LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock is returning to Notre Dame in the same role, sources told FootballScoop on Friday.
Denbrock spent 2010-16 in South Bend, initially joining Brian Kelly's staff as tight ends coach but eventually becoming offensive coordinator in 2014. He was demoted from that role after 2014, then left the staff entirely when Notre Dame bottomed out after a 4-8 season in 2016. He spent 2017-21 as the offensive coordinator at Cincinnati, helping the Bearcats make history by becoming the only Group of 5 team to ever qualify for the 4-team iteration of the College Football Playoff. The longtime Kelly lieutenant initially coached for him at Grand Valley State, serving as both offensive and defensive coordinator at separate times, and coordinated Kelly's offenses at LSU for the past two seasons.
Kelly and Denbrock's third collaboration was their best.
LSU's offense was the best in college football this past season. The Tigers led the nation in total offense, yards per play (by nearly a full yard), scoring, and passing efficiency. Quarterback Jayden Daniels won the Heisman Trophy for a season in which he set the FBS passing efficiency record at 208.1 (72.2 percent completions, 11.7 yards per attempt, 40 touchdowns and 4 interceptions) while also leading the nation in yards per carry among all players with at least 75 rushes.
Denbrock regrettably can't bring Daniels with him to South Bend, but he will bring the scheme that racked up 34.5 and 46.4 points per game over the past two seasons. And Notre Dame has secured the services of Duke transfer Riley Leonard.
Denbrock will be Marcus Freeman's third offensive coordinator in his third season as head coach.
Tommy Rees left after 2022 to take the same job at Alabama, and Gerad Parker became the head coach at Troy earlier this month.
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