Notre Dame Hit by Major Coaching Loss as Top Assistant Heads to NFL

It's almost laughable to look back just over a handful of years ago and to think what Notre Dame's defensive backfield was like.

Sure, the team has had a standout or star in it at almost all points throughout history, but having a second capable body hasn't always been the norm.

Having a talent pool so rich that top 100 recruits enter the transfer portal just a year or two into their college careers because of being blocked on the depth chart is entirely another.

That's what happened with Notre Dame's defensive backs in recent years under the direction of position coach Mike Mickens, and now he's off to the Baltimore Ravens and NFL, leaving a gapping hole in the Fighting Irish coaching staff.

Mickens Was Among Brian Kelly's Best Imprints at Notre Dame

Mike Mickens coaches Notre Dame in the National Championship gam — Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive backs coach Mike Mickens in the huddle with players during a time out against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

You can say what you want about Brian Kelly's tenure and exit at Notre Dame and chances are strong that its justified. One thing that is undeniable however, was his ability to bring in quality assistant coaches, especially in the back half of his time in South Bend.

Mickens was certainly one of those, joining Kelly's staff with the Fighting Irish following the 2019 season.

Mickens, like Marcus Freeman, came from the University of Cincinnati, but did so a year before the current Notre Dame head coach.

He was able to coach star safety Kyle Hamilton for two years at Notre Dame, but the talent that Mickens was able to identify in recruiting and then develop once landing commitments was something we haven't seen in the defensive backfield for decades in South Bend.

Mike Mickens' Biggest Stars at Notre Dame

It's easy to look at a coach when he recruits a bunch of five-star players and they end up going on to NFL careers. It's entirely another to see a coach identify less hyped talent, and make it into NFL-worthy talent.

Four defensive backs were drafted under Mickens at Notre Dame:

Kyle Hamilton: 1st Round, Baltimore Ravens, 2022
Cam Hart: 5th Round, Los Angeles Chargers, 2024
Benjamin Morrison: 2nd Round, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2025
Xavier Watts: 3rd Round, Atlanta Falcons, 2025

No player on that list is more impressive to me than Watts. Sure, it takes a ton of talent from the player just to be able to have a chance to do something special, but Watts went from being recruited as a wide receiver, to being a rover on defense, before locking in at safety.

All he did under Mickens watch was win the Bronco Nagurski Award as the nation's top defender in 2023, and record 13 interceptions in a two-span.

Coaching plays a factor there and Mickens undoubtedly did a lot to develop Watts.

Notre Dame Set Up for Success at Defensive Back

Replacing Mickens will be no easy task, but whoever gets that responsibility will certainly be set up to succeed.

Notre Dame brings back a defensive backfield in 2026 that will be highlighted by Leonard Moore, the best cornerback in all of college football.

Joining him will be guys like Dallas Golden, who stepped in as a true freshman and performed at the daunting task of playing nickelback, and safety Tae Johnson, who walked away with Freshman All-American honors this past season.

However, as much as the replacement will be set up to succeed at Notre Dame, the shoes that must be filled following Mickens departure are as big as any assitant coach on the Fighting Irish staff.