Notre Dame promotes Gerad Parker to offensive coordinator, ending dramatic search, per reports

According to multiple reports, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman is expected to promote tight ends coach Gerard Parker to offensive coordinator, ending a long search started by Tommy Rees leaving for the same job in Alabama. The Fighting Irish had previously reported interest in Kansas offensive coordinator Collin Klein and Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, the latter of whom stayed with the Utes despite being the top candidate.

Parker joined the Notre Dame staff as tight ends coach until 2022, spending two seasons as West Virginia’s offensive coordinator, moving on from Neil. Brown hired Graham Harrell to take charge. He had brief stints at Penn State (2019) and Duke (2017–18) and four years of experience as an assistant to Darrell Hazell at Purdue from 2013–2016, which ended with Parker being named the team’s interim coach after Hazell was fired. . .

Freeman’s efforts to wrap up the offensive lineup come as the Fighting Irish prepare for next month’s spring training, which will culminate in a Blue-Gold spring game set for April 22. However, Parker’s promotion was not the only piece of the puzzle. Notre Dame is also reportedly looking to hire offensive assistant Gino Guidugli of Wisconsin as a quarterbacks coach. Guidugli spent the last five seasons with Luke Fickell in Cincinnati, where he helped develop Desmond Ridder, and spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as the team’s head coach.