Notre Dame football loses another coach to the NFL, and they will be joining a very familiar face for Fighting Irish fans
It’s the offseason for all but two NFL teams now, which means that we are going to see a ton of movement on the coaching side. Only the New Orleans Saints have yet to hire a new head coach, so the majority are busy hiring, firing, and filling out rosters. That includes the Cleveland Browns, […]
It’s the offseason for all but two NFL teams now, which means that we are going to see a ton of movement on the coaching side. Only the New Orleans Saints have yet to hire a new head coach, so the majority are busy hiring, firing, and filling out rosters. That includes the Cleveland Browns, who are adding former Notre Dame analyst and assistant wide receiver coach Michael Bearden.
The move was first reported by John Brice of Football Scoop. Bearden will be reunited with former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees on staff, although they barely coached together before Rees left for Alabama prior to the 2023 season.
While their time together was brief, Brice said, “Their time at Notre Dame very briefly overlapped, but Bearden apparently made an impression.”
In Brice’s piece, former Irish wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey spoke praises of Bearden, and his potential as a coach. Bearden originally joined the Notre Dame staff in early 2023. He remained with the program through the 2024 season, and began generating interest from outside of the program.
Rees had been elevated to offensive coordinator by the Browns this offseason, having worked in 2024 as the passing game specialist and tight end coach. Bearden’s exact role with the Browns is unknown, but it appears the offense will have some Fighting Irish expertise infused.
Before Bearden came to South Bend, he spent a year as a graduate assistant and quality control coach at UCLA. That followed his time at Northwestern, where Bearden worked in the video department and then as a coach.
With Al Golden taken over as defensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals, this now marks the third Irish assistant to leave for the NFL this offseason. Former defensive line assistant Mike Moon also accepted a role as a defensive line assistant with the Bengals recently.
Notre Dame is set for a defensive makeover, and there are several position battles to watch under new DC Chris Ash
Notre Dame defensive position battles to watch
