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.
Notre Dame football was given the difficult task of replacing one of the best position coaches in the program’s history when secondary coach Mike Mickens took a position with the Baltimore Ravens.
After some initial interest in Oklahoma Sooners assistant Jay Valai (who has since taken a job with the Buffalo Bills), head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish made a swift move by hiring former Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry to lead the secondary.
On paper, this is a tremendous hire, though there is some pushback.
That pushback is mostly coming from the Illinois fanbase, particularly from Henry’s recent impact as a play-caller. There is, as always, some context that some will choose to ignore. Let’s discuss the fallout from Illinois, Henry’s fit with Notre Dame, and break down his resume. This is a move that brings a ton of upside, many things to consider, and a lot of excitement on the Fighting Irish side when you consider everything involved.
The Illinois fallout for Henry
There are two kinds of Illinois fans when discussing Henry leaving for Notre Dame. The first are those who refuse to mention his strong resume as a position coach. There are some fans who have completely refused to acknowledge his successes and instead claim that Henry is a bad coach who had a soft firing of sorts. That is what we call “copium” in the business.
Most Illinois fans can distinguish the truth about Henry. He did not do a great job as a defensive play-caller, but he is unquestionably an outstanding defensive back coach. Still only 37 years old, Henry may eventually become a good play-caller, but that doesn’t change what he has proven as a defensive back developer. That differentiator matters a lot for this fit with the Notre Dame program.
It is also important to understand that there was never a reality in which Henry returned to Illinois in a demoted role. He wasn’t going to stay just a position coach after having his play-calling responsibilities stripped. The optics would have been bad, and it was just never going to happen.
Henry’s fit with Notre Dame
While Henry will have the “Co-Defensive Coordinator” tag next to his name, defensive coordinator Chris Ash will call the plays. His main responsibility will be to continue the great development in the secondary. I am sure Henry will have some say in the coverage structure on the back end, but with Ash’s experience as a secondary coach, I am not worried about the Notre Dame passing coverage being ruined. That feels like a hyperbolic overexaggeration.
Mickens was a great developer of secondary talent. Henry is a great developer of secondary talent. That is what matters most. If Henry does eventually become a rising star as a defensive coordinator and possibly the heir apparent to Ash, that would be great, but it would also be just a bonus. Maintaining an elite secondary with a coach with a great reputation has always been the top objective.
Let the resume speak for itself
While Illinois fans have the right to be critical of Henry as a defensive play-caller, there is no doubt that he is a tremendous defensive back coach and talent developer, which matters most to Notre Dame. Over the last two seasons, Henry has had two former players earn All-Pro honors in the NFL.
That includes Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph, who led the NFL with nine interceptions in 2024. In four seasons in Detroit, Joseph has recorded 20 interceptions and broken up another 35 passes.
The other All-Pro is Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who has been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three NFL seasons. After being the No. 5 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, Witherspoon has quickly become one of the most versatile defensive backs in the entire league. In those three years, the talented defender has recorded 249 total tackles, two interceptions, 32 pass breakups, 16 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.
While Joseph and Witherspoon are the headliners on his resume, Henry has consistently churned out NFL talent throughout his career.
That includes slot corner Xavier Scott, who is expected to be selected in the top-150 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. Quan Martin (Washington Commanders), Tony Adams (New York Jets), Sydney Brown (Philadelphia Eagles), Tanner Ingle (Los Angeles Rams), and Nick McCloud (Chicago Bears) are a few more of his success stories. That success dates back to Henry’s time at NC State.
As a recruiter, Henry’s biggest victories have come via finding underrated recruits and turning them into substantial contributors. A couple of his biggest victories came at different positions other than defensive back. In the 2017 recruiting class, while with Rutgers, Henry was the main recruiter for wide receiver Bo Melton. He also helped lure a toolsy pass rusher named Gabe Jacas to the Illini as a part of the 2022 class.
The odds are that Henry’s recruiting game takes a step forward with the Notre Dame logo next to his name. If it does, there is no reason to believe that Henry’s development of NFL talent shouldn’t continue, and at an even higher level. The defensive back room in South Bend is in a great place right now and moving forward.
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