Ferris may not have been referring to the Notre Dame football coaching staff in the 1986 movie, but it could certainly apply to them.
Not long ago, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame were on the hunt for a new offensive playcaller after Tommy Rees accepted a position on what would become Nick Saban’s last Alabama coaching staff.
The top candidate?
Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, known for developing successful offenses at various programs throughout his lengthy career.
Notre Dame pursued Ludwig, making it seem as though he was the frontrunner to replace Rees, even inviting him to an on-campus hockey game where he was seated with Freeman, former Notre Dame tight ends coach Gerad Parker, and deputy athletics director Ron Powlus.
However, Ludwig’s buyout at Utah was prohibitively high, and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick ultimately chose not to pay the fee. As a result, Ludwig remained at Utah, and Parker took over the playcalling duties for the 2023 season.
Less than two years after being a top candidate for the offensive coordinator position at Notre Dame, Andy Ludwig has now parted ways with Utah as its offensive coordinator.
Utah entered the year with national expectations, ranked among the top 15 teams, but has faced significant offensive struggles, especially without veteran quarterback Cam Rising. Currently, the Utes are averaging just 24 points per game, ranking 96th out of 134 FBS teams.
Ludwig began his coaching career in the late 1980s at Portland State and had stints at multiple institutions, including Utah, Oregon, California, Wisconsin, and Vanderbilt.
The Andy Ludwig situation was undoubtedly a challenging chapter for Notre Dame.
While the 2023 season saw some offensive records set, the team faced major struggles in critical games, leaving fans yearning for more from the offense.
Parker left this offseason to become the head coach at Troy, and Mike Denbrock from LSU stepped in to take over playcalling at Notre Dame.
Denbrock has faced difficulties with a young offensive line and average wide receivers, but he has managed to position Notre Dame in the top 25% of FBS teams in yards gained per play in 2024. While it may not be stellar, considering Ludwig’s recent struggles, it appears that Notre Dame is in a better place under Denbrock than it would have been under Ludwig.
