Notre Dame didn’t waste much time filling a key vacancy on its defensive staff. Less than a week after Mike Mickens left the program, the Irish are reportedly set to bring in Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry as their new co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.
Henry, who had just entered his fourth year on Illinois’ staff as defensive coordinator, brings a resume that’s steadily grown over the past few seasons. After serving as the Illini’s defensive backs coach in 2021 and 2022, he was promoted to DC in December of that year.
Now, he heads to South Bend, where he’ll reportedly work alongside Chris Ash - a pairing with some history. Back in 2016, Henry coached the defensive backs at Rutgers, where Ash was the head coach.
So there’s familiarity, and that could go a long way in streamlining the transition.
What Notre Dame is getting in Henry is a coach who’s been part of Illinois’ most successful two-year stretch in program history - 19 wins over the last two seasons. That’s no small feat in a Big Ten landscape dominated by heavyweights like Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. Henry was a key figure in that success, helping elevate Illinois’ defense into a unit that could punch above its weight when it mattered most.
Sure, there were bumps along the way. The Illini defense hit some turbulence early in the 2025 season, and questions started to bubble up about whether Henry’s unit could regain its footing.
But to his credit, the defense responded. And when the lights were brightest - in the Music City Bowl against a high-powered Tennessee offense - Henry’s group delivered its best performance of the year.
Tennessee came into that game ranked fourth nationally in total offense, but Illinois held the Volunteers to just 278 total yards - their lowest output of the season. Quarterback Joey Aguilar, who had thrown for over 200 yards in 36 straight games, was held to just 121 passing yards - the lowest mark of his career by a wide margin.
That kind of game doesn’t happen by accident. It’s a result of sound preparation, smart scheming, and players buying into the system.
That’s the version of Aaron Henry Notre Dame is banking on - a coach who can develop talent in the secondary, adjust when things go sideways, and elevate a defense with his leadership and vision.
And let’s not forget: Notre Dame’s secondary has been one of the best in the country in recent seasons. Mike Mickens played a huge role in building that standard. Now it’s on Henry to uphold it - and potentially raise the bar even higher.
With Henry teaming up with Ash, the Irish are putting together a defensive brain trust with experience, chemistry, and a proven track record of developing tough, disciplined units. If they can replicate what Henry helped build in Champaign - and maybe even exceed it - Notre Dame’s defense could be in very good hands moving forward.