Update: Notre Dame Defensive Line Coach Situation

The on-field tumult during Notre Dame’s 4-8 season has spilled over this month with regard to its future coaching situation. Multiple reports on Monday indicated that defensive line coach Keith Gilmore would be replaced, but a source close to the situation later indicated they are not accurate and that newly hired defensive coordinator Mike Elko was still in the interviewing process with defensive assistants, including Gilmore.

Gilmore has had a coaching history with head coach Brian Kelly dating back 25 years and four different stops. He served as Kelly’s defensive line coach at Grand Valley State (1991-93); Central Michigan (2006); Cincinnati (2007-08), where he also held the title assistant head coach; and Notre Dame (2015-16).

Upon hearing of Gilmore’s supposed dismissal, 2015 Notre Dame defensive lineman and All-American Sheldon Day, now with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, made his feelings known via Twitter.

Prior to his fourth stint with Kelly, the 58-year-old Gilmore had coached the defensive at Illinois (2009-12) and North Carolina (2013-14). A Detroit native, Gilmore also was effective last year on the recruiting trail in the state of Michigan while helping reel in three defensive ends in 2015, most notably five-star prospect Daelin Hayes (Belleville), who originally gave a verbal pledge to USC. Also signed last year from the Wolverine state were Khalid Kareem (Pontiac), whose original pledge was to Alabama’s dynasty, and Adetokunbo Ogundeji (West Bloomfield), who had initially committed to head coach P.J. Fleck’s currently unbeaten Western Michigan Broncos.

If a change does occur, at least two potential options along the line include current Notre Dame linebackers coach/recruiting coordinator Mike Elston — who has been on Kelly’s staff since 2004 at Central Michigan, including defensive line from 2010-14 at Notre Dame — or Wake Forest’s Dave Cohen, who worked under Elko the past three seasons in Winston-Salem.

Cohen was the head coach at Hofstra University from 2006-09 — where Elko was a coordinator — before the Pride dropped its program for economic reasons. He received the Eddie Robinson Award in 2007 as the Football Championship Subdivision Coach of the Year.

From a statistical standpoint, the 2016 Notre Dame defensive line was not particularly productive against either the run or the pass. Versus the run, the Irish ranked 72nd while allowing 182.4 yards per game. For the first time in its history, Notre Dame allowed at least 170 rushing yards per game in three consecutive seasons. In 2015, it was 175.6 — which also ranked 72nd and was deemed “unacceptable” by Kelly. This year’s figure also was the most since the 195.4 average during the 3-9 campaign in 2007.

Meanwhile, the defensive line also collected only three quarterback sacks this past season, which was the fewest among Power Five lines. The 14 sacks overall, led by linebacker Nyles Morgan’s four, ranked 118th in the Football Bowl Subdivision among 128 teams.

However, in fairness to Gilmore, sacks are not always in context with effective pass pressure. The Irish defensive line was credited with 25 QB pressures in 2016. Also, defensive schemes by a coordinator might have roles for linemen not always conducive to recording sacks. Finally, three of Notre Dame’s opponents — North Carolina State, Navy and Army West Point — combined for only 30 pass attempts versus the Irish, either because of inclement conditions or because they run the triple option.

At least two other on-field Notre Dame assistants have to be replaced, or have been. Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Sanford accepted the head coaching position at Western Kentucky, while special teams coordinator/tight ends coach Scott Booker was relieved of his duties. Hired to coach the special teams is Brian Polian, who held the same post at Notre Dame from 2005-09 under head coach Charlie Weis. Polian also was an assistant at Stanford (2010-11) and Texas A&M (2012) before becoming the head coach at Nevada from 2013-16.

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