Notre Dame has talked about being serious about contending for a national championship for years, but its actions did not always back up their statements. Whether it was being slow on NIL, settling on Under Armour, or losing out on expensive assistants, Notre Dame has had moments the last few years where it seemed like they were only talking the talk. Aggressively targeting Mike Denbrock to replace Gerad Parker and landing one of the most sought-after assistants in college football, however, was a prime example of walking the walk.
When news broke that Gerad Parker was leaving Notre Dame to be the head coach at Troy, Denbrock’s name surfaced quickly, but it seemed almost too good to be true.