How Notre Dame Football Dodged Potential Bullet in 2021: A Look Back

Notre Dame could have gone with a proven commodity when it replaced Brian Kelly but instead decided to swing for the fences

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell is shown during the first quarter of their game against Oregon Saturday, November 16, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Traditionally at Notre Dame, when a head football coaching position is open there has been a string of success when a previously successful college head coach gets the job,

Brian Kelly, Lou Holtz, Dan Devine, Ara Parseghian, and Frank Leahy all fit this mold and undoubtedly had success with the Fighting Irish. Meanwhile, guys like Charlie Weis, Bob Davie, and Gerry Faust came to South Bend with no college head coaching experience and all fell well short of lofty expectations.

That historically successful line of thinking would have meant former athletic director Jack Swarbrick and Notre Dame would have gone in a different direction to replace Brian Kelly back at the 2021's regular season conclusion.

Luke Fickell of Cincinnati led the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff that year and was not just in the running to become Notre Dame's new head coach, but also very interested in the post.

JUST IN: Luke Fickell is apparently Notre Dame's No. 1 choice, according to @dennisdoddcbs. pic.twitter.com/KlKjl1dQcD

— 247Sports (@247Sports) November 30, 2021

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports was all over Notre Dame wanting Fickell and left many of us wondering what exactly was going to transpire those few memorable days.

Fickell of course didn't get the job, it instead going to defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman. After a 9-4 opening year for Freeman and Notre Dame, Freeman followed it up with a 10-3 showing after blowing out Oregon State in last year's Sun Bowl. This year the Irish are one win over rival USC from playing in the College Football Playoff.

Fickell stayed at Cincinnati one more season, leading the Bearcats to a 9-3 mark in 2022. He then accepted the Wisconsin job that off-season and now two seasons in, things haven't gone according to plan.

Nov 29, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell looks on during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Camp Randall Stadium. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Fickell and Wisconsin wrapped up the 2024 season Saturday with a 24-7 loss to rival Minnesota and finish the year 5-7. It's the first time since 2001 that the Badgers won't go bowling, and just the second time they've failed to since 1992.

The Badgers averaged 22.4 points per game on the season and out of the top 100 nationally in that department. Fickell is a defensive guy at heart, as is Freeman, which speaks volumes to Freeman and Notre Dame being able to score points.

Notre Dame, who is on its third offensive coordinator in three Freeman seasons, have scored the sixth-most points in the FBS level this year.

Nov 9, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts after a Fighting Irish touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles in the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Fickell's offensive struggles stem from a failed offensive coordinator hire Phil Longo, who coached under Mack Brown at North Carolina, but Freeman plucking some of Wisconsin's key assistants has been key in Notre Dame's offensive growth. Quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli was snagged off Fickell's staff, as was wide receivers coach Mike Brown.

Those aren't the entire reason Notre Dame has found success while Wisconsin hasn't in recent years, but certainly are a factor.

Either way, Notre Dame taking a risk on an unknown at head coach instead of going the traditional route appears to be paying off in a major way.

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