<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sources: Notre Dame expected to hire Mike Mickens as defensive backs coach. Mickens was a star player for Brian Kelly at Cincinnati. He comes from Cincinnati, where he served as DBs coach.</p>— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) <a href="

">February 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Notre Dame has its new cornerbacks coach: Mike Mickens<br><br>From all indications, Mickens will be a good blend of player development and recruiting skills. Notre Dame’s defensive staff should be among the nation’s best with Clark Lea, Mike Elston, Terry Joseph and now Mickens. <a href="https://t.co/1Rn7CGNFQ1">https://t.co/1Rn7CGNFQ1</a></p>— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) <a href="

">February 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

No ideal who this guy is. But I’m sure this is going to ruffle some feathers.

Brief Bio

 

Played CB at Cincinnati from 2005-2008, earning Second-Team All-American and First Team All Big East honors as a junior in 2007, and Second-Team All Big East Honors in 2005-2006, 2008. He started 46 of a possible 47 games (less games due to a knee injury his senior season) and is Cincinnati's all-time leader in INTs.

 

He was drafted in the 7th Round of the NFL Draft by Dallas. He went from Dallas to Tampa Bay to Cincinnati in his only year in the NFL, then played one year in the CFL. It sounds like his knee injury really derailed his career.

 

He was a defensive assistant at Cincinnati in 2011 and then Indiana State in 2012. He then coached CBs at Idaho (2013), Bowling Green (2014-2017), and then Cincinnati (2017-2019).

 

The year before he arrived at Cincinnati, the Bearcats finished 113th in passing efficiency defense. In 2018, they finished 13th, and in 2019, they finished 15th. They were T9 in INTs in 2019.

First reaction is:

 

Sweet another Kelly guy, what’s new.

 

Second look says the stats suggest he can coach alright.

 

I’ll give him 6 games.

Great hire

Great hire

 

Agree. Cincy was a very good defensive team in the secondary last 2 years. Think he will be a good recruiter also. Good ft for ND and think Kelly did well with this hire. He now has Mickens, who he coached at UC, and Rees, who he coached at ND, on his staff.

This is a good hire. Happy.

While Mickens played for coach Kelly, this isn’t really want anyone should consider a Kelly hire. He’s been a coach or analyst since 2011 and never with Kelly. He did an outstanding job at every stop - always having great secondary production and is viewed as a really good recruiter as well.

 

Also, one little quick tidbit: All coaches hire guys they are familiar with. I hear the same crap with every team I follow in professional sports too. This isn’t some Kelly specific thing, and that’s what bugs me most about the fanbase when this happens. It’s a common hiring practice lol.

Good point. The distinction, I believe, is when a coach ignores multiple failures when hiring someone with whom he has a history. When Kelly chose Van Gorder, a good portion of Van Gorder's CV seemed questionable.

Also, based on what i have seen from Cincy fans is that he is an above average recruiter.

While Mickens played for coach Kelly, this isn’t really want anyone should consider a Kelly hire. He’s been a coach or analyst since 2011 and never with Kelly. He did an outstanding job at every stop - always having great secondary production and is viewed as a really good recruiter as well.

 

Also, one little quick tidbit: All coaches hire guys they are familiar with. I hear the same crap with every team I follow in professional sports too. This isn’t some Kelly specific thing, and that’s what bugs me most about the fanbase when this happens. It’s a common hiring practice lol.

 

It's not just football. Networking / getting jobs through connections is part of pretty much every business.

It's not just football. Networking / getting jobs through connections is part of pretty much every business.

 

Exactly. That was honestly my biggest point, was just using football as an example.

Good point. The distinction, I believe, is when a coach ignores multiple failures when hiring someone with whom he has a history. When Kelly chose Van Gorder, a good portion of Van Gorder's CV seemed questionable.

 

And that’s fair. Not every hire is gonna work out - and coaches can learn from past mistakes as well.

