SOUTH BEND, Ind. — When Mike Mickens arrived at Notre Dame six years in the past, he was charged with answering a query that had dogged this system for the higher a part of 1 / 4 century.
May Notre Dame ever have an elite secondary?
Not solely did Mickens construct that in the course of the previous half-dozen seasons, however he saved it going with high-level recruiting, too. Now Mickens can be leaving the Preventing Irish to affix incoming Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter’s first workers, a number of sources near Notre Dame advised The Athletic on Sunday evening.
Minter was a graduate assistant at Cincinnati throughout Mickens’ remaining two seasons as a participant. Mickens additionally coached Ravens All-Professional security Kyle Hamilton throughout his remaining two seasons at Notre Dame.
Whereas Hamilton has already established himself as an elite participant on the subsequent degree, he’s hardly Mickens’ solely success story at Notre Dame. Mickens developed 2024 fifth-round choose Cam Hart, 2025 second-round choose Benjamin Morrison and third-round choose Xavier Watts, who was additionally a two-time All-American and nationwide defensive participant of the 12 months. Leonard Moore seems to be a surefire first-round choose a 12 months from now, whereas the remainder of the beginning secondary may additionally undertaking on the subsequent degree.
Notre Dame additionally simply signed its highest-rated secondary within the fashionable period, which included five-star security Joey O’Brien and four-star cornerback Khary Adams.
The Irish led the nation in go effectivity protection in 2023 and 2024 and completed fourth nationally final season with 21 interceptions.
Mickens was within the operating for the defensive coordinator job that went to Chris Ash a 12 months in the past, and opted to remain put at Notre Dame regardless of heavy curiosity from different school applications. USC and Georgia Tech had been believed to be two faculties in pursuit of Mickens throughout current offseasons, however Notre Dame was keen to put money into Mickens at a price that mirrored his market worth.
Even when the title of defensive coordinator wasn’t coming at Notre Dame beneath Freeman, it wasn’t a scenario the place Mickens was actively trying to depart for one thing larger or higher. Mickens is on file that his objective was to develop into a defensive coordinator or head coach in school, not essentially to leap to the NFL.
“The objective is at all times to develop into a DC or a head coach,” Mickens mentioned final 12 months. “Clearly, it must be the suitable scenario. I adore it right here. I really like working for Coach (Freeman). I’m not simply trying to go someplace. I really like these guys. I really like my room. However the final objective is to develop into a head coach.”
It’s not clear if a soar to the NFL would expedite that course of or not, however it does give Mickens an opportunity to develop his talent set outdoors of the school recreation and outdoors of Freeman, whose reference to Mickens dates again to their time as teammates at Wayne Excessive Faculty in Ohio. The truth is, Mickens was a plus for Freeman selecting Notre Dame over LSU 5 years in the past when he had standing presents from each faculties to develop into defensive coordinator.
That call has been a boon to Freeman’s profession, partly as a result of he had Mickens within the workers room teaching up the secondary. A unit that when struggled to maintain up with the nation’s elite offenses grew to become one that might match them talent-for-talent. And whoever Freeman hires subsequent would be the beneficiary of Mickens’ work.
