Notre Dame’s head coach, Brian Kelly, has announced the replacements for the three offense coaches that the team lost over the past few months.
Speaking to the press Kelly said, “When you do not reach the goals that you're looking to reach, it's not just about your players…You have to evaluate players. You have to evaluate systems. You have to evaluate coaches. And today was to announce what I believe are some significant improvements within our staff that are going to allow us to move forward. We believe our foundation has been set."
Chuck Martin, who was the safeties coach and recruiting coordinator last season has now switched sides. He will be the offensive coordinator next season. He replaces Charley Molnar who left to be the head coach in Massachusetts.
Kelly said, “When you're talking about an offensive coordinator, it's not about what you put up on the blackboard, it's about your ability to lead and communicate, it's your ability to get your players to play at the level necessary…Chuck's already demonstrated that, and he brings with him the experience of knowing the offense that we're already running."
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Also gone are Ed Warinner, the offensive line coach, and Tim Hinton, the running backs coach who joined Urban Meyer's staff at Ohio State.
Harry Hiestand is replacing Warinner, who spent two years in the same role at Tennessee and the previous five years with the Chicago Bears of the NFL. Kelly said Hiestand is a perfect fit. He continued saying Hiestand shares his vision in making the line a key in how the offense develops play by play.
Tony Alford is taking over the running backs position after coaching wide receivers for the past two seasons with Notre Dame. Alford will also coach the slot wide receivers and will be the staff's recruiting coordinator.
Scott Booker, a former intern, will coach the tight ends and be the team's special teams coordinator. Last season's tight end coach, Mike Denbrock, moves over to coach the outside wide receivers. Booker spent five seasons as a defensive backs coach at Western Kentucky and Kent State.
Bob Elliott will become the safeties coach. Elliott comes to Notre Dame from Iowa State, where he was the secondary coach last season. Elliott's 33-year coaching career has been mostly on the defensive side of the ball as a secondary coach and defensive coordinator.
"He gives us, from the defensive standpoint, an incredible knowledge base," Kelly said of Elliott. "I think he will add not only to our preparation, but to the skill development of our players in the secondary."
Kelly feels confident that the combination of new and old staff gives him a staff that can improve the program he's started to build on.
He said, "That brings a synergism to your staff when you have new ideas, new ways of doing things…I think when you combine that with what we believe are some very good systems in place, I like that synergy."
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