When Notre Dame fans talk about the program’s great coaches, the conversation usually turns to championships, signature wins and the kind of runs that define an era. But in South Bend, there’s another measuring stick that matters just as much: what those coaches did against the rivals.
And when it comes to the rivalry that still burns hottest, USC sits at the center of the story. The Trojans have been the Irish’s most bitter opponent for a reason, and a handful of Notre Dame legends built part of their legacy by making life miserable for them.
Lou Holtz is the name that jumps out first. During his time in South Bend, Notre Dame went 9-1-1 against USC.
That mark alone says plenty, but it still doesn’t fully capture how thoroughly Holtz controlled the series. He didn’t lose to the Trojans until his final season with the Irish, and even that ending couldn’t erase the damage he had done to USC over the years.
Frank Leahy wasn’t far behind. After two years at Boston College, he took over Notre Dame and delivered seven 10-win seasons while also piling up a dominant record against USC.
Leahy faced the Trojans five times when Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 or No. 2, and the Irish went 4-0-1 in those games. His tenure also brought a new symbol to the rivalry: the Jeweled Shillelagh, which arrived after Notre Dame shut out USC, 9-0, in 1952.
Leahy finished 8-1-1 against the Trojans.
Knute Rockne’s USC record was solid at 4-1, but his bigger masterpiece came against Army. In an era when the Irish-Black Knights matchup was the marquee rivalry, Rockne went 9-2-1 against the Cadets.
His most famous moment came in 1928, when Notre Dame trailed a heavily favored Army team in a scoreless game at halftime. Rockne’s “Win one for the Gipper” speech helped spark a 12-6 upset that became one of the sport’s defining rivalry wins.
Brian Kelly, for all the baggage that followed him out of South Bend, at least gave Notre Dame fans something to like in this one area. He went 8-3 against USC during his time with the Irish. That record has become the one part of his Notre Dame résumé that supporters in South Bend can still point to without much hesitation.
Marcus Freeman has kept that tradition going, at least so far. He has never lost to Army or Navy, and he owns a 3-1 record against USC. In a program where rivalry results can shape how a coach is remembered, that matters.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Just Got A Massive CJ Carr Statement
A strong 2025 stretch was enough to put CJ Carr on a different kind of radar heading into next season. The Athletic slotted the Notre Dame quarterback into its top tier for 2026, the sort of placement that usually comes with Heisman chatter and a lot more attention than a young starter typically gets this early in his climb. Carr already gave the Irish a glimpse of why the buzz is real, helping spark a comeback at Miami and then following it with a sharp showing against Texas A&M.
Now the pressure shifts from promising moments to full-time responsibility. With Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price gone, Carr is expected to be the center of Notre Dames offense in 2026, and the ceiling is obvious enough to explain the ranking. The question is whether he can clean up the rough edges in his game, especially the decision-making and accuracy issues that still need work, and turn that talent into the kind of week-to-week production the Irish will need when the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Defense Faces One Frustrating Year Two Question
The broad shape of Notre Dames defense last season was easy enough to trace: a shaky opening stretch, then a group that settled in and played much better as the year went on. The improvement was real, but it also left behind a familiar offseason question for a unit built to win with speed and physicality. Under coordinator Chris Ash, the defense is still sorting out how aggressive it wants to be, especially when the game situation calls for a stop and the front seven has a chance to tilt the field.
The frustration comes in the details. Notre Dame still has to be tighter on third downs, and the coverage structure has to do a better job of taking away easy answers before opponents can get comfortable. Ashs approach leans more heavily on zone than the previous setup, which puts even more pressure on the backs to disrupt routes and on the linebackers to help the rush arrive on time. If the Irish want the next step from a defense that already showed it can rebound, this is the part that has to sharpen up. [Read more 🡒]