JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Feb. 22, 2023

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Feb. 22, 2023

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Pete Cuozzo, Naples FL

1:45

Hi Eric, great job with all of your ND coverage as always. Can’t wait to hear more of your insights on the football coaching shuffle, including the O-Line derby (I vote Watt even though I have no vote). But my question is in a totally different direction. Given the loose NIL guidelines, does any of that money filter down to the high school coaches? I realize payments to HS coaches have been made “illegally” in the past, but I am wondering if any of that is now above board in the new (dysfunctional) era of NIL? Given the significant influence high school coaches have on their players, George Orwell and I can easily envision universities paying meaningful “marketing fees“ to those coaches to close a deal on a player. Your thoughts? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

1:44

Hey Chuck. Thank you. Even with very little college coaching experience, Andy Heck would be an awesome choice. At this stage of his career (he's 56) and how much success Kansas City is having, I'm not sure I can think of a compelling reason why he would want to walk away from that.

chuck-westfield indiana

1:42

good morning eric, looking forward to spring football and your insightful thoughts on how the team is progressing. has ND looked at andy heck as an OL coach. he was at ND when lou was coach and joe moore was OL coach. your thoughts on ND interviewing him. he has two super bowl rings. thanks for your thoughts here and your thoughts on who ND is interviewing for the OL position. thanks for having these chats, just really great

Eric Hansen

1:41

I think Marcus Freeman knew the challenges of the job when he took it, so I don't think frustration is the right word. Would he appreciate less resistance? I think that's fair, but I also think he's optimistic that his message is reaching open minds even if movement is slow.

Curt Warsaw In

1:39

Eric, do you think coach Freeman is frustrated with the administration?

Tom Kennesaw, GA

1:39

Hi Eric, never a dull moment.... Couple of easy questions. Do you know how involved Coach Parker was in the recruitment of Sam Hardman and if he has any meetings with Sam since being promoted to OC? Mu take on the discussions with the UTAH OC was that once he went back to Utah and hesitated that Freeman and Swarbrick decided to move on because they wanted someone who was all-in with ND. Does that have any merit?? Finally, when does Spring Practice begin with hitting and contact? Thanks and have a great week. Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen

1:38

Bill, I have not seen anything from Andy since he interviewed.

Bill from St Joe, MI

1:37

As far as you know, has Andy Ludwig provided more clarity on what happened during his interview for the ND OC job? I’ve been unable to track down any comments he may have made either on or off the record.

Eric Hansen

1:36

As far as the O-line search, there are candidates in both categories and one who probably checks both boxes -- Darrell Funk of BYU. I like him as a choice, but I think there are better candidates in the pool of coaches they have not worked with previously.

1:33

Aaron, thanks for your vote. If an offensive line coach has been identified by then and we've had a chance to talk to Sam Hartman, we'll definitely do one next week. In fact, between now and the end of spring practice, we might miss only once. ... Regarding defensive line improvement, we need to see some practices. There are a lot of unknowns, but that doesn't mean there's not talent. A lot of that talent resides in the sophomores-to-be. Then there's two big wild cards in DEs Jordan Botelho and Javontae Jean-Bapriste. All of that will reveal a lot about D-line coach Al Washington's development skills. (more)

Aaron, Washington DC

1:22

Hey Eric, great to have a chat again today. I vote for a chat every week (not that you asked for my opinion though). Two questions. One defense, what is your sense that we will see marked improvement on the defensive line? It's hard to see improvement based on the departure of multiple seniors yet improvement is critical. Do you get any impression that Coach Freeman sees the critical need for improvement on the d-line? On offense, do you see hiring of the o-line coach as more focused on an elite coach or bringing in someone that Coach Freeman (or Parker) know and trust? The best option may not be someone they know. Always appreciate your time and perspectives.

Eric Hansen

1:21

That's pretty standard procedure not to have one. In fact, I don't believe Rees has had a press conference at Alabama, just this statement from a press release: "I have the utmost respect for what Coach Saban has built at Alabama and the tradition of this program. I'm excited to have this opportunity, and I'm looking forward to getting in the meeting room and on the practice field with this team."

