Al Washington has been a hot name in the coaching carousel the last two years. Notre Dame has managed to stave off other teams to keep one of its best defensive coaches. On Friday, the Irish announced the newest move to make sure the defensive line coach stays in South Bend is to move him to the linebackers coach.
The Irish had an opening for a linebackers coach because Max Bullough left the program to return to his alma mater at Michigan State. Now, instead of looking for a replacement for Bullough, Marcus Freeman and Chris Ash will look for a replacement defensive line coach.
Washington's move to linebackers coach isn't a lateral one. In fact, it's one that means he will almost certainly be moving on from Notre Dame at some point. Washington has an interest in becoming a defensive coordinator one day. It's far more likely he'll get that job after having been a LB coach than manning the DL.
Why Al Washington’s move made sense for Notre Dame football
Washington is no stranger to coaching linebackers, as this will mark his third stint at the position. He coached linebackers at Elon in 2011 before taking on the role at Michigan in 2018 and at Ohio State from 2019 to 2021.
During his season at Michigan, Washington helped develop Devin Bush, Khaleke Hudson, and Josh Uche. Bush was named Big Ten Linebacker of the Year, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and a Consensus All-American under Washington's guidance, while Hudson and Uche earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. He also had plenty of All-Conference players at Ohio State.
Washington's move is all upside for him. However, Notre Dame is losing a very talented defensive line coach in the process. The Fighting Irish front finished the regular season No. 1 in the country in total pressures and No. 4 in sacks under Washington's leadership in 2025.