Why Notre Dame Football Named Jack Coan Starting Quarterback Over Drew Pyne
Tommy Rees made one thing clear Saturday.
So clear, in fact, he said it twice.
“This was a clean slate,” the Notre Dame offensive coordinator told reporters huddled around him in the upstairs lobby of the Irish’s indoor practice facility. “We did not lean on past experiences or anything of that sort. This was a clean slate when Jack came.”
Translation: Notre Dame named graduate transfer Jack Coan its starting quarterback, and it had little to do with what Coan did as a 14-game starter at Wisconsin two years ago. It had everything to do with what Coan has done since joining the Irish in January.
"I feel like I've always had a good sense of who I am as a player and a person," Coan said when asked what he's learned about himself since arriving in South Bend. "I've tried to work as hard as I could and be a great teammate."
Coan battled sophomore Drew Pyne and freshman Tyler Buchner for the job. He had a clear edge over them in Notre Dame’s first fall camp practice a week ago, and his advantage had become so severe five days later that he hardly took any scrimmage reps during Thursday’s practice.
Those reps were reserved for Pyne and Buchner, two young signal-callers clearly vying for the second spot on the depth chart. Coan had the No. 1 locked up by then. Rees said he had shown more readiness on a day-to-day basis than either of his competitors.
“At the end of the day, it just came down to a consistent level of Jack’s performance,” Rees said. “That’s really what allowed him to take this step forward.”
Coan said Rees told him he’d be the starter Friday. The conversation was short and sweet. Of course, there are two sides to every coin. Rees had to tell Pyne, Notre Dame’s likely second-stringer, the news, too.
That talk had a bit more substance to it. Rees said it wasn’t easy, but Pyne made it much more bearable. Rees said Pyne, who’d almost assuredly be the starter had Coan not transferred into the program barring an ultra-impressive fall camp surge from Buchner, is going to use this as a reason to keep working and get better.
“Drew is a special, special kid,” Rees said. “His energy, his love for Notre Dame is as authentic as it gets and as contagious as it gets,” Rees said. “The kid just has a great way about him.”
Coan said he wouldn't have progressed at Notre Dame as quickly as he did if not for Pyne.
"Drew is such a great player and even better person," Coan said. "He's one of the best guys you'll ever meet, one of the nicest people. And he's helped me so much since day one with the playbook and meeting guys and hanging out with me. He's a great friend, and I'm so thankful to be a teammate of his."
This isn’t a time for Pyne to settle in on Notre Dame’s second team. Rees has been in his shoes. He lost a quarterback competition to Dayne Crist prior to his sophomore season. He ultimately replaced Crist at halftime of the season opener and started every game of the year (2011) thereafter.
“You never know where this thing is going to go,” Rees said. “And Drew has the right mentality; he’s going to prepare and do the right things. When his moment is called, he’ll be ready.”
As much as Rees respects Pyne, he’s not envisioning him emerging as the second-coming of himself 10 years later. This is Coan’s season, and the Irish are going to ride with him anywhere he takes them.
Coan knows this job wasn’t handed to him. It took nearly eight months since he announced he’d transfer to Notre Dame to officially be named the starter. He’s not taking Rees’ and the coaching staff’s decision for granted, either.
In a 12-minute press conference, Coan was asked about how much he’s looking forward to playing against his old team, Wisconsin, at Soldier Field on Sept. 25.
“I’m not really sure,” Coan said.
What about Florida State, the first opponent on Notre Dame’s schedule?
“I’ll worry about that in a few weeks,” Coan said.
Like repeating himself about the clean slate, Rees mentioned consistency multiple times when describing Coan. It’s not to possess that quality when you’re only focused on the next task. Coan has completed a major one in winning the starting job. There are plenty more to accomplish between now and Sept. 5.
If anyone truly understands that, it is Coan.
“I’m just focused on the meetings tonight and the practice tomorrow,” Coan said. “Can’t look too far ahead.”
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