Notebook: Notre Dame's defense aims to find calm in communication

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The importance of communicating defensive play calls doesn’t quite equate to the urgency of an emergency aircraft landing, but Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden wants the latter to be an example of how to handle the former.

Specifically, Golden cites captain Sully Sullenberger’s famous Hudson River landing in 2009 when describing the ideal communication style. Golden’s so invested in the comparison that he can recite specifics from Sullenberger’s conversation with an air traffic controller, such as offering Teterboro (N.J.) Airport as a potential landing spot.

“We just try to keep it really quiet,” Golden said Saturday. “We try to keep it calm. I tell the coaches all the time, it’s Sully landing on the Hudson. It’s not a rock concert. It’s not everybody yelling. It’s ‘We got Teterboro on the right. Unable. Going in the Hudson.’

“It’s just, ‘What do we have to get across?’ and the rest of it’s noise. It’s not going to help us.”

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Graduate student linebacker Jack Kiser, entering his sixth season of college football, will most frequently be on the receiving end of the new helmet communication allowed in college football. The Irish are training other linebackers to be capable of the responsibility, but Kiser’s experience and frequency in which he’s expected to be on the field make him the ideal candidate to help communicate Notre Dame’s defensive calls.

Per NCAA rules, the line of communication ends when the play clock hits 15 seconds or the ball is snapped, whichever happens first. That makes direct, concise communication paramount. Golden joked that it’s a good thing that Kiser can’t talk back to the sideline, because it would only cause delays.

“It’s probably good, because Jack’s really smart. If he had a button back to me, it would be a long day,” Golden said. “We’d go back and forth.”

With Kiser’s knowledge of Golden’s scheme after two seasons in the system and an understanding of offensive game-planning, he can sort through whatever comes next.

“He’s a problem solver,” Golden said, “and I could tell him certain things and then when I get cut off he can operate it based on what he sees.”

Four of Notre Dame’s five captains for the 2024 season are defensive players — Kiser, defensive tackle Rylie Mills, cornerback Benjamin Morrison and safety Xavier Watts — which speaks the level of leadership and experience on Golden’s side of the ball. But there are plenty more defenders who will carry important responsibilities. As Golden put it, the defense has way more leaders than captains.

“Everybody has the potential to lead,” Golden said. “Even when I try to send notes to the defensive guys that are part of that leader group, it’s a big number and it’s not just seniors. There’s guys that you’re grooming that are sophomores or juniors that have a chance to be leaders. Again, there’s leaders and great teammates. As long as there’s no third parties, we’re going to be in great shape.”

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Deflecting praise for an NFL-style system

An offseason/preseason press conference for Golden rarely goes by without a question about his defensive scheme being comparable to those used in the NFL.

Rather than take credit, Golden often directs praise to the work of his fellow coaches and players. That happened again Saturday.

“People name systems whatever they want to name them,” Golden said. “That’s immaterial to me. What’s important is do we believe in what we’re teaching every day and trying to fight that chasm between goals and outcome. That’s execution. That’s what we’re trying to every day do.

“You can call it whatever you want. We’re just trying to get better today and trying to execute whatever we have to do. What people mean by the ‘NFL system’ is there’s flexibility in it.

“The system isn’t the star. The players are the star. Does that make sense to you? That’s the system. The players are the stars. Not the system. And how do we develop players and how do we get them to do the things that they do best?”

When Golden came to Notre Dame in February of 2022, he did so with an assistant coaching staff already in place under new head coach Marcus Freeman. Defensive line coach Al Washington was hired prior to Golden that offseason and cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens and safeties coach Chris O’Leary were retained by Freeman.

O’Leary, who left for the NFL following the 2023 season, is the only assistant coach to leave Golden’s defensive staff. Rather than replace O’Leary with a safeties coach, Mickens was given responsibility for the entire secondary and Max Bullough was elevated from graduate assistant to linebackers coach.

What was somewhat of a blind date has turned into great success for Golden. Now he’s working with his assistant coaches to not only install a defense that’s tough in the Aug. 31 season opener at Texas A&M (7:30 p.m. EDT on ABC), but one that’s deep enough to withstand the regular season and make a playoff run.

“To take that leap of faith and then be rewarded because they’re great human beings and they’re great teachers and great mentors and great fathers and we get to work together every day, it’s awesome,” Golden said. “Coaching defense is hard, man. Trying to stop [offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock] every day with everything they got going on is hard.

“It can be difficult. There are difficult days. There can be challenging days. There could be days where you have a short fuse and you have a bunch of different personalities, but man, it’s fun to go to work every day. And the way the players respond is what motivates you.”

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How Denbrock’s offense helps Golden’s defense

Notre Dame’s offense won Saturday’s jersey scrimmage inside Notre Dame Stadium by a 42-40 margin. Though the scoring system may be confusing and complicated, it showed that the offensive side of the ball has figured out ways to make ground against Golden’s experienced defense.

“It’s definitely a challenge every day to go against [Denbrock’s offense] and it makes the guys adapt and solve problems on the field,” Golden said.

The mixing and matching of personnel combined with shifts and motions can create tough decisions for the defense.

“They do a great job. No. 1, they have a quarterback [Riley Leonard] who can distribute or he can solve it with his legs, which is really an awesome starting point. Everybody talks about Mitch [Evans], but the other two tight ends behind him [Eli Raridon and Cooper Flanagan] made great strides. Now, all of a sudden, there are different combinations that can go in the game.

“I love our running back corps. Different combinations of wide receivers in the game. The totality of that, if you will, provides great challenges. It’s not like we’ll take away Mitch or just take away Beaux [Collins] or hey, we have to focus on Jeremiyah [Love]. It’s not that, because then Riley can get you with his feet. I love the system.”