Notre Dame is one crucial breaking news notification away from solidifying yet another elite coaching staff heading into 2026
The missing piece to an elite coaching staff appears on the horizon for Notre Dame football.
With the recent news of Notre Dame football hiring former Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry to lead the Fighting Irish secondary, head coach Marcus Freeman and Co. have just one coaching vacancy to fill. When Al Washington announced that he was leaving for a position with the Miami Dolphins recently, it created the rare instance where the program was searching for a new linebacker coach for the second time in one offseason. It continued a bizarre coaching search.
After some early buzz surrounding current Vanderbilt defensive coordinator Nick Lezynski, it appears that Notre Dame has settled on a different option. According to multiple reports, the program is targeting former Michigan linebacker coach and run game coordinator Brian Jean-Mary. Barring something abrupt or last-minute, it seems sound and confident that Jean-May will be the next linebackers coach for Notre Dame.
Jean-May isn’t a name that was probably on the mind of many people, but the more information that comes out about him, this appears to be a strong hire on paper. That includes both as a coach, developer, and as a recruiter. Here is everything you need to know about Jean-May and his impressive resume.
Brian Jean-Mary’s career background
Jean-Mary is a veteran coach who has 26 years of experience on the college football level. That journey began at Louisville in 2000 as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant. Since then, Jean-Mary has had stops at South Carolina, North Alabama, Georgia Tech, Texas, South Florida, Michigan, and Tennessee. His most recent stop was as a linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator for the Wolverines.
During the course of his coaching career, Jean-Mary has had a ton of success stories. In that time, he has had a lot of players drafted. That includes Calvin Pryor, Preston Brown, Deiontrez Mount, Johnny Patrick, Marcus Smith, and Lorenzo Mauldin during his Louisville tenure. Jean-Mary also oversaw Phillip Wheeler and Gerris Wilkinson while with Georgia Tech, Cameron McGrone at Michigan, and Jordan Hicks at Texas. Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham should be added to that list in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
A very diverse position coach, Jean-Mary also has experience coaching in the secondary. His history as a run game coordinator and assistant head coach could also add some value for Jean-Mary in South Bend. He also has deep experience on the recruiting side, even serving as the coordinator on that side.
Brian Jean-Mary’s recruiting background
As a recruiter, Jean-Mary has a long and detailed history of success. He was the main recruiter for former five-star linebacker Malik Jefferson during his Texas Longhorn days. Other four-star players that he has signed as either a primary or secondary recruiter during his career include Jeffrey McCulloch, Anthony Wheeler, Morgan Burnett, Erick Fowler, Junior Colson, Caleb Herring, Arion Carter, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Shane Buechele, Chris Daniels, Nick Dawson, Jaydon Hood, Cameron Townsend, Poona Ford, DeAndre McNeal, Edwin Spillman, Joshua Josephs, Omoregie Uzzi, Jordan Burns, Jalen Smith, and Marcel Southall.
Jean-Mary has also had some success with underrated recruits in the past. That includes former Texas wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill, Tennessee/Maryland defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, and Tennessee linebacker Elijah Herring. The recruiting impact for Jean-Mary should continue with the Notre Dame program if he does indeed sign on the dotted line sometime soon.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish News
The truth about Aaron Henry, his fit with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense, and fallout with the Illinois football program
Considering the positives, the negatives, and the risk for Notre Dame hiring former Illinois DC Aaron Henry.
