Tommy Rees: ‘We underestimated’ what Jack Coan could provide Notre Dame
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Adding Jack Coan felt like a win-win when Notre Dame pulled him out of the transfer portal last January. An 18-game Big Ten starter should, in theory, serve as a fine one-year bridge between all-time wins leader Ian Book and a couple underclassmen who could be the long-term starter beginning in 2022. The quarterback floor with him should be high, even if the ceiling might be short of elite.
Twelve starts, a No. 5 ranking, 11-1 record and Fiesta Bowl appearance later, the Coan-Notre Dame portal pairing was in fact a victory for both sides — and even more than each expected.
“Everything that we thought we were getting in Jack, we underestimated,” offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said. “I think he was more than we thought we were getting.”
From a zoomed-out view, Rees has a case. Coan started every game, which is far from a guarantee based on the history of Power Five to Power Five graduate transfer quarterbacks. His final act will be leading the Irish into the Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State (1 p.m., ESPN). He threw for 2,641 yards, completed 67.6 percent of his passes and tossed 20 touchdowns against just six interceptions.
All told, the Irish just about maxed out the ceiling in a retooling season.
For as stable and successful as Coan’s year was overall, though, it was hardly linear progress like the basic facts might suggest.
The year started with euphoric highs, like his four-touchdown day in the season opener at Florida State and his game-winning drive with a dislocated finger the next week against Toledo. His unexpected re-insertion for the two-minute drill at Virginia Tech and subsequent comeback sparked a steady second half.
There were also frustrating lows, like the sacks that piled up in the first five games, a benching in a loss to Cincinnati and another the following week at Virginia Tech before his heroics. There were moments when moving forward with him as the starter felt like an untenable idea.
When the dream is playing quarterback at Notre Dame, though, it’s easy to keep perspective despite the vacillations.
“Every day just feels like a blessing to be here,” Coan said.
Rees speaks as if he feels the same way about Coan’s presence.
“From an intangible standpoint and a personality standpoint, leadership, being the guy in the room, being the guy in front of the offense, that was all more than we anticipated,” Rees said.
“From a physical standpoint, I said it from the first practice we had with him, he's physically more gifted than he was advertised. His ability to make all the throws, his ability to stand firm in the pocket, his mental capacity to play this position is as high as anyone in the country. I think he's been extremely underrated throughout this entire season.”
No one will mistake Coan’s 2021 for an All-American season. Notre Dame also didn’t expect to find an All-American quarterback in this context.
Underrated in this case applies to perception as much as it does numbers or accolades. After the Irish’s fifth game — a loss to Cincinnati — Coan was a perceived game manager at best and, more commonly, a liability. He heads into the final one as a reason the Irish are ranked No. 5. To Rees’ point, but only recently has that become more widely accepted.
The praise would fall on deaf ears without winning, though, and Notre Dame reached the Fiesta Bowl with seven straight victories to end the regular season. In that stretch, Coan averaged 9.1 yards per attempt, threw 11 touchdowns against three interceptions and completed at least 70 percent of his passes in all but one game.
“The offense started playing more efficient,” Coan said. “I think that started with me and getting the ball out of my hands and making quick, smart decisions right away. Obviously, in the beginning of the year, I was taking a bunch of sacks. I felt like a lot of that was on me. I could have gotten the ball out quicker and gotten us in the right protection and things like that.
“I'd say that's one area we've improved. Then just continuing to just be smart and protect the football and create explosive plays. I'd say that's been the biggest thing for us.”
Coan’s self-confidence shouldn’t be understated either. One benching can shake it. Two can stamp all of it out for good. Coan’s belief in himself took zero visible dents through both.
“I know when I go out there, I have a lot of great teammates around me and a coaching staff that's going to put me in great situations,” Coan said. “And, obviously, I love to play football. Every time I go out there, I'm just having fun enjoying every single snap. I'm not worried about messing up or getting pulled or anything like that.”
That’s among the reasons Rees sees Coan’s career continuing beyond Notre Dame. If he underestimated that idea upon Coan’s arrival, he’s doing the opposite now.
“He's going to make a roster next year in the NFL,” Rees said. “I have no doubt about it. And I think us as a program are very fortunate to have him come through.”
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