Notre Dame football: Why Byron Leftwich would be a great OC

Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman has recently received interest in the open offensive coordinator position from Byron Leftwich. However, I’ve seen a lot of folks on social media and other platforms that seem to be against this potential move. Here’s why that shouldn’t be the case.

The winning speaks for itself. Leftwich has won at the highest level as a player and coach. Yes, he was a backup as a player, but he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the offensive side of the football as OC just a couple of years ago. It’s hard to find a coach with no risk, but I don’t see the negative in hiring a Super Bowl-winning coach.

Many people have pointed to his being fired by Tampa Bay as the main reason they don’t see him as a good fit, blaming the team’s downfall on him. Tom Brady retired after this past season for a reason; he was a shell of himself. With all due respect, the Buccaneers had one of the worst backfields in the entire NFL.

According to PFF, Rachaad White was the highest-graded running back on the team at 41st overall; there are 32 teams in the NFL. White and Leonard Fournette are both below-average blockers, and with the oldest quarterback in the league, that doesn’t bode well for success. Sure, the team had Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but both players missed time throughout the season.

My point is that someone pointing out that Leftwich was fired from Tampa Bay after winning a Super Bowl with them is irrelevant to me. He proved he could do it at the highest level, and his recent offense was a shell of what it once was. He also has more potential than anyone on the recruiting trail.

Why wouldn’t a player want to learn from someone who has not only played in the NFL himself but has won Super Bowls? Of course, he hasn’t recruited before, but he could be better than anyone Notre Dame football would hire; we just don’t know.

There are seemingly endless reasons why someone should or shouldn’t be considered for a coaching position. However, in the case of Byron Leftwich, I think there’s a lot more positive than negative in bringing him on as the offensive coordinator for the Notre Dame football program.