@NDhoosier had a good post in the Recruiting Forum about how coaching changes might impact recruiting (positively for ND, in that they can maybe flip someone before NSD). It got me thinking about ND's potential coaching changes. I'm hoping most of the staff sticks around, but I expect 2-3 guys to head elsewhere.

Gerard Parker. The million dollar question. Probably deserves his own thread. I have no idea. I expect Freeman will change up the OC responsibilities and try to bring someone in, but I'm 100% speculating. ND's offensive numbers look great overall (14th in scoring offense, 10th in yards/play), but they've had some really bad moments in the biggest games (Duke, Louisville, Clemson). Obviously, some of that is due to other factors (lack of WR talent/depth, poor OL play, poor Hartman play), but he is the OC and is responsible for the poor offensive production in those games. (For the record, I actually think the offense played well against OSU. Not a ton of points scored, but they dictated the tempo, never had a three-and-out, and really should have won the game but for the defensive collapse in the last 2 minutes). I go back and forth because I know Freeman is buddies with him, but I think Freeman's competitiveness and desire to get ND to the top will override that friendship and lead him to move on. Maybe Parker comes back as Co-OC and TE coach, but, again, I have no idea what Freeman is thinking.

Gino Guidugli. I expect him to be back, unless he gets an offer to be an OC somewhere. No idea if that is on the table, but I think he'll come back. It sounds like he has been helping with playcalling. Maybe he is promoted to Co-OC. Pure speculation on my part, and I'd prefer Freeman goes out and gets a proven OC. 

Deland McCullough. I think he will be gone. He has had his sights on the NFL for some time. I know he has had interest from the NFL the past two offseasons. So, I think he makes the jump if the opportunity presents itself.

Chansi Stuckey. I bet he comes back. He's worked hard to get the WR room in better shape after it was in complete shambles prior to his arrival. While the upperclassmen, outside of Tyree, have not really done anything (some of that due to injury), he has gotten a lot out of Flores, Greathouse, and Faison. He has another great recruiting class coming in (5-star Cam Williams, and 4-stars Micah Gilbert, who some think is better than Williams, and Logan Saldate). He should be back in 2024. He's a rising star.

Joe Rudolph. I expect him to be back as OL coach. Freeman was very complimentary of him at his recent presser. I have been disappointed in the OL at times this season, but he was highly regarded when he came to ND last offseason. 

Al Golden. Like everyone, I really hope he stays. Having the same DC for three years, especially one who is as good as Golden, would really help the 2024 team compete for the 12-team Playoff. Obviously, a ton of questions on offense, but having a Top 10/5 defense would make ND a legit contender. I know Syracuse is open, but does he want to try to re-build another program? Maybe he has the desire to do so, I don't really know. But for a guy who is more NFL in nature (a true teacher, not big into recruiting), I could see him staying at ND. My only hesitation would be if the NFL came calling. I don't think he would leave to be a LB coach somewhere, but I'm just speculating.

Al Washington. No info on him, but I expect he'd be back.

Mike Mickens. To me, the most ideal scenario for 2024 would be for Mickens to be promoted to Co-DC while Golden stays as Co-DC, but is also promoted to Associate Head Coach. No idea if that is even a possibility (my guess is that if the money is right, anything is possible), but that would be ideal because Golden will definitely not be here in 2025. Freeman goes way back with Mickens and already said earlier this season that he views Mickens as an up-and-coming DC. Let him learn from one of the best in college in 2024, then takeover in 2025. What he has done with the CB room in just a few years is truly remarkable, both in terms of on the field production and recruiting. He is a true rising star in the coaching profession.

Chris O'Leary. I was surprised when he had interest from the NFL last offseason, so maybe he has similar interest this season. Not sure what he wants to do - stay in college or go to the NFL - but he has grown on me this season. What he has done with Xavier Watts is a testament to his coaching ability. I think his recruiting has been subpar, but he turned a pre-season liability into a strength this season, so I hope he returns.

Marty Biagi. I think he would have crawled on glass to become ND's special teams coach, so I expect him to return.

 

I have a strong feeling DeLand will leave for greener pastures.  Golden probably leaves too.

