For the second time this offseason, Notre Dame football will be attempting to replace its linebacker coach. When Max Bullough decided to leave to become a Co-Defensive Coordinator at Michigan State, the position didn’t stay open for very long. Head coach Marcus Freeman opted to move Al Washington to linebackers coach, making room to add Charlie Partridge to coach the defensive line. With Washington now leaving for the Miami Dolphins, Freeman and Co. now need to go back to the drawing board.

As you can imagine, the linebacker coach with the Fighting Irish is a very attractive destination. There are going to be several names thrown out there, but one stands out most right now. Here are some early candidates to know for the job opening.

Nick Lezynski, Vanderbilt Co-DC/linebackers coach 

There is obviously a lot of familiarity with Lezynski, who spent four years with the Notre Dame program from 2018-21. During that stretch, he served as a defensive graduate assistant before being promoted to senior defensive analyst under then-defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman. Lezynski was named an American Football Coaches Association 35 Under 35 pick in 2024. In a short amount of time, he has developed a reputation as one of the top linebacker coaches in college football, which is a reason why Clark Lea values him so highly. He also has a lot of upside as a future defensive coordinator, which should add even more intrigue for the Irish. 

Make no mistake about it, this is my top option on the board, and it isn’t particularly close. 

Greer Martini, Central Michigan linebackers coach 

Martini was a four-year letter winner for Notre Dame from 2014-18. He finished his time in the blue and gold with 191 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and an interception. After a couple of years away from the game, Martini served as a defensive quality control assistant with Vanderbilt in 2021. He then served as a graduate assistant at LSU in 2022 under Brian Kelly. Since then, Martini spent two seasons as a linebacker coach with Charlotte, and the 2025 season in the same role under head coach Lance Taylor with Western Michigan. It feels like only a matter of time until Martini eventually makes his return to South Bend, but it’s uncertain if this is the time. 

Rob Harley, Northern Illinois DC

The former Ohio State safety was a teammate with Coach Freeman for two seasons in Columbus. He was also on the Pitt staff with new Notre Dame defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, where he coached linebackers. During his 16-year college coaching career, Harley has also spent time at Ohio Dominican, Michigan State, FIU, Arkansas State, and now with Northern Illinois. At just 43 years old, the Illinois native brings a very intriguing resume to the table. He would be a great addition to the Notre Dame staff – if they chose to go that route. 

Coleman Hutzler, Auburn outside linebackers coach 

Still just 41 years old, Hutzler spent a year under Ash with the Texas Longhorns in 2020. During his coaching career, he has spent time at programs like Boston College, Stanford, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Florida, and Alabama. Known as a good recruiter, Hutzler was instrumental in helping Mississippi State to land former five-star defensive tackle Zacch Pickens back in the 2019 class. He was also a secondary recruiter for Keon Keeley at Alabama. His brief experience as a defensive coordinator, as well as coaching a couple of different linebacker spots, makes him an intriguing option. 

Tuf Borland, Wisconsin linebackers coach  

A former Ohio State middle linebacker who is considered a rising star in the coaching industry; that certainly sounds familiar. Borland began his career as a graduate assistant with the Badgers under head coach Luke Fickell in 2023. Last offseason, Borland was promoted to assistant linebackers coach, but he handles much of the day-to-day development at the position. During the 2025 season, Borland helped inside linebacker Christian Allegro develop into one of the best in the Big Ten. With his limited experience, Borland would be the ultimate wildcard for the position, but his future is certainly bright. 

Todd Orlando, South Alabama DC  

Of all the coaches listed, Orlando would bring the least amount of excitement, and it’s understandable why. He did have some crossover with Ash while with Texas, so there is a relationship there, and he is widely respected as a very good linebacker coach on the college level. Having spent time in the Midwest as a player, in the Northeast, Southeast, and Texas, Orlando has recruited in a lot of different areas in his career. With Orlando serving now as the defensive coordinator at South Alabama, it’s unlikely he would want to take a technical demotion to come be a linebackers coach. There would be, however, some pros and cons to leaving for a place like Notre Dame. Although Orlando is an unlikely target, we have seen that past relationships can matter.

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