Notre Dame’s search for a replacement for Mike Mickens just got a lot clearer – Potential candidate takes an NFL job

Did the Notre Dame secondary coaching search just become a little clearer?

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Notre Dame cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens speaks to former Irish cornerback TaRiq Bracy Saturday, March 25, 2023, at Notre Dame spring football practice in South Bend.

Notre Dame football was dealt a tough blow last weekend when it was announced that secondary coach Mike Mickens was leaving to take a position with the Baltimore Ravens. An elite recruiter and developer of defensive backs, Mickens completely morphed the expectations for defensive backs with the Fighting Irish during his time in South Bend. Finding an adequate replacement for Mickens will not be an easy task for head coach Marcus Freeman.

There have been several names that have circulated early, including Oklahoma Co-Defensive Coordinator Jay Valai and Illinois defensive backs coach Corey Parker. A familiar name to Fighting Irish fans has also at least been mentioned by some, former Notre Dame safeties coach Chris O’Leary. A highly respected position coach by Freeman, O’Leary left two years ago to take a position with the Los Angeles Chargers. Most recently, O’Leary has served as the defensive coordinator for Central Michigan, and some have wondered if the Irish could lure him back to South Bend.

It appears we can all squash a potential return for O’Leary as the secondary coach. It was announced by ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter that O’Leary was returning to the Chargers as the team’s defensive coordinator under head coach Jim Harbaugh. He has had quite the career ascension since beginning his Notre Dame career as a graduate assistant in 2018, and Irish fans should be extremely happy for him.

While O’Leary officially being crossed off the list doesn’t give Notre Dame fans an exact clue for who the next secondary coach is going to be, it does potentially offer some insight into what the Irish staff could be looking for. Just how the new hire fits hasn’t been talked about enough. It should be the time to have a more detailed conversation when it comes to the criteria.

What is Notre Dame looking for?

With Mickens out the door, there is an absence of cornerback expertise on the Notre Dame staff right now. Defensive coordinator Chris Ash has spent the majority of his time mentoring safeties during his coaching career. Special teams coordinator Marty Biagi has also spent time coaching safeties when Mickens took over the full secondary. When it came to coaching up the cornerbacks, that was still the top job for Mickens.

With Ash and Biagi set to return in 2026, for now at least, Notre Dame would be wise to target candidates with a background in developing the cornerback position. Safeties are still in a great spot, but the worst-case scenario for this Irish defense is that the cornerbacks take a step back heading into a very important 2026 college football season with national championship aspirations. With Leonard Moore, Christian Gray, Dallas Golden, and Mark Zackery returning, as well as DJ McKinney and Jayden Sanders transferring in, this has a chance to be an elite group next season.

Freeman and Co. need to really knock this hire out of the park. Everyone knows that the Irish have a winning window heading into the 2026 season. They need to capitalize on it and make sure the elite secondary doesn’t take a step back.

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