Notre Dame closing in on offensive coordinator hire

Dec 6, 2021; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head football coach Marcus Freeman speaks during his formal introduction on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame continues to seek a replacement for offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who left South Bend for Alabama earlier this month. And it now appears they have settled on a potential favorite: Andy Ludwig.

Ludwig arrived on campus on Friday afternoon, joining head coach Marcus Freeman and tight ends coach Gerad Parker for a hockey game between the Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Utah OC Andy Ludwig is a finalist for the Notre Dame OC job. He's arriving on campus soon. He hasn't technically been offered the job yet (or accepted it), but sources have indicated it's a strong possibility. Stay tuned.

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) February 10, 2023

The 58-year-old Ludwig has a wealth of experience, serving as an offensive coordinator for multiple teams over the course of 26 years. That includes stops with Utah, where he is currently employed, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, Oregon and Fresno State, among others.

Ludwig had also previously served as the quarterbacks coach at Boise State.

In addition to his experience, Ludwig also shares a similar offensive philosophy with Freeman. He frequently runs multiple tight end sets, which Notre Dame used on 33.9% of all plays last season. That was good for 19th most in the country. In comparison, Ludwig and Utah ran 12 personnel on 44.3% of their snaps a season ago, which topped college football.

In addition to Ludwig, Notre Dame had spoken to nine other potential offensive coordinator candidates, including Colorado’s Sean Lewis and Kansas State’s Collin Klein.