Top Five College Football Assistant Coaching Hires This Offseason

4. Mike Denbrock (OC, Notre Dame)
After spending time as an assistant coach at Cincinnati (2017-21) and LSU (2022-23), Denbrock returns to South Bend for the third time in his coaching career as he is set to be the next offensive coordinator.

He inherits a Notre Dame offense that has somewhat lacked a true identity in recent times and is in need of the type of offensive creativity that Denbrock is known for scheming up. What makes this hire even more intriguing is pairing Denbrock up with quarterback Riley Leonard.

The former Duke signal caller is an elite-level runner at the quarterback position and possesses the kind of dual-threat athleticism that Denbrock loves to build his offenses around.

At Cincinnati, Denbrock helped unlock Desmond Ridder’s full potential with both his arm and legs as the current Atlanta Falcons quarterback led the Bearcats to the College Football Playoffs in 2021. This past season at LSU, Denbrock’s lethal attack led the country in total offense and scoring offense behind Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels. All of this points to Leonard being the ideal fit.

While Notre Dame needs to revamp its offensive line and backfield this offseason, the Irish are still going to be a team that wants to pound the rock too. That should not be an issue under Denbrock either, as his offenses averaged 193.5 yards per game on the ground since 2019.

With Denbrock’s roots already running deep at Notre Dame, along with his innovative offensive system, this is a hire that Irish fans should feel very optimistic about.