Dave Peloquin had a top, off-the-field role for virtually every Notre Dame football coach this century.
In an era where personnel executives oftentimes wash in and out with coaching transitions, Peloquin proved similar to Ohio State's Mark Pantoni: his value stood the test of time.
And after spending the past year heading up the collegiate Name, Image and Likeness division for powerhouse agency Athletes First, Peloquin is on the verge of a return to college football.
In one of the sport's flagship programs, no less.
Multiple sources tell FootballScoop Wednesday that Peloquin is being targeted in the University of Michigan's search for a new general manager.
The Wolverines are wading into an all-new era in their football program following the late-December hiring of venerable coach Kyle Whittingham, who came to Michigan after some two decades atop a Utah Utes program that saw Whittingham set numerous program-wins records. He replaced the fired Sherrone Moore, who was dismissed in a cauldron of controversy following Moore's early-December felony arrest.
Peloquin now possesses the keen insight from a quarter-century in college personnel coupled with navigating the nebulous NIL environment on the "other side of the aisle" for the past year.
Additionally, Peloquin has multiple, deep ties to the Whittingham's inaugural Michigan staff.
Consider: Peloquin and Wolverines star running backs coach Tony Alford worked hand-in-hand together at Notre Dame, where Alford was consistently the Fighting Irish's top recruiter and Peloquin had then risen to the role of director of player personnel -- before even the concept of a collegiate general manager existed.
Further, Peloquin helped recruit Tyler Stockton from New Jersey prep powerhouse The Hun School to Notre Dame; Stockton was hired by the Whittingham & Co. as Michigan's new safeties coaches. He's a multi-time Broyles Award nominee and a former AFCA 35-under-35 honoree.
Finally, Michigan's newest on-field staff addition -- defensive line coach Larry Black -- is a former Peloquin colleague from their shared season together in South Bend, Indiana, in 2018, as Black was a key cog on then-defensive coordinator Clark Lea's Fighting Irish defensive staff.
Starting in Bob Davie's Notre Dame Fighting Irish program, Peloquin is one of the rarest individuals in all of college football -- his value extending through five full-time Notre Dame football coaches beginning with Davie, transitioning to Ty Willingham, Charlies Weis, Brian Kelly and, finally, in multiple roles for Marcus Freeman.
He was both retained by all those Irish coaches and turned down numerous job opportunities to head up personnel departments for several other Power Conference programs, including in the Big Ten and SEC.
Peloquin played a crucial role in building Fighting Irish rosters that played for national championships or advanced into the College Football Playoff in 2012, 2018, 2020 and 2024.
Michigan cleaned house in its personnel department earlier this week, parting with former general manager Sean Magee among other staffers.