OFFICIAL: Notre Dame hires Deland McCullough as its next running backs coach
The speculation is over. Deland McCullough is officially Irish.
The former Indiana running backs coach had been all but confirmed for a couple of weeks, with a brief interruption after news circulated that the New York Giants were looking to hire him to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid running backs coaches. Those plans did not come to fruition, and Notre Dame made McCullough’s hire in the same capacity official on Friday.
“Deland is as dynamic as you will find in our game when it comes to helping players reach, and at times even exceed, their potential,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said, per an official release from the school. “I have admired his work from a distance for several years, and I am so excited for our running backs to be able to bring in a coach who is going to get the most out of them on the field and also help them achieve their goals off of the field.”
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McCullough brings a wealth of experience to South Bend
This past year was McCullough’s second stint at Indiana; he was also the running backs coach for the Hoosiers from 2011-16. In between the two coaching jobs at Indiana, McCullough was the running backs coach at USC and for the Kansas City Chiefs. He won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs for the 2019 season.
In both 2018 and 2020, McCullough helped oversee a Chiefs’ offense that led the NFL in total yardage. While at USC in 2017, he coached running back Ronald Jones II to a rushing performance of 1,550 yards, which was second in the Pac-12 and eighth nationally.
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McCullough produced a collection of standout running backs during his first tenure at Indiana as well. Tevin Coleman rushed for 2,036 yards in 2014, which was second in the nation. In 2015, both Jordan Howard and Devine Redding rushed for at least 1,000 yards. Redding posted 1,122 yards the following year as well, McCullough’s last year at Indiana before the move to USC.
McCullough, 49, is originally from Pittsburgh and played college football at Miami University. The former running back totaled 4,854 yards and 37 touchdowns from scrimmage over his four-year collegiate career and was the 1992 MAC Freshman of the Year. He ran for a total of 4,368 yards, which was a school record at the time and ended his career as a three-time All-MAC selection. He began his career at the college coaching level as an intern for the RedHawks.
The new position coach will replace Lance Taylor, who left Notre Dame for the offensive coordinator job at Louisville.