Noelle' New Oxford Pa.

1:18

Why do you think we never got a Farewell speech from Tommy Rees?

Eric Hansen

1:16

There's a point in the OC search narrative when ND moved on to Parker. The question I had and couldn't get answered was: Did Jack Swarbrick, Marcus Freeman or both make that decision? In his press conference, Marcus referred to Ludwig turning the job down. But was it a turn down or indecision? Marcus has a great track record for authenticity, but there's still a little wiggle room in my mind that both could fit within his explanation.

Denny from Beaverton

1:12

Hi Eric...This has certainly been an interesting week and many things have been said. Is there a question in your mind remaining? If so, who would you ask and what would be your question? Thanks for the great coverage you provide.

Eric Hansen

1:11

Thanks, Tim. Any time a coach deals with an athletic director regime change, there's a risk the relationship won't be as strong as it was with the AD who hired him. When Dick Rosenthal replaced Gene Corrigan, there were no issues. When Mike Wadsworth replaced Rosenthal, there were huge issues. And VP Father Beauchamp was in lock step with Rosenthal. I don't know that he was viewed as too much of an icon, but those two sides knocked heads on a lot of issues. And when Lou pondered leaving, they didn't push, but they held the door open. But projecting that to Marcus' situation, I don't think is congruent. Yes, Notre Dame's mission combined with sometimes clinging to the past for no good reason, is always going to make the job a challenge. Coaches and ADs are going to have to fight for things. Brian Kelly spent 12 years at ND doing that. And the fight will have to continue as college football around ND changes and evolves. The administration is at a critical juncture because of so many seismic changes recently.

Tim from Kansas City

1:03

Eric, Thanks for your many years of insightful coverage of ND football. Your thoroughness and humility shine through and are much appreciated. It is my understanding that in the waning years of the Lou Holtz era that he was undercut by administration as he was viewed as too much of an icon. 1. Do you feel that is accurate and 2. Could that history bear on concerns of whether Coach Freeman gets the support he needs in terms of staff, facilities, NIL, etc to have a reasonable chance of fielding a championship level squad?

Eric Hansen

1:03

Thanks Roger. When you're talking about assistant coach openings (and not head coaching ones), it's hard for me to recall a situation that comes close to this past one. Certainly, there's a lot more focus on these assistant coaching openings than there was 10-20 even five years ago. A lot more play by play. The irony is Notre Dame is WAY more competitive from a salary standpoint for assistant coaches then they were when I first got to South Bend in 1988. The one that does come to mind is Marcus Freeman's search last offseason for a defensive coordinator. The name that came up early was Jon Heacock of Iowa State. He was not interested. The Cyclones stunk this year (4-8 overall, 1-8 Big 12), but the defense was pretty good. They were fourth nationally in total defense. ND was 22nd.

Roger From Peoria

12:54

Eric: Your commentary on the Ludwig situation was the absolute best. It was measured and reasonable and, unlike nearly everything else I read, did not make the Irish leadership appear to be "babes in the woods snookered by an administration that knew what it was doing." There are probably some Irish faithful who cannot understand why any high school recruit would not want to be a Notre Dame recruit and others who cannot understand why any coach would not want to be the Irish O-Coordinator. When all is said and done, all that will matter is how the Irish offense performs in 2023 and 2024. My question calls on your lengthy career covering Notre Dame Football. Can you recall any prior occurrence when the Irish did not land its #1 or #2 choice for a coaching position, and if you can, can you report how that "lesser choice " candidate then performed? Keep up the good work!!