Promoting Mickens wouldn't be a bad thing if Golden leaves.

2 hours ago, tneun89 said:

@NDhoosier had a good post in the Recruiting Forum about how coaching changes might impact recruiting (positively for ND, in that they can maybe flip someone before NSD). It got me thinking about ND's potential coaching changes. I'm hoping most of the staff sticks around, but I expect 2-3 guys to head elsewhere.

Gerard Parker. The million dollar question. Probably deserves his own thread. I have no idea. I expect Freeman will change up the OC responsibilities and try to bring someone in, but I'm 100% speculating. ND's offensive numbers look great overall (14th in scoring offense, 10th in yards/play), but they've had some really bad moments in the biggest games (Duke, Louisville, Clemson). Obviously, some of that is due to other factors (lack of WR talent/depth, poor OL play, poor Hartman play), but he is the OC and is responsible for the poor offensive production in those games. (For the record, I actually think the offense played well against OSU. Not a ton of points scored, but they dictated the tempo, never had a three-and-out, and really should have won the game but for the defensive collapse in the last 2 minutes). I go back and forth because I know Freeman is buddies with him, but I think Freeman's competitiveness and desire to get ND to the top will override that friendship and lead him to move on. Maybe Parker comes back as Co-OC and TE coach, but, again, I have no idea what Freeman is thinking.

Gino Guidugli. I expect him to be back, unless he gets an offer to be an OC somewhere. No idea if that is on the table, but I think he'll come back. It sounds like he has been helping with playcalling. Maybe he is promoted to Co-OC. Pure speculation on my part, and I'd prefer Freeman goes out and gets a proven OC. 

Deland McCullough. I think he will be gone. He has had his sights on the NFL for some time. I know he has had interest from the NFL the past two offseasons. So, I think he makes the jump if the opportunity presents itself.

Chansi Stuckey. I bet he comes back. He's worked hard to get the WR room in better shape after it was in complete shambles prior to his arrival. While the upperclassmen, outside of Tyree, have not really done anything (some of that due to injury), he has gotten a lot out of Flores, Greathouse, and Faison. He has another great recruiting class coming in (5-star Cam Williams, and 4-stars Micah Gilbert, who some think is better than Williams, and Logan Saldate). He should be back in 2024. He's a rising star.

Joe Rudolph. I expect him to be back as OL coach. Freeman was very complimentary of him at his recent presser. I have been disappointed in the OL at times this season, but he was highly regarded when he came to ND last offseason. 

Al Golden. Like everyone, I really hope he stays. Having the same DC for three years, especially one who is as good as Golden, would really help the 2024 team compete for the 12-team Playoff. Obviously, a ton of questions on offense, but having a Top 10/5 defense would make ND a legit contender. I know Syracuse is open, but does he want to try to re-build another program? Maybe he has the desire to do so, I don't really know. But for a guy who is more NFL in nature (a true teacher, not big into recruiting), I could see him staying at ND. My only hesitation would be if the NFL came calling. I don't think he would leave to be a LB coach somewhere, but I'm just speculating.

Al Washington. No info on him, but I expect he'd be back.

Mike Mickens. To me, the most ideal scenario for 2024 would be for Mickens to be promoted to Co-DC while Golden stays as Co-DC, but is also promoted to Associate Head Coach. No idea if that is even a possibility (my guess is that if the money is right, anything is possible), but that would be ideal because Golden will definitely not be here in 2025. Freeman goes way back with Mickens and already said earlier this season that he views Mickens as an up-and-coming DC. Let him learn from one of the best in college in 2024, then takeover in 2025. What he has done with the CB room in just a few years is truly remarkable, both in terms of on the field production and recruiting. He is a true rising star in the coaching profession.

Chris O'Leary. I was surprised when he had interest from the NFL last offseason, so maybe he has similar interest this season. Not sure what he wants to do - stay in college or go to the NFL - but he has grown on me this season. What he has done with Xavier Watts is a testament to his coaching ability. I think his recruiting has been subpar, but he turned a pre-season liability into a strength this season, so I hope he returns.

