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Notre Dame football OC candidate – Brian Johnson

By Tyler Kruse

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 29: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles passes the ball as quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson looks on during training camp at the NovaCare Complex on July 29, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 29: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles passes the ball as quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson looks on during training camp at the NovaCare Complex on July 29, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Brian Johnson is a name I’ve seen tossed around as fans think he’s someone the Notre Dame football team should target for their offensive coordinator opening. The former Utah quarterback is about to coach football at the highest level as the quarterback’s coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in the Superbowl.

Johnson has had plenty of experience in the college ranks, as he most recently was the coordinator at Florida in 2020. He also had stops at Utah and Houston as OC/QB coach for those teams. In 2020, the Gators had the 13th-ranked offense in the nation and were extremely impressive in their passing attack. The Gators averaged 378.6 yards per game through the air that season, leading college football.

Again, if there’s one specific area coach Marcus Freeman should look to ensure the new coach excels at, it’s passing the football. With coaches Hiestand and McCullough leading the offensive line and running back groups, the running game is in great hands. However, this program has needed someone to ensure quarterback growth and an above-average passing game for years.

No disrespect is aimed toward coach Rees here; few quarterbacks have improved significantly under Tommy, most notably Tyler Buchner. While a great runner of the football, he has yet to be able to read a defense consistently and make throws. He’s still far from a finished product, and getting a proven QB coach in-house to work with him would benefit everyone involved.

Jalen Hurts improved his reads and passing significantly at the highest level of football. While he has always been extremely talented, his passing has skyrocketed lately. He was 3rd in passing yards per attempt at 8.0 yards for quarterbacks with over 200 attempts, behind only Tua and Mahomes. He also went from 3144 passing yards on 432 attempts in 2021 to 3701 passing yards on 460 in 2022.

Brian Johnson is someone that can not only ensure quarterback growth but call a great offense. Notre Dame football would benefit greatly by adding him to the staff.

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