Eric Hansen

12:53

Kevin!!! Thank you so much for making me appreciate South Bend's own brand of crappy weather. ... I think you're well within the bounds of sanity to be excited about Gerad Parker. He certainly made a good impression at his Monday press conference. And Marcus' faith in him scores points with me. But vs. Ludwig, to me, Parker represents greater risk. That doesn't mean the reward won't ultimately be better, but the risk must be acknowledged. Knowing what I know today, I'd still pick Ludwig. The wild card in this mix is soon-to-be announced QBs coach Gino Guidugli. As far as recruiting, I think Parker is a more willing/energetic recruiter. But in terms of results, Parker's sample size at ND is small and Utah is going to attract more diamonds in the rough than elite, finished prospects. So it's not a fair comparison. My question with Parker isn't what his impact will be vs.Navy, Wake and Pitt. It's how he holds up vs. Clemson, Ohio State and USC. But again, he made a strong first impression.

Kevin-Sleepy Eye,MN

12:45

Eric!!! What better way to spend time in blizzard than this? Am I wrong to be excited about Parker? He has to prove the doubters wrong...he has to coach with a chip on his shoulder vs Ludwig. He clearly wants this job. He aligns himself with Freeman's vision. Is Ludwig a superior recruiter? Would Ludwig outwork Parker? I was never excited about Ludwig so all the chaos from not getting him never made a lot of sense to me.

Eric Hansen

12:45

Hi Joe. The column I referenced at the top of the chat will help answer this question in more depth and maybe clear up some details or misconceptions (and then maybe not). I probably have more conviction than before that Marcus Freeman is the right man for the ND head coaching job right now.

Guest

12:42

Joe H Williams Bay Wi Hi Eric After a very busy and chaotic last 10 days my head is still spinning In your opinion do you think that Marcus Freeman is still the one to lead ND to that next level or will he be another victim of the Notre Dame administration unwillingness to do the things necessary to compete nationally

Eric Hansen

12:42

From the story I did on the offensive line coaching search a few days ago, my top three choices would be: Joe Rudolph (Virginia Tech), Matt Luke (formerly of Georgia) and Brian Callahan (Minnesota). Also really like Arkansas' Cody Kennedy.

12:36

Hi Marie. It's February and yet there's lot of football to chat about, so that makes for a great week in my book. So let me start by saying there are strong offensive line candidates (some, not many) who have offensive coordinator experience. If one of those are selected, that may affect how analyst roles are filled. The analyst roles may be changing soon, as the NCAA is giving a lot of thought to letting them do on-field coaching. There seems to be some momentum that this will eventually happen, perhaps before next season. As it stands now, the gameday restriction on analysts (and during the week too) is that they can't do on-field coaching. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

12:32

Hi Eric, I hope you’re having a great week. Since Jared Parker’s playcalling experience is fairly limited, do you see Freeman bringing in one or more senior analysts to help with the offense? I know Parker has work with Cutcliffe someone like. So maybe him or someone very similar to him. can an analyst give input during a day game or are they limited to Monday through Friday? Now that you’ve had a minute to think about it, who are your top three candidates for the O line coaching position? Thanks for hosting the chat and for all your great input.

Eric Hansen

12:31

Tom, that's a really good thought, but in exchanging a few texts in the past week with Harry, I don't get the idea he's having any second thoughts about retirement.

Tom from Sister Lakes MI

12:30

Hi Eric, It appeared from the timing that Harry Hiestand retired when it looked like Ludwig was going to be the OC. Since then the job went to Parker who worked with HH for a year. Do you know if MF and GP are trying to see if HH would change his mind

Eric Hansen

12:29

As far as Marcus Freeman commenting on Tommy Rees' departure, that's not normally something ND does with coaches leaving for other jobs. They did put out a press release re Harry Hiestand, because that was a retirement. Tommy will have a senior analyst working with him at Alabama as well as former Irish tight ends coach John McNulty, also in an analyst role. That concept was not a motivation to leave. I would say most media members and people in the coaching profession don't see that offensive coordinator job at Alabama as a lateral move. One friend I have in college coaching told me if Tommy does well there, it will change the trajectory of his career. Certainly, the last several OCs from Alabama moved on to very good jobs after spending only two or three years at Alabama.

