It hasn’t been often in recent years at Notre Dame that a former player for the football head coach later also has a major role on his on-the-field staff.

It’s different in basketball, where Mike Brey’s bench and support staff includes his former top players Ryan Humphrey, Ryan Ayers, Scott Martin and Harold Swangan. Meanwhile, Muffet McGraw’s crew has a former All-American Beth Morgan Cunningham and Michaela Mabrey — who this year replaced 2001 national champion point guard Niele Ivey (now in the NBA)

As head coach Brian Kelly enters his 11th season at Notre Dame in 2020, he too might have a former prominent player on both sides of the ball. First, fourth-year quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees was promoted last month to offensive coordinator.