Marty Biagi. I think he would have crawled on glass to become ND's special teams coach, so I expect him to return.

 

This post like all your posts are excellent. What if Parker gets offered like a smaller conference head coaching gig, Chuck Martin has been at Miami (OH) forever. I think that would be the type of job. Chuck is safe, but maybe a small school somewhere.

3 hours ago, tneun89 said:

@NDhoosier had a good post in the Recruiting Forum about how coaching changes might impact recruiting (positively for ND, in that they can maybe flip someone before NSD). It got me thinking about ND's potential coaching changes. I'm hoping most of the staff sticks around, but I expect 2-3 guys to head elsewhere.

Gerard Parker. The million dollar question. Probably deserves his own thread. I have no idea. I expect Freeman will change up the OC responsibilities and try to bring someone in, but I'm 100% speculating. ND's offensive numbers look great overall (14th in scoring offense, 10th in yards/play), but they've had some really bad moments in the biggest games (Duke, Louisville, Clemson). Obviously, some of that is due to other factors (lack of WR talent/depth, poor OL play, poor Hartman play), but he is the OC and is responsible for the poor offensive production in those games. (For the record, I actually think the offense played well against OSU. Not a ton of points scored, but they dictated the tempo, never had a three-and-out, and really should have won the game but for the defensive collapse in the last 2 minutes). I go back and forth because I know Freeman is buddies with him, but I think Freeman's competitiveness and desire to get ND to the top will override that friendship and lead him to move on. Maybe Parker comes back as Co-OC and TE coach, but, again, I have no idea what Freeman is thinking.

Gino Guidugli. I expect him to be back, unless he gets an offer to be an OC somewhere. No idea if that is on the table, but I think he'll come back. It sounds like he has been helping with playcalling. Maybe he is promoted to Co-OC. Pure speculation on my part, and I'd prefer Freeman goes out and gets a proven OC. 

Deland McCullough. I think he will be gone. He has had his sights on the NFL for some time. I know he has had interest from the NFL the past two offseasons. So, I think he makes the jump if the opportunity presents itself.

Chansi Stuckey. I bet he comes back. He's worked hard to get the WR room in better shape after it was in complete shambles prior to his arrival. While the upperclassmen, outside of Tyree, have not really done anything (some of that due to injury), he has gotten a lot out of Flores, Greathouse, and Faison. He has another great recruiting class coming in (5-star Cam Williams, and 4-stars Micah Gilbert, who some think is better than Williams, and Logan Saldate). He should be back in 2024. He's a rising star.

Joe Rudolph. I expect him to be back as OL coach. Freeman was very complimentary of him at his recent presser. I have been disappointed in the OL at times this season, but he was highly regarded when he came to ND last offseason. 

Al Golden. Like everyone, I really hope he stays. Having the same DC for three years, especially one who is as good as Golden, would really help the 2024 team compete for the 12-team Playoff. Obviously, a ton of questions on offense, but having a Top 10/5 defense would make ND a legit contender. I know Syracuse is open, but does he want to try to re-build another program? Maybe he has the desire to do so, I don't really know. But for a guy who is more NFL in nature (a true teacher, not big into recruiting), I could see him staying at ND. My only hesitation would be if the NFL came calling. I don't think he would leave to be a LB coach somewhere, but I'm just speculating.

Al Washington. No info on him, but I expect he'd be back.

Mike Mickens. To me, the most ideal scenario for 2024 would be for Mickens to be promoted to Co-DC while Golden stays as Co-DC, but is also promoted to Associate Head Coach. No idea if that is even a possibility (my guess is that if the money is right, anything is possible), but that would be ideal because Golden will definitely not be here in 2025. Freeman goes way back with Mickens and already said earlier this season that he views Mickens as an up-and-coming DC. Let him learn from one of the best in college in 2024, then takeover in 2025. What he has done with the CB room in just a few years is truly remarkable, both in terms of on the field production and recruiting. He is a true rising star in the coaching profession.