12:25

Norris, this is an example of what I was referencing off the top about outdated info and shifting narratives. It's very difficult for fans in the offseason when maybe you're looking for news every few days rather than every day. And as an entire body of media, we presented readers an inconsistent picture. So your misperception is not your fault. It's on us. so let's get this right, now. Harry had decided about retirement before the offensive coordinator search had gotten much traction. It was decided to hold onto that news until Super Bowl Sunday. I was told by a source (who I trust) that the new OC was then going to have strong input into who the next O-line coach should be. So Collin Klein, had he taken the job, could have brought his own guy or weighed in on ND's search process. Same with Andy Ludwig, who preferred his own Jim Harding from Utah. Gerad Parker now has a strong voice and his preference is that the decision be collaborative. (more)

Norris from Singer Island Fl.

12:15

Thanks for your candid evaluations of ND football. Is it worse than we thought? Was Harry Hiestand forced into retirement over Superbowl weekend so that Andy Ludwig could bring along his own offensive line coach. Jim Harding, with him from Utah, only to have it all blow up over money on Monday? Second, I may have missed them, but what were the nice words which MF had for TR when he bolted for Alabama, and was that lateral move caused by a desire to bring in a seasoned offensive evaluator to oversee TR?

Eric Hansen

12:14

The two more important/constant metrics that national championship teams have on offense (along with run defense, total defense and turnover margin) are rushing offense ranking and pass-efficiency. Georgia this season was 19th in rush offense nationally and sixth in pass efficiency. And maybe run efficiency is more accurate. You don't need to be prolific in both, but you do need to do both well -- run and pass.

12:12

Jim, thanks. Part of the lack of dull moments is what makes covering Notre Dame football so special -- and yet too much of anything is ... LOL. To your question, I don't share the same vibe you're getting, and here's why. When done right, running the ball well isn't an alternative to the passing game but an enhancer. The more you can put a defensive coordinator in a pass/run dilemma during the game, the more difficult your offense is to defend. So for example, Drew Pyne's limitations both as a runner and deep passer, allowed defense to cheat and overemphasize stopping ND's run game last season. If Hartman and the improving WRs play up to expectations, defenses won't be able to do that. (more)

Jim Tal Valley Center, CA

12:05

Hi Eric, never a dull moment on the Irish beat, right? Listen, I heard Coach Freeman say during Monday's press conference that running the ball would be the fundamental emphasis for the offense. I don't quite know why but I got a bit of a bad vibe when he mentioned that. Sure, toting the rock is hugely important but with a gunslinger like Sam Hartman onboard, throwing the ball has got to be every bit as vital. The passing game shouldn't suffer because of too much focus on the run. In your opinion, is there any chance that a Freeman/Parker offense could somehow underutilize Hartman and thereby prevent him from maxing out and putting up the kind of numbers the Irish need in order to have a special season in 2023? And thank you as always for your much-appreciated work.

Eric Hansen

Off we go.

12:03

Just to start out with, there are scads of questions related to the recent offensive coordinator search and all of its tentacles. The biggest challenge in answering some of those is that only a long and detailed answer will suffice. Another challenge is some of you weren’t able to follow the story closely enough to keep up with a drastically shifting narrative and are basing the questions on outdated or bad information. My suggestion is to read this column (How Notre Dame moves on from OC search is now what matters most) first — or after — the chat. You should find your answers there. I still plan to get to some questions related to it, but the more-specific ones and those that are especially relevant moving forward.

Please remember to include your NAME and HOMETOWN along with you question(s).

12:02

12:01

As for today's live chat, here are the rules:

12:00

Some quick programming notes:
► Our Inside ND Sports Podcast presented by Dead Soxy records Wednesday night this week. So be sure to look for it on our homepage or on your preferred podcast platform including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Podbean and Pocket Casts.
► Tyler James and I have introduced our new weekly offseason Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps. In our latest episode, we break down new offensive coordinator Gerad Parker’s message and vision from his first press conference, assess head coach Marcus Freeman’s take on the offensive coordinator search and spin forward to assess the pending hiring of QBs coach Gino Guidugli and take a look at the top candidates to become ND’s next offensive line coach. When you can’t catch us live, you can watch us anytime during the week, as the show keeps its shelf life going through the entire week.

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