Max Bullough Is Taking Charge Of The Notre Dame Linebackers

A phone call from Marcus Freeman was all it took to get Max Bullough to leave the SEC and come to Notre Dame. The Traverse City, Mich. native and former Michigan State linebacker who once spurned Charlie Weis’s recruiting efforts picked up the phone while working at Alabama last winter and committed to a graduate assistant position to work with Fighting Irish linebackers before hanging up.

"I’m able to be a little more hands-on with the linebackers than I was at Alabama,” Bullough recently explained. "So that was the real, main reason that I left there; the opportunity to work closer with the linebackers than I was in the previous three years. Then obviously, the opportunity to come to Notre Dame after what we talked about, my grandpa is ecstatic. It was a no-brainer.”

Bullough, whose grandfather Jim Morse played halfback at Notre Dame and was a captain of the 1956 team, broke the news to Nick Saban and left Tuscaloosa for South Bend for a reunion with Freeman. Bullough had previously been a graduate assistant at Cincinnati when Freeman was the defensive coordinator there in 2019.

"Right now, I’m focused on two things,” Bullough said. "I want to maximize our linebackers’ potential this year, and I want them to leave here feeling like they got something from me that can help them moving forward whether it’s in life or football.

"We (have) our group of older guys who know this defense inside and out, and we have a cast of characters behind them that we’re trying to get to the same level,” Bullough continued. "So our focus right now is brick by brick. Every day, stacking one day on top of another.”

The former Michigan State captain brings a wealth of experience to the Irish linebacker room. After earning All-Big Ten and All-American accolades in college, Bullough played for the Houston Texans from 2014-2016. His coaching career began after he finished his playing career with the Browns, and that was his season at Cincinnati with Freeman.

"It’s always direct teaching,” Bullough began when asked about his coaching style. "I’m always going to be asking questions. Our meeting is half me talking, half them talking. Explain the call, make the call, whatever it is. 'What if this happens? What are we doing?’ It’s always direct teaching, and it’s always going to be hands-on on the field in terms of,

"This is exactly how we want it done.," Bullough continued. "I’m going to show you, and then we (have) to execute. But more than anything, it’s really direct teaching. Having them spit it back at me. If you can’t explain it to me, then you can’t do it [in the snap of a finger]. It’s one thing to answer something on the test, a written test sitting down in the quiet. It’s another thing to do it out there when the bullets are flying. As much as we can put them in that situation the better.”

Notre Dame’s veteran linebackers, JD Bertrand, Marist Liufau and Jack Kiser make life easier for Bullough on a daily basis.

"I can’t say enough about that group,” Bullough proclaimed. "Those guys physically, mentally, holding our room accountable — I mean, they are top-notch in every way. We have group texts. We’ve got to be here at 6:45? I get a text at 6:15 that says make sure you’re up. Or at night, make sure you eat before you go to bed. I played, I did this too, we didn’t do that stuff. But it’s holding people accountable at every level. The installs, they say, ‘Hey guys, we have an off day coming up. But that doesn’t mean the installs stop. Get ahead on the installs.’ They are really pushing these guys all the time.”

The veterans have the experience, but here is a talented group of young linebackers behind them as well.

"They’re coming along,” Bullough said of the young linebackers. "They’re learning every day. We had spring with all three [freshmen], which is huge. I know they’re freshmen, but this isn’t the first time they’ve done this. This is our second time. I just want them to put together one good day at a time. Focus on these few things, get better at these, then we’ll move on to the next day.”

Having the veterans in the room has proven to be a valuable teaching asset as well.

"Here’s a great example,” Bullough began. "We’re installing something in the meeting, I’m installing the defense. I’ll ask the young guy what the call is. How do we set the front here or how do we set the pressure? That’s the day one install of what they’re supposed to be learning. Then I follow up with JD or someone and say, Okay, what offensive play are we going to get here based on their formation? It’s intertwining the two things so that they all hear it but they’re hearing it based on their level of intelligence.”

If Bullough's presence and the experience in the system can create more consistent linebacker player the second level of the Irish defense could be a strength of the team.

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