2018 Notre Dame Coaching Staff
Notre Dame’s coaching staff same some turnover during the 2018 off-season with Mike Elko leaving Notre Dame for a big pay day in a lateral move after just one year. Clark Lea was elevated to defensive coordinator after originally following Elko to Notre Dame from Wake Forest during Notre Dame’s complete makeover of the coaching staff in the 2017 off-season. With Elko’s departure, Notre Dame also added a new defensive backs coach to handle the safeties in Terry Joseph. Joseph came to Notre Dame after a season with North Carolina.
On the offensive side of the ball, Notre Dame lost long time offensive line coach Harry Hiestand. Hiestand left Notre Dame to return to the NFL to coach the offensive line of the Bears after seven years at Notre Dame that produced four first round draft picks – Zack Martin, Ronnie Stanley, Mike McGlinchey, and Quenton Nelson. Jeff Quinn, a coach with a long history with Brian Kelly, was elevated to replace Hiestand after serving as an offensive analyst/assistant for two years.
| Name | Position | Years at Notre Dame | Previous Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Kelly | Head Coach | 9 | Head Coach Cincinnati (2009-11) |
| Chip Long | Offensive Coordinator / Tight Ends | 2 | Offensive Coordinator Memphis (2016) |
| Autry Denson | Running Backs Coach | 4 | Assoc. Head Coach Special Teams Coord. Linebackers Indiana State (2009) |
| Tommy Rees | Quarterbacks Coach | 2 | Defen |
| Jeff Quinn | Offensive Line Coach | 1* | Head Coach Buffalo (2010-2014) |
| DelVaughn Alexander | Wide Receivers | 2 | Wide Receivers/TE (2012-2016) |
| Clark Lea | Defensive Coordinator Linebackers Coach | 2** | Linebackers Coach Wake Forest (2016) |
| Mike Elston | Defensive Line Recruiting Coordinator | 9 | Defensive Line Coach Notre Dame (2015-2016) |
| Terry Joseph | Defensive Backs Coach (S) | 1 | Defensive Backs Coach North Carolina (2017) |
| Todd Lyght | Defensive Backs Coach (CB) | 4 | Defensive Backs Coach Philadelphia Eagles (2013-14) |
| Brian Polian | Special Teams Coordinator | 2 | Head Coach Nevada (2013-2016) |
* Jeff Quinn was an offensive analyst for Notre Dame for two seasons prior to being name OL coach. He is in his first year of coaching the OL at Notre Dame in 2018.
** Clark Lea has been at Notre Dame for two seasons as of 2018 but has is only in his first year as defensive coordinator in 2018.
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
Windbush God bless him is not a pocket passer, but after watching our offense struggle again against Vanderbilt , it dawn on me that Wimbush would be deadly in a triple option scheme! Am I the only one thinking like this?
Now that Allen Pinkett has more time on his hands, he may be available to help His alma Mater.
I sure hope so. Allen was in my dorm (Howard Hall, then a men’s dorm) in Fall, 1985.