Following a heartbreaking defeat during the CFP Championsip Game, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are looking to avenge their loss during the upcoming NCAA season. The hill will be steep, nevertheless, and head coach Marcus Freeman will have to find the right replacement at the defensive coordinator job, following Al Golden’s signing with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Fighting Irish ended the season, and started the year, in utter despair. Their hopes crashed at the National Championship Game after a disappointing loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes. But the school in South Bend is still confident in its future, led by head coach Freeman.
Notre Dame will have to learn to adapt in order to make another deep run in the College Football Platoffs next season. Quarterback Riley Leonard will not be in school, and the Fighting Irish will have to rely in one of either Steve Angeli, Kenny Minchey, and CJ Carr to call the shots in the huddle.
However, the concerns extend past the offense, and the gridiron, the Fighting Irish must look for a new defensive coordinator after Golden returned to the Bengals in the NFL. According to reports, Freeman and Notre Dame are closing in in one of their top targets for the job.
Former Rutgers head coach Chris Ash has emerged as a strong candidate to be the next defensive coordinator in South Bend, per The Athletic.
Coveted option
Though the Notre Dame job is enticing to anyone in college football, Ash has plenty of offers on the table, as he is also sought after by several NFL teams. He previously worked with the Texas Longhorns as defensive coordinator before taking position coaching jobs with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Freeman knows better than to put all his eggs in one basket, so he plans to visit several other candidates throughout the week, hoping to find the perfect match with enough time to spare before spring.