Marcus Freeman Lavishes Praise on Accomplished Notre Dame Assistant Coach

Mike Mickens has changed the narrative surrounding the Notre Dame defensive backfield

Apr 20, 2024; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive backs coach Mike Mickens participates in warmups before the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

For years, the narrative has been that Notre Dame doesn't have a secondary good enough to win a national championship. Sure, there have been star individuals in the group but the overall level of play from the unit left more than a little to be desired.

That is, until Mike Mickens joined the Notre Dame coaching staff and began to leave his finger prints on the program.

Marcus Freeman Gives High Praise to Assistant Coach Mike Mickens

Notre Dame cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens gives direction to senior cornerback Cam Hart (5) as freshman Christian Gray (29) and others look on during Notre Dame football fall camp Thursday, July 27, 2023, at the LaBar Practice Complex in South Bend. / Greg Swiercz / USA TODAY NETWORK

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman met the media one last time before Wednesday night's highly anticipated Sugar Bowl against Georgia. Freeman's media availability came as a joint press conference with Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart.

There Freeman was asked about the rise of Mickens, to which he gave a somewhat bittersweet response.

"He's ready to be a defensive coordinator when he gets the right opportunity. But I'm not excited to see him leaving our defensive staff anytime soon."

When someone has had as great of success as Mickens has at elevating a specific unit my mind goes to him running an entire operation as head coach, not only as a coordinator. That said, Freeman would obviously know what would come next in the career path of Mike Mickens than I would.

About Notre Dame Defensive Backs Coach Mike Mickens

Congrats @CamHart_ !! Go be great! Great to celebrate you this weekend! DMM ☘️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/WHGSjaoO0Q

— Mike Mickens (@CoachMickens) April 27, 2024

A high school teammate of Marcus Freeman at Wayne in Dayton, Ohio, the former Cincinnati Bearcats star was named a FWAA and Playboy All-American in 2008. He ended his Cincinnati career as the program's all-time interceptions leader.

Injuries prevented Mickens from going on to much of a professional football career but soon after he got into coaching and has soared up the ranks.

Mike Mickens Coaching Career:

2011 Cincinnati Defensive Assistant
2012 Indiana State Defensive Assistant
2013 Idaho Cornerbacks
2014-17 Bowling Green Cornerbacks
2018-19 Cincinnati Cornerbacks
2020-22 Notre Dame Cornerbacks
2023- Notre Dame Cornerbacks/Defensive Pass Game Coordinator

The most impressive thing Mickens has displayed to me while at Notre Dame is his eye for talent and ability to help develop said talent. It can't miss, five-star defensive backs he brings in that turn heads. It's the guys like Benjamin Morrison and Christian Gray who rank lower in the recuriting rankings that waste no time turning into stars at Notre Dame.

Couple that with helping turn Xavier Watts into one of the best defensive players in the entire country despite him being recruited as a wide receiver, and you can see why Marcus Freeman won't be thrilled to have to fill that coaching staff void whenever it is Mickens takes that next step.

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