordinator. With the departure of Mike Denbrock, Notre Dame will need a staff member to take over recruiting in the West region. Long seems like a perfect fit to step in and handle that part of Notre Dame’s recruiting efforts.
It was clear that changes needed to be made to the Notre Dame coaching staff this off-season. Brian Kelly and his staff had plenty of time to conduct a thorough search for a new Defensive Coordinator, but the departures of Mike Sanford and Mike Denbrock were unexpected (the latter more than the former). The quick turnaround in identifying new candidates and extending an offer to Chip Long was impressive, and it should be reassuring to Irish fans. Brian Kelly knows he’s on the hot seat, and he’s committed to putting his team in position to be successful next season.
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