Coach Brian Kelly has fired defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder after the Irish’s disappointing 1-3 start to the 2016 season.
In a statement, Kelly said:
“This is a difficult decision. I have the utmost respect for Brian as both a person and football coach, but our defense simply isn’t it where it should be and I believe this change is necessary for the best interest of our program and our student-athletes.”
Credit: 247 Sports
The new defensive coordinator is Greg Hudson, who held that position at Purdue, East Carolina and Minnesota previously.
Hudson said he was “excited and honored about the opportunity that Coach Kelly has afforded me. We’ve got to improve on defense, without a doubt, and I’m confident that we will. We have great student-athletes and a tremendous defensive coaching staff. I can’t wait to get started with our group.”
Hudson is a 1990 graduate of Notre Dame and served as a graduate assistant to Lou Holtz before embarking on his collegiate coaching career.
Morgan VanGorder, the daughter of Brian, may have inadvertently been the first person to break news of her father’s dismissal.
Notre Dame graduate, class of '02 (the Davie years!). A former newspaper and TV reporter, andrewwinn is now professionally involved in something far less fun to discuss than college football. A dad, a husband and a wannabe data nerd.
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