Where Marcus Freeman stands in search for new Notre Dame strength coach
July was so long ago that Notre Dame losing its strength and conditioning coach of six seasons one day before the start of fall camp barely registers as a mere footnote considering all that has transpired since then. But strength coaches are often the heartbeat of college football programs, and many would tell you Matt Balis was just that for the Fighting Irish prior to his abrupt departure, so once the up-and-down 2023 season does come to a close we’ll all remember just how bizarre — and tumultuous, at the time — it was for Balis to leave when he did.
Fred Hale, a two-year Balis understudy and former co-director of sports performance at Eastern Michigan, stepped in for Balis in the interim. By all accounts, he’s done a fine job taking over for one of the most respected names in the strength and conditioning game.
It’s head coach Marcus Freeman‘s job to do his due diligence and search for the very best option to permanently replace Balis. That could be Hale, or it could be an external hire. Freeman was asked how far along he is in the process of figuring it all out during his Thursday Zoom press conference with local reporters.
The short answer: not very.
“That’s something I’ll probably start focusing on in-depth as we finish up the season,” Freeman said. “We have a great one in-house who has done a really great job for us, a really great job of continuing to lead our strength and conditioning for our team and has really done a great job with our current players getting them through the in-season process.
“But as I told him and told our entire program, I will really focus on that as soon as we get done with the Stanford game in terms of what direction we’re going to continue to move forward as we get through this current regular season, prepare for our bowl game and as we get into the winter conditioning phase for next year.”
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Add it to a laundry list of items Freeman needs to take care of in December. He said Monday Notre Dame is officially in the market for a transfer portal quarterback. The portal opens on Dec. 5 and closes on Jan. 18. Sometime in that 45-day window Notre Dame is expected to secure a fourth scholarship quarterback for the 2024 roster.
The offensive coordinator that QB will report to has been a hot button issue in South Bend. Fans have been outspoken with their disapproval of Gerad Parker in his first season as Notre Dame’s OC. Freeman has not even hinted at replacing Parker, but conversations about everyone on staff’s 2023 performance will be had sometime after the Irish play Stanford on Nov. 25.
Freeman also needs to nail down which seniors with extra eligibility are staying and which are leaving. Managing college football rosters has never been a more tedious task. Not only does Freeman have to get his staff right, but he’s got to piece his players together too. Busy times ahead for all involved.
