Notre Dame’s offseason coaching carousel took another spin this week, as Al Washington became the second assistant to leave Marcus Freeman’s staff in just a matter of days. After Mike Mickens accepted a role with the Baltimore Ravens earlier in the week, Washington is now headed to the NFL as well-this time to the Miami Dolphins.
Washington’s move reunites him with new Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley, who previously led Boston College, where Washington once coached and built strong ties. He’ll also be working alongside Sean Duggan, a former Boston College linebacker who played under Washington during his time with the Eagles. It’s a familiar environment for Washington, and one that likely made the NFL leap all the more appealing.
For Notre Dame, though, it’s another vacancy to fill-and a fairly unexpected one at that.
Washington had just transitioned into a new role in South Bend. After spending the last few seasons as the Irish’s defensive line coach, he was recently promoted to linebackers coach and run game coordinator, stepping in after Max Bullough left for Michigan State. That shift was part of a broader reshuffling that saw Charlie Partridge come in to take over the defensive line earlier this month.
Now, Notre Dame has to pivot once again, searching for both a new linebackers coach and a replacement for Mickens, who had served as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach before taking the job in Baltimore under Jesse Minter.
This marks the third consecutive winter of significant staff turnover for Marcus Freeman. A year ago, it was defensive coordinator Al Golden who departed, replaced by Chris Ash. The year before, Gerad Parker was let go as offensive coordinator, with Mike Denbrock brought in to take over the offense.
While Freeman has shown a steady hand in navigating these transitions, the consistent churn does present challenges-especially when it comes to continuity and recruiting. Still, it’s also a reflection of the caliber of coaching talent Notre Dame continues to attract and develop. When NFL teams come calling, it’s hard to keep a staff intact for long.
For now, the Irish are back in the market for key defensive staffers. And with spring practice on the horizon, the clock is ticking.