Chris O'Leary. I was surprised when he had interest from the NFL last offseason, so maybe he has similar interest this season. Not sure what he wants to do - stay in college or go to the NFL - but he has grown on me this season. What he has done with Xavier Watts is a testament to his coaching ability. I think his recruiting has been subpar, but he turned a pre-season liability into a strength this season, so I hope he returns.

Marty Biagi. I think he would have crawled on glass to become ND's special teams coach, so I expect him to return.

 

Thanks for the analysis -. What about S&C? That has been a concern of mine, and I feel focus should be there - any hope of Balis returning?

Something I wasn't aware of until listening to Irish Breakdown today while mowing the lawn.  This 2023 team is on the verge of becoming the highest scoring team in program history.  I don't remember what they said regarding total points scored but I do know they said highest average points per game.  Ever.  I'm not sure that bodes well for those who want to see Parker kicked to the curb.  I sure would like to see what he can do with more WR help coming in next season.

1 hour ago, Wharton70 said:

Thanks for the analysis -. What about S&C? That has been a concern of mine, and I feel focus should be there - any hope of Balis returning?

I don't think we should expect to see Balis returning.  I hate to keep referencing Irish Breakdown, this is the 3rd or 4th post in a row in which I am doing so lol, but there was an episode earlier in the season; I wish I could remember which one or at least which game the episode revolved around; where they wouldn't go into detail because its information that was never made public but that there was some kind of disagreement or falling out between Freeman and Balis.

14 minutes ago, NYGoldenDomer said:

I don't think we should expect to see Balis returning.  I hate to keep referencing Irish Breakdown, this is the 3rd or 4th post in a row in which I am doing so lol, but there was an episode earlier in the season; I wish I could remember which one or at least which game the episode revolved around; where they wouldn't go into detail because its information that was never made public but that there was some kind of disagreement or falling out between Freeman and Balis.

Don't apologize for your sources.  It's info that I haven't heard or get the time to tune into their podcast unfortunately.

Whatever the reason for Balis leaving has been pretty tight lipped since it occurred.  This snippet is the first thing I've heard about it, factual or not.

9 minutes ago, jessemoore97 said:

Don't apologize for your sources.  It's info that I haven't heard or get the time to tune into their podcast unfortunately.

Whatever the reason for Balis leaving has been pretty tight lipped since it occurred.  This snippet is the first thing I've heard about it, factual or not.

I appreciate that lol.  Podcasts are all I listen to now.  Only time I put on music is if my wife is in the car lol.  But yea, every morning while my kids are in school the first thing I do is connect my phone to the Sonos system in my house and its playing in almost every room.  Drinking my morning coffee, podcast.  Doing a load of laundry, podcast, emptying/filling the dishwasher, podcast.  Dropping my post coffee morning glory, podcast.  Working outside, podcast in my headphones lol.  Driving, podcast.  

Regarding Balis, that was the first and only inkling of detail I have heard about it as well, and that is all he would say.  The situation really has been kept very tight lipped.

Excellent post tneun!

My uninformed opinion is most of the staff stays, the possible exceptions being Deland, one of Al Golden / Mike Mickens and probably Parker. 
 

Deland probably moves on, sounds like he’s a wanted man in the pros.

My guess is if, as most everyone wants, Al Golden sticks around, that increases the probability of Mike Mickens leaving for a DC position somewhere else. If Golden leaves, Mickens will be promoted to DC at ND. My gut feeling is Al Golden stays. Hope they both stick at ND!
 

Chansi stays. He was dealt a tough hand this year with all the injuries and the play calling at times didn’t bring out the best in the wide receivers. This year has probably dimmed his star a bit, but I would expect a bounce back next season, for both Chansi and the WR room as a whole.

Gerard Parker, as tneun put it, this is the million $$$ question. There are going to be some changes on the O side of the ball, but exactly what only MF has any idea at this time. I think Parker will be gone or at least demoted. I don’t see him sticking around long if he is in fact demoted.

 

I am sure Parker will stay another year unless he gets a promotion somewhere else, which is unlikely in my opinion. This was Parker's first year and if people remember correctly, Al Golden was not well liked after his first year, but he changed things up and made this defense elite.

