A look at the history of Notre Dame football’s DCs under Brian Kelly
By Brad Weiss
With the addition of a new defensive coordinator, let us look at the history of Notre Dame football’s Defensive Coordinators under Brian Kelly.
The Notre Dame football program got a big boost this weekend, as it was announced that Marcus Freeman would be taking over as defensive coordinator. The most coveted name on Brian Kelly’s list to replace Clark Lea, Freeman is an outstanding coach and maybe an even better recruiter.
As we welcome Freeman to South Bend, let us look at those who came before him under Brian Kelly.
Bob Diaco (2010-2013)
The choice for Brian Kelly as he arrived in South Bend was an easy one, as he brought over Bob Diaco with him from Cincinnati, his defensive coordinator with the Bearcats. During his time in South Bend, Diaco was not only the DC, but also coached the inside linebackers, and was an assistant head coach.
Diaco had a “bend but don’t break” mentality during his time with the Irish, but also put together one of the better defenses the program had seen in a long time. The 2012 Notre Dame football team was dominant on the defensive side of the ball, allowing less than 13 points per game, and helping the program to a national title game.
A winner of the Broyles Award, given to the top assistant in college football, Diaco left for the University of Connecticut to become their head coach after the 2013 college football season, lasting three years at the helm before going to Nebraska to be their defensive coordinator.