Notre Dame has officially brought in Aaron Henry as its new defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator - a pivotal hire as the Irish look to maintain their defensive identity under Marcus Freeman. Henry steps into the role vacated by Mike Mickens, who left for the NFL to join the Baltimore Ravens after six seasons in South Bend, where he helped shape one of the more consistent secondaries in college football.
Henry arrives in South Bend with a strong résumé and a reputation for player development, particularly in the secondary. He spent the last five years at Illinois, where he started as the defensive backs coach in 2021 and 2022 before being promoted to defensive coordinator from 2023 through 2025.
His most notable success? Developing Devon Witherspoon into the 2022 Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and a top-five pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
That’s the kind of track record that turns heads - and clearly, Notre Dame took notice.
This fall will mark Henry’s 13th season as a collegiate coach, and his journey has taken him through some of the sport’s most competitive environments. He got his start in 2014 as a defensive graduate assistant at Arkansas under Bret Bielema - his former head coach during his playing days at Wisconsin.
From there, he moved into a full-time role as safeties coach at Rutgers in 2016 under Chris Ash, who now serves as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator. That connection likely played a role in bringing Henry to South Bend, and their familiarity could help fast-track the transition.
Henry’s coaching stops also include NC State, where he coached both safeties and cornerbacks from 2017 to 2019, and Vanderbilt, where he led the cornerbacks unit in 2020. Each stop added a layer to his development as a coach, and by the time he landed at Illinois, he was ready to take on a bigger role - and he delivered.
What Notre Dame is getting in Henry is more than just a technician of the position. He’s a leader who’s proven he can scheme at a high level and elevate talent. His defenses at Illinois were physical, disciplined, and opportunistic - traits that align well with what Freeman wants on that side of the ball.
As a player, Henry was no slouch either. He earned All-Big Ten honors at Wisconsin in 2010 and 2011, bringing first-hand experience from big-game environments in the Big Ten. That kind of pedigree tends to resonate with players, especially in a program like Notre Dame where expectations are sky-high.
Off the field, Henry is a family man - married to his wife, Camille, with two children. Now, as he settles into his new role in South Bend, the focus shifts to how quickly he can build rapport with his players and implement his vision in the Irish secondary.
Replacing a coach like Mickens isn’t easy. But with Aaron Henry, Notre Dame isn’t just filling a vacancy - they’re investing in a coach with the tools, experience, and upside to take the Irish secondary to another level.