Coaching changes also have the possibility to hurt us before signing day as well. I have not heard ANYTHING (not even a whisper) of any commit wavering, but if their position coach leaves, could that change things for any of the commits?

19 hours ago, tneun89 said:

@NDhoosier had a good post in the Recruiting Forum about how coaching changes might impact recruiting (positively for ND, in that they can maybe flip someone before NSD). It got me thinking about ND's potential coaching changes. I'm hoping most of the staff sticks around, but I expect 2-3 guys to head elsewhere.

Gerard Parker. The million dollar question. Probably deserves his own thread. I have no idea. I expect Freeman will change up the OC responsibilities and try to bring someone in, but I'm 100% speculating. ND's offensive numbers look great overall (14th in scoring offense, 10th in yards/play), but they've had some really bad moments in the biggest games (Duke, Louisville, Clemson). Obviously, some of that is due to other factors (lack of WR talent/depth, poor OL play, poor Hartman play), but he is the OC and is responsible for the poor offensive production in those games. (For the record, I actually think the offense played well against OSU. Not a ton of points scored, but they dictated the tempo, never had a three-and-out, and really should have won the game but for the defensive collapse in the last 2 minutes). I go back and forth because I know Freeman is buddies with him, but I think Freeman's competitiveness and desire to get ND to the top will override that friendship and lead him to move on. Maybe Parker comes back as Co-OC and TE coach, but, again, I have no idea what Freeman is thinking.

Gino Guidugli. I expect him to be back, unless he gets an offer to be an OC somewhere. No idea if that is on the table, but I think he'll come back. It sounds like he has been helping with playcalling. Maybe he is promoted to Co-OC. Pure speculation on my part, and I'd prefer Freeman goes out and gets a proven OC. 

Deland McCullough. I think he will be gone. He has had his sights on the NFL for some time. I know he has had interest from the NFL the past two offseasons. So, I think he makes the jump if the opportunity presents itself.

Chansi Stuckey. I bet he comes back. He's worked hard to get the WR room in better shape after it was in complete shambles prior to his arrival. While the upperclassmen, outside of Tyree, have not really done anything (some of that due to injury), he has gotten a lot out of Flores, Greathouse, and Faison. He has another great recruiting class coming in (5-star Cam Williams, and 4-stars Micah Gilbert, who some think is better than Williams, and Logan Saldate). He should be back in 2024. He's a rising star.

Joe Rudolph. I expect him to be back as OL coach. Freeman was very complimentary of him at his recent presser. I have been disappointed in the OL at times this season, but he was highly regarded when he came to ND last offseason. 

Al Golden. Like everyone, I really hope he stays. Having the same DC for three years, especially one who is as good as Golden, would really help the 2024 team compete for the 12-team Playoff. Obviously, a ton of questions on offense, but having a Top 10/5 defense would make ND a legit contender. I know Syracuse is open, but does he want to try to re-build another program? Maybe he has the desire to do so, I don't really know. But for a guy who is more NFL in nature (a true teacher, not big into recruiting), I could see him staying at ND. My only hesitation would be if the NFL came calling. I don't think he would leave to be a LB coach somewhere, but I'm just speculating.

Al Washington. No info on him, but I expect he'd be back.

Mike Mickens. To me, the most ideal scenario for 2024 would be for Mickens to be promoted to Co-DC while Golden stays as Co-DC, but is also promoted to Associate Head Coach. No idea if that is even a possibility (my guess is that if the money is right, anything is possible), but that would be ideal because Golden will definitely not be here in 2025. Freeman goes way back with Mickens and already said earlier this season that he views Mickens as an up-and-coming DC. Let him learn from one of the best in college in 2024, then takeover in 2025. What he has done with the CB room in just a few years is truly remarkable, both in terms of on the field production and recruiting. He is a true rising star in the coaching profession.

Chris O'Leary. I was surprised when he had interest from the NFL last offseason, so maybe he has similar interest this season. Not sure what he wants to do - stay in college or go to the NFL - but he has grown on me this season. What he has done with Xavier Watts is a testament to his coaching ability. I think his recruiting has been subpar, but he turned a pre-season liability into a strength this season, so I hope he returns.