This is a really good hire. He might be an ex Kelly player, but the mf’er can coach

This is a really good hire. He might be an ex Kelly player, but the mf’er can coach

 

Yeah. Staffs getting younger as BK gets older, this is really smart because older coaches constantly wonder if the age gap between them and the players is too large.

 

He's another one of these up and coming guys that will bring energy to the staff, like Rees will on offense

Yeah. Staffs getting younger as BK gets older, this is really smart because older coaches constantly wonder if the age gap between them and the players is too large.

 

He's another one of these up and coming guys that will bring energy to the staff, like Rees will on offense

 

Not to be Debbie Downer but I am fairly sure that similar things were said about Chip Long.

 

Kelly's hit rate on his previous coordinator hires prior to Rees has not great. Elko and Lea were good hires. BVG and Long both had to be let go in the middle of their third season. Sanford was probably somewhere in the middle.

 

It also appears that Lyght and Denson did not completely live up to expectations while the jury is still out on Quinn.

 

Hopefully, Mickens will be a good hire but it is too early to know for sure.

Not to be Debbie Downer but I am fairly sure that similar things were said about Chip Long.

 

Kelly's hit rate on his previous coordinator hires prior to Rees has not great. Elko and Lea were good hires. BVG and Long both had to be let go in the middle of their third season. Sanford was probably somewhere in the middle.

 

It also appears that Lyght and Denson did not completely live up to expectations while the jury is still out on Quinn.

 

Hopefully, Mickens will be a good hire but it is too early to know for sure.

 

Elko Lea Diaco were pretty great hires as DC. BVG was terrible. 3 out of 4

 

Denbrock was pretty good. Long was good. Just didnt get along with staff. His results were good though.

 

On coaches, Lyght was a very good coach on the field. Just not a great recruiter. Same with Denson with Denson being a worse recruiter

 

Taylor looks to be a great hire so far.

 

I expect Mickens to be very good

Not to be Debbie Downer but I am fairly sure that similar things were said about Chip Long.

 

Kelly's hit rate on his previous coordinator hires prior to Rees has not great. Elko and Lea were good hires. BVG and Long both had to be let go in the middle of their third season. Sanford was probably somewhere in the middle.

 

It also appears that Lyght and Denson did not completely live up to expectations while the jury is still out on Quinn.

 

Hopefully, Mickens will be a good hire but it is too early to know for sure.

 

We can say that with all hires. Long was good for awhile, never great. BVG had the fist pump moment. Its hard to know, I hoping Kelly is coming in with an identity.. I.E. we're a running team with a varied 4-2-5 defense. With me I'd spread it out and run it this year, and get it to playmakers in space.

 

It seemed like the ND player legends were not known as recruiters. Need recruiters at DB and RB, Mickens and TAYLOR i Think thats solved with these two. this year and last year. 5 star rb's make plays and we need them. Kyle Hamilton makes plays and WE NEED him and more. Its recruiting now, period.

We can say that with all hires. Long was good for awhile, never great. BVG had the fist pump moment. Its hard to know, I hoping Kelly is coming in with an identity.. I.E. we're a running team with a varied 4-2-5 defense. With me I'd spread it out and run it this year, and get it to playmakers in space.

 

It seemed like the ND player legends were not known as recruiters. Need recruiters at DB and RB, Mickens and TAYLOR i Think thats solved with these two. this year and last year. 5 star rb's make plays and we need them. Kyle Hamilton makes plays and WE NEED him and more. Its recruiting now, period.

 

I agree. College football is hugely dependent on recruiting. I am glad that Kelly finally appears to publicly acknowledge you need to recruit at a high level if you want to compete for a NC.

Not to be Debbie Downer but I am fairly sure that similar things were said about Chip Long.

 

Kelly's hit rate on his previous coordinator hires prior to Rees has not great. Elko and Lea were good hires. BVG and Long both had to be let go in the middle of their third season. Sanford was probably somewhere in the middle.

 

It also appears that Lyght and Denson did not completely live up to expectations while the jury is still out on Quinn.

 

Hopefully, Mickens will be a good hire but it is too early to know for sure.

 

He’s not as ego driven as Long.