Marcus Freeman would like to keep his 2023 coaching staff intact heading into next season.
The Notre Dame football head coach gave his staff that message Monday and reiterated it in a teleconference with reporters in the afternoon.
"If it's up to me, as I just told the coaching staff in our staff meeting, I have a strong belief in the coaches that we have in this football program and would love all of them to be back," Freeman said.
"There's obviously places that we have to improve on all three phrases. The coaches understand that. They definitely are up for the challenge."
The phase under the most scrutiny this season was Notre Dame's offense and first-year offensive coordinator Gerad Parker. Parker was promoted from his tight ends coach role in February to replace Tommy Rees after he left to take the same job at Alabama.
While Rees was earning acclaim at Alabama as one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award given annually to the top assistant coach in college football, Parker struggled to get Notre Dame’s offense firing on all cylinders against its toughest opponents.
The AP No. 16 Irish (9-3) averaged only 19 points in their three losses to Ohio State, Louisville and Clemson. All three teams finished the regular season ranked among the top 25 teams in the FBS in scoring defense: Ohio State (No. 2, 11 points per game), Clemson (No. 23, 19.9) and Louisville (No. 24, 20).
Notre Dame’s total offensive production for the season was mostly substantial, but the offensive outbursts too frequently came against opponents the Irish were expected to beat thoroughly. Notre Dame’s offense ranks No. 9 in scoring offense (39.1 points per game) with the help of six touchdowns scored on defense and special teams and shorter fields inherited due to turnovers.
Notre Dame has the No. 35 rushing offense (181.5 yards per game), the No. 50 passing offense (247.8) and No. 12 team passing efficiency (161.49).
Last season under Rees, Notre Dame finished with the No. 31 team passing efficiency (147.23), No. 35 rushing offense (189.1), No. 41 scoring offense (31.8), No. 59 total offense (396.2) and No. 97 passing offense (207.1).
Freeman guides his team by pushing the players and coaches to reach their full potential. It seems clear that Notre Dame didn’t reach its full potential on offense.
That’s due, in part, to an underachieving and injured wide receiver corps that didn’t take advantage of prolific quarterback Sam Hartman’s one season in South Bend. Hartman, who left Wake Forest after five seasons as the ACC’s all-time leader in touchdown passes (110), threw 24 touchdowns in 2023, which is tied for 18th in the FBS.
Tight end Mitchell Evans remains Notre Dame’s leader in receptions with 29 despite missing four games. Freshman wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. has 27 for 392 yards and one touchdown. Senior wide receiver Chris Tyree, a converted running back, has 26 for 484 yards and three touchdowns. No other wide receiver has more than 17 catches.
Junior Jayden Thomas (17 catches for 251 yards and one touchdown), junior Deion Colzie (3-45-1) and sophomore Tobias Merriweather (14-284-2) all fell significantly short of expectations for them in 2023. Thomas and Colzie were limited by hamstring and knee injuries, respectively.
Parker and wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey will be tasked with elevating the playmaking at the receiver position with a new quarterback leading the offense next season. The Irish will likely also lose their leading rusher in running back Audric Estimé and best overall player in All-America left tackle Joe Alt as early entrants in the NFL Draft this offseason.
---------------------------------------------------------------
• Talk with Notre Dame fans on The Insider Lounge.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, SoundCloud, Podbean or Pocket Casts.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports channel on YouTube.
• Follow us on Twitter: @insideNDsports, @EHansenND, @TJamesND and @cbowles01.
• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports
• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports
