Notre Dame hired WHO? + Texas & Oklahoma leave early & More!

Author

Ty Hildenbrandt
February 16, 2023

Happy Thursday! Sports doesn't stop just because football is over. Pitchers and catchers are reporting for duty, and baseball is set to implement some crazy new rules. The NBA is settling into a new normal after an active trading deadline last week. Tiger Woods is playing a PGA event this week at Riviera. (He's back! Again!) Oh, and football is never really "over." So, we're good.

NOTRE DRAMA

THE IRISH OFFENSIVE REBOOT

If your first reaction to Notre Dame's new offensive coordinator was "Who?", you're not alone! 

News broke yesterday that Marcus Freeman was promoting Gerad Parker from tight ends coach to offensive coordinator. The move is somewhat surprising given the bigger names — Andy Ludwig, Sean Lewis, Byron Leftwich, etc. — linked to the job. In texts exchanged with a handful of Notre Dame people, the overwhelming response was... this shrugging emoji 🤷. 

But Freeman knows Parker well, dating back to their time as assistants at Purdue when they carpooled together. I'm most familiar with Parker's previous work as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Penn State, where he was well-regarded as both a coach and recruiter. After his stay in State College, Parker had a two-year run as offensive coordinator for West Virginia, but only called plays in the second half of 2021. Now, after just one year on the staff at Notre Dame, Freeman is apparently ready to give Parker the keys.

Perhaps more notably, Freeman is also hiring Gino Guidugli to be the new quarterbacks coach in South Bend. Guidugli was offensive coordinator last season for Cincinnati and planned to join Luke Fickell's new staff in Wisconsin as its passing game coordinator. Presumably, Parker and Guidugli will work together to craft the next version of the Irish offense.

What is Freeman's vision for the offense? If these hires are any indication, a continuation of the scheme that Tommy Rees installed over the last couple of seasons. Expect the offense to lean into its ground game, which is primed for success headed into 2023. That said, Parker's first year will be judged on how well he integrates Sam Hartman into the passing game.

Bigger picture: The training wheels are fully off for Freeman, who enters his second year as coach of the Irish. By all accounts, the search for a new coordinator was very thorough amid a lot of interest from around the coaching world, despite the reporting that the Irish weren't willing to pay for a bigger name. Ultimately, these hires will determine Freeman's trajectory at Notre Dame. Speaking as a Notre Dame fan, I feel better about the Parker move knowing that Guidugli will also have a role in the offense. Also, I'll be honest and say that I had to Google "Gerad Parker" and, well, that didn't instill a sense of confidence.

Freeman is also looking for a new offensive line coach after Harry Hiestand announced his retirement last Sunday.

OTHER COACHING MOVES:

CONFERENCE MUMBO JUMBO

TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA ARE LEAVING EARLY AFTER ALL

Tim Warner/Getty Images

I've written several times now about the possibility of Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 early to join the SEC. First, it was happening; last Thursday morning, it wasn't. Then, as of last Thursday evening, it was all-systems-go! I'll be honest, I could've used a little more consistency from Dennis Dodd while he was reporting on this story. Oh well.

Officially, the Longhorns and Sooners will be SEC-bound in 2024. The deal requires the schools to forfeit a combined $100 million in revenue and also make some scheduling tweaks:

The focus will now shift to the nuts and bolts of running a 16-team super conference. While we know that the SEC is getting rid of its divisional structure after the 2023-24 season, we don't fully know how the scheduling side of things will look. It's widely assumed that we'll see a nine game conference slate for each SEC team. The Athletic did a great job writing up the various possibilities.

LINKAPALOOZA

FUN LINK OF THE WEEK

Shout out to our friends over at On3 for putting together a weekly rundown of the latest NIL deals. It's not specific to college football, but so what? This week's report features a deal between Wake Forest's Tyree Appleby and Applebee's, the casual dining experience that fuelled my early 20s. (I'd love to know how many boneless buffalo wings I've consumed in my life.)

Also, Graham Mertz is apparently riding around in a new Range Rover in Gainesville? Niiiiiiice.

THE VERBALLERHOOD

WHAT'S GOOD IN THE VERBALLERHOOD?

This week, we dropped two public episodes and popped the hood on college football fandom. What brings you joy? What makes you outraged? What makes you want to throw the remote control? Join in on our College Football Therapy session. Listen to the podcast by clicking here or check out our individual episodes below. You can also view full episode videos and smaller clips on our YouTube channel.

THIS WEEK'S PODCAST EPISODES:

College Football Therapy - Part 1

Ty and Dan deep dive the emotional whipsaw of being a college football fan and unpack the baggage involved with rooting for the weirdest sport in the world. What game situations bring you joy? What makes you want to throw the remote control? How do you cope with the lows and react to the highs?

https://www.solidverbal.com/episodes/college-football-therapy-part-1/

College Football Therapy - Part 2

Ty and Dan continue their discussion from last episode and take an even closer look at the art of college football fandom. What your highest, lowest and most heartbreaking moments as a fan of your team? Who are your favorite players of the last 15 years? What don't fans of other teams understand about your school?

https://www.solidverbal.com/episodes/college-football-therapy-part-2/

JOIN OUR EXCLUSIVE VERBALLER COMMUNITY

If you're a college football fan, chances are you've had those moments where you're bursting with excitement about the latest game, but you've got no one to talk to. Well, fear not! Our exclusive community of passionate college football fans is the perfect place for you. By joining our community, you'll not only get access to exclusive bonus episodes, but also our ever-growing Discord community.

So, if you're tired of shouting into the void or feeling like nobody gets your love for college football, come join the Verballerhood. We promise you'll find plenty of like-minded folks who are just as excited about the sport as you are. Click below to learn more!

Thanks for reading. Until next week, stay solid!-Ty Hildenbrandt