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Jeff Quinn Eager To Continue Notre Dame O-Line Standards: Part I

New offensive line coach Jeff Quinn worked with Brian Kelly 21 straight years from 1989-2009, and then as an analyst from 2015-17.
New offensive line coach Jeff Quinn worked with Brian Kelly 21 straight years from 1989-2009, and then as an analyst from 2015-17. (Corey Bodden)

Following a six-game improvement in the win column last season, building on the continuity of that staff was deemed essential to Notre Dame in 2018.

So when Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Mike Elko departed for Texas A&M in January, head coach Brian Kelly moved swiftly to promote Elko’s disciple, linebackers coach Clark Lea, to continue to teach and advance the system implemented.

However, when sixth-year offensive line coach Harry Hiestand left around the same time to coach the offensive line for the Chicago Bears, the promotion of Jeff Quinn from an analyst role the past three years under Kelly to taking over the line was viewed on the outside with far greater skepticism.

Kelly had interviewed three other candidates for the position, so his selection of Quinn was classified as too conservative and perhaps too much cronyism, a la Brian VanGorder’s hiring as the ill-fated Fighting Irish defensive coordinator in 2014.

Nevertheless, while working together 21 consecutive years from 1989-2009 before Kelly became Notre Dame’s head coach and Quinn was hired by the Buffalo Bulls in the MAC, their experience together the final nine years was sensational, including two Division II national titles at Grand Valley State, a MAC title at Central Michigan and back-to-back Big East championship at Cincinnati (2008-09), notably a 12-0 regular season in 2009.

Despite leading the moribund Bulls to a bowl in 2013, Quinn was fired four games into the 2014 season and was hired a few months later by Kelly to be an analyst on his staff.

“The dear Lord blessed me,” said Quinn earlier this month about his promotion following two decades of mainly instructing offensive lines. “For three years I prayed for it to happen for me and my family and it came true, so now we’ve got to take full advantage of this opportunity.”

A year earlier, Quinn admitted he had his sights on becoming the Irish offensive coordinator, but Kelly opted to go in a different direction by hiring Memphis’ Chip Long.

“He was very open with his thoughts, very genuine and sincere, and I understood what he was asking from me and why he was looking at filling that role with Chip Long,” said Quinn of his conversation with Kelly back then. “Those are always difficult situations to be in, but I took it as an opportunity to learn, to grow, to continue to watch offense get installed that hasn’t exactly been those terms and that scheme and those plays.

“We were similar, but I think Chip brought a lot more to the table with what we do now. And also to be able to spend more time watching Coach Hiestand and watching our defense with a new coordinator — with change comes opportunity and you have to embrace it knowing that potentially an opportunity will take place as it has now.”

While Kelly and Quinn have had a longstanding relationship, the real issue was/is how would Quinn and Long mesh. Quinn said his role as the analyst on offense last year allowed him to broaden his own perspective on strategy and scenarios.

“Last year after Coach had made the decision to hire Chip, I was eager and excited, because all I knew was that one system we had developed and brought here to Notre Dame,” Quinn said. “I really liked how [Long] calls the offense, I like the plays that we have in the system. We’re on the same page: It’s all about run the ball first, it’s about attacking downhill, it’s about being relentless to the echo of the whistle and making sure we’re putting the points on the board.

“Being able to do that, you need to have those guys up front to be able to control the line of scrimmage and protect the quarterback as we take shots downfield. I could tell in a very short of time we were going to be able to work very closely and very well together.

“Now the opportunity that presented itself to be the offensive line coach was something I was even more excited [about], to be able to work locked arms and lock step with Chip as we continue to move this offense forward.”

While going from Division I head coach to offensive analyst might be perceived as a blow to one’s professional ego, Quinn said he embraced his 2015-17 role and benefitted from it.

“It allowed me to see things in a different perspective in terms of time management, charts in terms of being able to attempt more fourth down situations, to convert as opposed to settling for punts and field goals,” Quinn said.

“Also, there were a lot of scenarios that I was able to share with Chip and Coach Kelly that maybe don’t happen as often. I dug in deep ... probably over 100 scenarios through the NFL and college game that could potentially take place based on score, field position, time on the clock before the half or end of game, certain things that we’ve installed in our offense that have helped us prepare each week if those scenarios did take place. I took a lot of pride in that.”

Replicating the success of the 2017 Notre Dame offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s best five-man unit is unlikely, but continuing the standards of excellence set under Hiestand will be emphasized.

“One of the best I’ve been around,” said Quinn of Hiestand. “Being here three years, I’ve studied Harry and I’ve studied how our offensive line has been coached, taught, developed, trained, and I’m certainly excited about continuing that tradition here.

“If you’ve been around Harry, he doesn’t waste a second to get those guys ready and train mentally, physically, emotionally to play at the highest level — and you saw that displayed on that football field.

“That standard he set was more of an attacking mentality every single day, and that’s the way I want to coach, that’s the way I’ve always coached, and certainly the guys will feel good about how I’m going in that room every day and then how we take it to the field and how it’s displayed each and every Saturday in the fall.”

The new Irish offensive line coach also stressed that while the coach has to set the standard and tone, it’s the players who have to take ownership. Whether it was Zack Martin and Chris Watt when Hiestand first arrived in 2012, Ronnie Stanley or Nick Martin later, and most recently Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson, leadership/excellence is handed down and then demanded to be maintained/enhanced so as to honor the legacies left behind.

“They made it clear: ‘This is who we’re going to be and these are the decisions we’re going to make and we’re going to do it collectively amongst the offensive line. We’re going to set the tone and the standard each and every single day,’” said Quinn of the recent mainstays of the Irish line.

“You watch their work ethic and their mental and physical toughness, you just see it and it becomes who you are. I saw that unfold firsthand over the last three years, so to be in that room with those young men it’s impressive to see that all those traits are already in place … not just in football but in their personal life as students. That’s a choice that those young men have made. These guys are going to continue that tradition with Sam Mustipher, Alex Bars, Robert Hainsey, Tommy Kraemer … they know the standard to live up to.”

And if they don’t…

“Those other guys are going to come back and they’re going to have something to say about it if it’s not being done the right way,” Quinn said. “I think they know the pride and traditions of that unit and what that room represents.”

Tomorrow: Part II on recruiting and current roster.

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