Notre Dame football: Who is quarterback Jack Coan?

The Notre Dame football team will be replacing a legend this fall, as Ian Book‘s three-year run as the starting quarterback is coming to an end. For Book, it was a career that saw him become the all-time winningest quarterback in school history, all the while putting together so many signature moments.

In his final season with the Irish, Book led his team to the College Football Playoff for the second time, and while the season did not end the way anyone would have wanted it to, it does not diminish what he has done in South Bend. This is a kid who many felt would just be a career backup, and while there have been some tough moments, it was certainly a fun ride.

Turning our attention to this upcoming season, Book will need to be replaced, and that is going to be one of the bigger things to keep an eye on this offseason. Brendon Clark and Drew Pyne return from last year’s team, and true freshman Tyler Buchner could get a chance to start, but the more likely scenario is that Jack Coan, a transfer from Wisconsin will take over for Book for the 2021 campaign.

So who is Notre Dame football quarterback Jack Coan?

The last time we saw Coan playing significant football was during the 2019 college football season when he was the starting quarterback for the Badgers. Coan had a terrific season for Wisconsin, leading them to a share of the Big Ten West division, and clinching a spot in the Big Ten title game.

The product of Sayville (NY) high school, Coan started 18 games for Wisconsin during his career, posting a 12-6 record while throwing for 23 touchdowns against eight interceptions. During that 2019 season, he started all 14 games for the Badgers, and they barely lost in the Big Ten title game against Ohio State before losing by one in the Rose Bowl against Oregon.

This past season, Coan was injured, and due to the fact, Graham Mertz stepped in and played well, his spot was taken by the freshman. That led to him transferring to South Bend, and for the Irish, they are getting a player who not only has the experience, but has started some big games in his career, and for a program losing their quarterback, that is huge.

Like anybody else, Coan is going to have to win the starting job this spring and summer, and it will not be handed to him. However, with so many question marks on this roster, and so much talent to replace, he could have a leg up on guys who have not taken too many significant snaps, and he has proven he can win big games at the college level.