After working through the 2023 season with an interim strength coach following the abrupt, late-July resignation of the well-regarded, award-winning Matt Balis, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame are on the verge of filling Balis's top spot overseeing Fighting Irish football performance.
Sources tell FootballScoop that Loren Landow, a strength and conditioning coaching veteran with approximately three decades' experience, including a long run atop the Denver Broncos' strength program, is in negotiations to become Notre Dame's next strength and conditioning coach.
According to multiple sources, the two sides have negotiated on the deal the past 24 to 72 hours.
Landow had served five years for the Broncos before he parted ways with the franchise early in 2023 after Denver hired Sean Payton to head its football team.
But Landow, who has his own sports performance business and according to his website has trained Christian McCaffrey, Von Miller and Peyton Manning, among multiple Olympic athletes.
Freeman has conducted through recent weeks an extremely in-depth search that included, numerous sources told FootballScoop, discussions with different strength and conditioning coaches with direct ties to the NFL, as well as multiple Power 5 coaches.
Multiple sources told FootballScoop that Freeman & Co. talked about the Notre Dame position with, among others, Aaron Wellman, most recently at Indiana University but who also has helmed the programs at Michigan and for the NFL's New York Giants; additionally, sources told FootballScoop within the past week to 10 days that Notre Dame engaged discussions with Alabama strength coach David Ballou.
Sources in the SEC told FootballScoop that Ballou, who rose to acclaim at Indiana before he was lured away to the Crimson Tide by Nick Saban, was expected to rework his deal to remain at Alabama.
Freeman has compiled an 18-8 ledger through his first 26 games as replacement to Brian Kelly. He led the Irish to an 9-3 campaign in 2023 that included a win against then-undefeated and top-10 USC.
The Irish face Oregon State later this month at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.