Jack Coan did not know for sure he wanted to transfer to Notre Dame when he decided to leave Wisconsin after four years, but he knew enough to be sure he considered the Irish, even before he heard from them. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees had a Playoff semifinal to worry about, one led by the all-time winningest starting quarterback in Notre Dame history, so courting Coan was not atop his priority list when the former Badgers starter announced his transfer intentions in December.
But Coan knew Ian Book was heading to the NFL, anyone could see the Irish lacked a clear 2021 starter, and he had considered South Bend nearly a decade ago when he first committed as a lacrosse recruit, so Coan was content to wait for Rees’ season to end.