Notre Dame Officially Hires Chip Long As Offensive Coordinator
Notre Dame announced that Chip Long has been hired as the offensive coordinator for the Irish. It has been reported for over a week that Long would take over the offensive coordinator duties, but now it is official.
Long spent the past season as the offensive coordinator at Memphis. He spent that prior four seasons at Arizona State, where he coached the tight ends and was the Sun Devils’ recruiting coordinator for two seasons, then adding offensive special teams to his duties.
The 33-year-old Long got a three-year deal with the Irish, Fox Sports reported last week. The financial terms of the deal are unknown.
“Chip will be given the full responsibility to call plays in 2017,” Brian Kelly said in a statement. “His offense at Memphis displayed a unique blend of physicality, athleticism, versatility and explosiveness. Chip’s play-calling created mismatches all over the field and did it in a number of different ways. He likes to use players who can fill numerous roles in an array of formations, whether that be two and three tight ends or multiple running backs.
“Chip has experience coaching at almost every position on the offensive side of the ball. He’s worked for and learned from some of the most respected offensive minds in college football -- Bobby Petrino, Mike Norvell and Jeff Brohm -- to name a few.”
In Long’s one season at Memphis, the Tigers had the nation’s No. 16 scoring offense, averaging 39 points per game.
At Arizona State, Long — a Birmingham, Alabama, native — was an ace recruiter. Long was selected as one of the country’s top recruiters by Rivals in 2015. From 2012-14 while at Arizona State, Rivals listed Long as one of the top recruiters in the Pac-12.
“It’s an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to serve as the offensive coordinator at the University of Notre Dame,” Long said in a statement. “The challenge to lead at a University with such high standards is incredibly motivating. I’m very grateful to Brian Kelly and Jack Swarbrick for extending this opportunity.
“It’s Notre Dame: the values, the culture, and the leadership. My wife, Kari, and I are excited to move to South Bend and to join the Notre Dame family.”
Notre Dame lost offensive coordinator Mike Sanford to Western Kentucky (head coach) and associate head coach Mike Denbrock to Cincinnati (offensive coordinator).
Before going to Arizona State, Long was the tight ends and fullbacks coach at Illinois from 2010-11. His first coaching job was as a graduate assistant at Louisville (2006-07), working with the quarterbacks and receivers. He then moved to Arkansas, where he was a GA working with the tight ends from 2008-09.
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