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Notre Dame QBs coach Gino Guidugli to call plays for Irish offense in Sun Bowl

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•12/18/23•

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Notre Dame quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli leads his players onto the field. (Photo by Chad Weaver)

There was an obvious choice, one with prior play calling and coordinating experience, for Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman to land on as the Fighting Irish’s offensive coordinator and play caller for the upcoming Sun Bowl. Freeman wasted no time in making that decision.

Per a university press release, quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli is the new leader of the Irish offense for the next week and a half leading into a Dec. 29 kickoff vs. Oregon State in El Paso, Texas. The mini promotion of sorts comes on the same day news broke that former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker accepted the head coaching gig at Troy.

“Congratulations to Gerad as he takes on this great opportunity at Troy,” Freeman said in a statement. “I have had the chance to work closely with Gerad for a number of years and what stands out to me the most are his leadership skills and how tirelessly he works to get the most out of his players. We wish Gerad and his family all the best on their new adventure!”

Guidugli is in his first year on the Notre Dame coaching staff. He came to South Bend from Cincinnati just before spring ball began in March. Guidugli was the Bearcats’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2022, his sixth season with the program.

If the Irish are going to go with an internal promotion at OC for the second consecutive hiring cycle, Guidugli is at the top of the list of candidates. The Sun Bowl, though, is not the best medium for a tryout. Notre Dame is down its starting quarterback, both tackles, running back and four wide receivers from the regular season. There isn’t much anyone can take away from how the Irish offense performs as a whole vs. the Beavers.

Even with Guidugli as an option, the Irish will certainly look outside the program for Parker’s replacement, too. Freeman would benefit greatly from bringing in a proven, established, experienced offensive coordinator in what is shaping up to be an important third year of his tenure.

Parker’s OC history was minimal when he was promoted in February. He endured an up-and-down year, albeit with impressive numbers such as the nation’s No. 8 scoring offense, as a result. Notre Dame averaged 326 yards of offense in three losses as opposed to 463.7 in nine wins. Parker was unable to get the Irish offense clicking against good defenses.

Guidugli only has one year of OC experience to bank on. Freeman cannot afford to take a chance on him in the same way he did with Parker. Guidugli a valuable asset as a quarterbacks coach, but Notre Dame would be best served in 2024 if Guidugli has the same responsibilities he had in 2023; develop the signal-callers and be a right-hand man for the person in charge of the offensive operation.

The search for a longterm answer for the Notre Dame offense, therefore, is underway.

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