Report: Mike Denbrock a candidate for Notre Dame offensive coordinator job

Mike Denbrock could soon be returning to South Bend. The LSU offensive coordinator is reportedly a candidate for the Notre Dame OC job, according to The Athletic.

Denbrock previously spent 10 seasons on staff with the Fighting Irish over two separate stints. He was most recently the Notre Dame assistant head coach and wide receivers coach in 2015-16.

Mike Denbrock has an impressive resume that includes leading arguably the top offensive in college football this season.

LSU leads the nation in total offense and scoring offense this season, thanks in large part to a record-setting year from Heisman winner Jayden Daniels.

The Tigers have averaged 547.8 yards per game and 46.4 points per game thus far in 2023.

In addition to serving as the offensive coordinator for LSU, Mike Denbrock is also the tight ends coach for the Tigers. He arrived in Baton Rouge after spending the previous five seasons at Cincinnati.

Denbrock also had impressive offenses with the Bearcats, including guiding a unit that reached the College Football Playoff in 2021 — his final season at Cincinnati.

Denbrock also helped develop an impressive quarterback during his time with the Bearcats in Desmond Ridder, who was drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.

If Denbrock does end up back in South Bend it would be a home run hire for Marcus Freeman, who lost offensive coordinator Gerad Parker to the head coaching job at Troy earlier this month.

Marcus Freeman praises new Notre Dame WR coach Mike Brown

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman already made one new hire recently, bringing Mike Brown over from Wisconsin to coach receivers.

Brown and Freeman have their fair share of history together but will now reunite in South Bend. In a recent press conference, Freeman spoke about what Brown will bring to the table for the Fighting Irish.

“We added Mike Brown to our staff, which we announced last week,” Freeman said. “Mike’s obviously a guy that I worked with closely at Cincinnati and to me, the things that I remember most about our time together was the developer that he was of the entire room.”

“I’ve seen him truly develop that room at Cincinnati and I know people look at the draft picks that came out of that room but to me, it’s the from top to bottom seeing him develop young people.”

Before Wisconsin, Brown was on Cincinnati’s coaching staff during Freeman’s final two seasons with the Bearcats, and in his four seasons with the program had three wide receivers selected in the NFL Draft.