Marcus Freeman ready to help Notre Dame football assistants secure top jobs elsewhere

SOUTH BEND — Halfway through his fourth season at the helm of Notre Dame football, Marcus Freeman has lost just one assistant to a head coaching opportunity elsewhere. Former offensive coordinator Gerad Parker left for Troy in December 2023 after a rocky season for the Sam Hartman-led Irish offense. Since completing his first staff by February of 2022, Freeman has managed to navigate his share of staff attrition. Tommy Rees, Parker’s predecessor as OC, left in early 2023 for the same role at Alabama in what proved to be Nick Saban’s final season. Other key departures have included offensive line coach Harry Hiestand (retirement), special teams...