Notre Dame offensive line coach Harry Hiestand announces retirement after one year in second Irish stint Where Notre Dame Was & Is: Tight ends, moving on from an all-time great Where Notre Dame Was & Is: Running backs, led by a familiar ‘three-headed monster’ At every step of his decade at Notre Dame, Tommy Rees provided stability otherwise lacking Lengthy Texas cornerback joins Notre Dame class of 2024

Whoever Marcus Freeman is hiring Notre Dame as the next Offensive Coordinator, now he has his first task: to hire an offensive line coach after Harry Hystand announced his retirement on Sunday evening. Hystand returned to the Irish coaching staff just a year ago.

“I have made the decision to resign,” Khistand said in a statement. “It’s important for me to spend time with my family as I have two kids competing in college track and field, one in my senior season, and I figured it was time for me to get involved.”

Hiestand works under Tommy Rhys for a year made sense; they bonded when Histand coached the line in front of Rhys as Notre Dame quarterback in his final two years as a player. Histand coached the Irish offensive line from 2012 to 2017 before moving to the Chicago Bears for a couple of seasons.

Working alongside Rees last year, during a time of some uncertainty, gave Notre Dame some offensive stability in Freeman’s debut season as head coach.

“I want to personally thank Coach Khistand for coming out of retirement in my first year as head coach and elevating not only our offensive line but our entire team,” Freeman said. “We are so grateful for all the work he has done in his two stays here at Notre Dame. Coach Khistand has excelled at the highest level of coaching and I am forever grateful to him for the wisdom he shared with me and with our entire coaching staff.”

Now that Rhys had become coordinator of the Alabama offensive, Hystand’s close connection to Notre Dame was gone, making this retirement more appropriate. Now the offensive coordinator hired by Freeman will have a maximum of a month to replenish his staff.

Histand compiled a long list of NFL flag bearers. Quenton Nelson, Ronnie Stanley, Zach Martin And Mike McGlinchey all were drafted in the first round. Nick Martin went to the second Chris Watt in third.

The 2020 line that propelled the Irish to the college football playoffs after an unbeaten regular season was also originally designed under Histand’s direction and all of them were hired by him. Liam Eichenberg And Aaron Banks both advanced to the subsequent second round, while Robert Hainsey went to the third. Undrafted free agent Tommy Kremer hooked up with the Detroit Lions, where he started three games in 2021.

Histand was also looking for undrafted free agents in 2019. Alex Bars And Sam Mustifer to work on his Bears offensive line. Mustifer became a starter for the Bears for three years, and Bars established himself as a starter for the Las Vegas Raiders last season after starting half of the 2020 season with the Bears.

Likewise, if the current Notre Dame left a tackle Joe Alt and the current right tackle Blake Fisher eventually hear their names in the NFL Draft, perhaps once in the 2024 draft, Hystand will earn some praise for his progress.

“I can’t even express this feeling in words.”

#SBLVII #VMFFestacada celebrates 50 years of women in naval aviation.

It will be conducted by a female crew from @USNavy including @NDAlumni Kathy Martinez is 14 years old! pic.twitter.com/yeGvsv6UFC

— University of Notre Dame (@NotreDame) February 12, 2023

The presence of two clear NFL prospects in control of a line with a two-year-old in center should make this a very attractive job, not to mention one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in the country and several capable running backs behind that line. Almost anyone could work with this division for a year and add a first-round pick to their resume.

But first, Freeman needs to complete the search for the offensive coordinator.

@d_farmer tweet

Was Michael Mayer underestimated?

For a certain first-round pick that set Notre Dame’s every season and career record for a tight end, it might seem hard to understand. But when the Irish only have good tight ends, not great all the time in 2023, Mayer’s influence could take on a new, even more complementary perspective.

Although there will definitely not be a shortage of Notre Dame. It is simply inevitable that after Mayer’s departure, the position will roll back a step. This has been foreseen for at least two years now and will come true this fall, if not this spring.

This refusal alone will change the Irish offense in 2023 as much as any change of coordinator.

WHERE WAS NOTRE DAME
Michael Mayer.

Maybe it’s the whole subsection? It may seem extreme, but it was true. He was Drew Pinesafety valve; he was the best thinker of converting the third down; he demanded a greater concentration of defense.

Part of that was down to Notre Dame’s lack of other solid offensive options, but it was mostly down to how good Mayer was. This was a player that some NFL scouts wanted to spend a first-round pick on. two years ago.

Behind Mayer, the Irish titles were spinning due to injuries. First, freshman That is, Redon I had an anterior cruciate ligament tear in high school. Then, sophomore Mitchell Evans I injured my leg in the summer. Next, Jr. Kevin Bauman tore his cruciate ligament in the third week of the season.

Reardon played like a classmate Holden Stace, but Raridon’s season ended when he tore his cruciate ligament in training in mid-October. Luckily for Notre Dame, Evans returned to the field around the same time.

Throughout the sophomore Kane Burrong only played one game and never played in attack, so the December transfer decision isn’t all that surprising.

2022 STATISTICS
Mayer: 12 games; 67 catches for 809 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Evans: 8 games; 3 catches for 39 yards and 1 touchdown with 7 rushes for 11 yards and 1 touchdown.
Kevin Bauman: 3 games; 3 tackles for 44 yards.
Holden Stace: 11 games; 1 catch per 11 yards.

RELATED READING: Notre Dame Receives Letter: Consensus Four-Star Tight End Cooper Flanagan
Notre Dame 99-0: No. 88 Mitchell Evans, sophomore tight end
Notre Dame 99-0: No. 85 Holden Stace Rookie Freshman Tight End
Notre Dame 99-0: No. 84 Kevin Bauman Jr. tight end
Notre Dame 99-0: No. 9 Eli Reardon, new freshman, tight end with an ACL tear

WHERE IS NOTRE DAME
First, find health.

Evans is healthy. Like Stas. Raridon could be by the time pre-season training kicks off, even if they do so a week early this summer due to the Irish trip to Dublin a week before the actual start of the season. (Notre Dame’s first practice ahead of the 2023 season is set to take place on July 28, though of course it’s mentioned that it means putting two carts in front of the proverbial horse, given that spring training runs between now and then, no dates yet, except for the game.) Blue Gold” April 22. )

On a typical timeline, Bauman would have been a little earlier. Maybe if he stays ahead of the pace he can do some non-contact work this spring, but it’s likely a bit more aggressive than reality.

That will leave Evans and Stace, and while Reardon should be a real threat on the field when healthy, missing this spring will likely enter the 2023 season behind Evans and Stace in the depth table.

If this duo had been preceded by any successful modern tight end other than Mayer, it would be easy to say that they would be more physically fit than him. But Mayer was everything.

Rather, Evans and Stace will be more “traditional” tight ends, as they line up closer to the tackle box and most of the time don’t run their routes much further than the first down marker. One or both should succeed, but Notre Dame’s use will change dramatically in 2023, both because Mayer is leaving for the NFL and because injuries have limited the options available.

However, one thing that is less…