Notre Dame offensive line coach Harry Hiestand retires
Harry Hiestand is ending his second stint at Notre Dame after one season. He’s also ending his coaching career.
Hiestand, 64, is stepping down as the Irish’s offensive line coach, the program announced Sunday. He is also retiring from coaching after a 40-year stint in the industry.
“I have made the decision to retire,” Hiestand said in a statement. “It is important to me to spend time with my family, as I have two kids competing in college athletics, one for his last season, and I have decided it is time for me to be a part of that.”
“Coach [Marcus] Freeman sets the example for Notre Dame Football every day, and he brings out the best in all of us. The players, especially the offensive line, are the best part of this great job and I thank them for their hard work.”
Hiestand returned to Notre Dame as the offensive line coach in 2022 after two years away from coaching. He held the same title with the Chicago Bears from 2018-19. He left the Irish to go to the NFL, ending a six-year stint as the program’s offensive line coach (2012-17). Notre Dame’s offensive line won the Joe Moore Award in the final season of his first stint.
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The 2022 offensive line became Notre Dame’s best unit after a bumpy start to the season. The Irish rushed for at least 200 yards seven times in the final 10 games, including 263 in a win over then-No. 4 Clemson and 265 in the Gator Bowl win over South Carolina. They allowed 1.62 sacks per game, tied for 40th nationally. Their 4.62 yards per carry ranked 48th. Left tackle Joe Alt bloomed into an elite NFL prospect in his sophomore season and earned a spot on all five NCAA-recognized All-American teams.
Hiestand leaves behind an offensive line that returns three starters: Alt, junior-to-be right tackle Blake Fisher and grad student center Zeke Correll. Notre Dame loses starting guards Jarrett Patterson and Josh Lugg.
Hiestand was an offensive line coach in college football or the NFL every year from 1988 to 2019. That run began at Toledo and took him to Cincinnati (1989-93), Missouri (1994-96), Illinois (1997-04), a prior stint with the Bears (2005-09) and Tennessee (2010-11) before Notre Dame hired him in 2012. He was also the offensive coordinator at Cincinnati.
Notre Dame has now seen two departures from assistant coaches this month, including Hiestand. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees left Feb. 2 to take the same job at Alabama. Rees, a former Irish quarterback, overlapped with Hiestand as a player during the final two years of Hiestand’s first stint. Whoever succeeds Hiestand will be Notre Dame’s third offensive line coach in as many seasons. He replaced Jeff Quinn, who was not retained after the 2021 season.