Marty Biagi. I think he would have crawled on glass to become ND's special teams coach, so I expect him to return.

 

Excellent post as always, tneun!

Out of all of this, I could see McCullough leaving, and possibly O’Leary, but that’s it.

The rest I see staying to prove more, specifically Parker, but with Stuckey, Guidugli and Rudolph in that realm as well.

Washington, Golden, and Mickens all had their positions playing at an elite level, but how great would it be to see each one get even better? It does seem to be what Freeman is pushing, which is that constant improvement, so I can see those three staying at least one more year. 🤞🏼

14 hours ago, NYGoldenDomer said:

I appreciate that lol.  Podcasts are all I listen to now.  Only time I put on music is if my wife is in the car lol.  But yea, every morning while my kids are in school the first thing I do is connect my phone to the Sonos system in my house and its playing in almost every room.  Drinking my morning coffee, podcast.  Doing a load of laundry, podcast, emptying/filling the dishwasher, podcast.  Dropping my post coffee morning glory, podcast.  Working outside, podcast in my headphones lol.  Driving, podcast.  

Regarding Balis, that was the first and only inkling of detail I have heard about it as well, and that is all he would say.  The situation really has been kept very tight lipped.

Well, if you want good assistant coaches, ya gotta pay 'em.

Here's the list of the 25 highest paid assistant coaches, at least as listed on public sites.  And yes, ND's former OC is high on this list:

25 Highest Paid Assistant Coaches 2023

19 hours ago, Wharton70 said:

Thanks for the analysis -. What about S&C? That has been a concern of mine, and I feel focus should be there - any hope of Balis returning?

That's a great question and will be a huge hire - S&C is so important in today's college football. I have zero insight, but the one name I think of (pure speculation on my part) is David Ballou at Alabama. He worked with Balis for one year (2017), then went to Indiana for two years before Bama. He's from Indiana. He's very highly regarded. It sure would be nice to steal a coach from one of those top programs.

2 hours ago, AnTostal said:

Well, if you want good assistant coaches, ya gotta pay 'em.

Here's the list of the 25 highest paid assistant coaches, at least as listed on public sites.  And yes, ND's former OC is high on this list:

25 Highest Paid Assistant Coaches 2023

Yep, as we saw last year with the Ludwig situation, ND has to be willing to not only pay a high salary (which they do), but also has to pay whatever buyout is in place, which can be high for the most sought-after coordinators. 

I'm fairly positive Tommy Rees was paid close to $2 million when he signed on to be Freeman's OC. I would imagine Golden is making around the same as well. I think Parker is probably much closer to $1 million.

3 hours ago, tneun89 said:

Yep, as we saw last year with the Ludwig situation, ND has to be willing to not only pay a high salary (which they do), but also has to pay whatever buyout is in place, which can be high for the most sought-after coordinators. 

I'm fairly positive Tommy Rees was paid close to $2 million when he signed on to be Freeman's OC. I would imagine Golden is making around the same as well. I think Parker is probably much closer to $1 million.

Rees has a golden coaching tree. He will be in demand for a head coaching job and will get paid a lot. Lincoln Riley he’s not, but he now has the bona fides to land a very good job either next year or the year after. 

3 hours ago, tneun89 said:

Yep, as we saw last year with the Ludwig situation, ND has to be willing to not only pay a high salary (which they do), but also has to pay whatever buyout is in place, which can be high for the most sought-after coordinators. 

I'm fairly positive Tommy Rees was paid close to $2 million when he signed on to be Freeman's OC. I would imagine Golden is making around the same as well. I think Parker is probably much closer to $1 million.

Hopefully the new AD and incoming school President won't be as stingy with the checkbook.  The on-field talent is here and more is on the way.  Hopefully the program can figure out a way to keep the right coaches in place to finally get that talent over the finish line.

Rumblings that Stuckey may be out as WR coach. 

Wow. Honestly floored by that news.

 

 

Sorry. I'm not sure how to throw the actually tweet....or x in here

Always hate to see this close to early signing day. Somewhat surprised by this one, but not totally. WRs have not been great as a position group. He’s a hell of a recruiter though and turned that position room around