Notre Dame Notebook: Gerad Parker Talks Sam Hartman, Running Backs, Youth Movement

Offensive coordinator Gerad Parker and quarterback Sam Hartman have been together at Notre Dame for roughly six months. They’ve been “around” each other for about a month longer than that, but the their official working relationship really began in mid February when Parker was named Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator.

Hartman had been on campus for less than a month when Tommy Rees left Notre Dame for Alabama when the former Wake Forest quarterback found himself without a coordinator until Parker was named to the position. Parker’s not the quarterbacks coach, though. That job went to Gino Guidugli, who was hired away from Wisconsin a couple of weeks later.

Guidugli oversees the quarterback operation on a micro level, while Parker runs the offensive design from a macro level. So, where does that leave the relationship building between the first-year coordinator and one-year Irish quarterback?

"I think at its core, before you (get) anything into football, how do you build any good relationship, time,” Parker stated. "So, I've invested purposeful time to where Sam feels comfortable coming over to the house (to) fish, and be off the field and start there and then anytime we're in the office there have been purposeful moments where we have meetings separate, or I get in with Gino and him and all the quarterbacks to make sure they know what we feel together.

"(Gino and I) have to be on the same page in all things, and we are,” Parker continued. "As long as our communication is felt through, Gino and me together, that's how it goes seamless. Anything else to where, 'I thought this’ or 'I like this, but you didn't,’ then it's on me. So, I think with anything, first build a relationship off the field. How do you build it? Make sure that we're echoing everything together and communicating the same way.”

SAM HARTMAN'S LEADERSHIP

Quarterback is the most important position on the field and good quarterbacks like Hartman typically gravitate to leadership roles. Hartman was a two-time captain at Wake Forest, and Parker has confidence in his quarterback’s leadership heading into what will be his only season in a Notre Dame uniform.

"Complete ownership of the position and of the job with the ones and with the offense,” Parker said of the ownership Hartman has taken in his time with his new team. "That's happened, and he's been thrust into that this summer. He's been there before, so he knows what that feels like. So, when he got thrust into that and [he] took over in the summer workouts, he took it and ran with it. I think he taught our guys a lot about owning what we need to do and learning install and timing of routes and those things. So, their throwing sessions and who we were this summer was way more accountable. And that's because of his leadership.”

THE RUNNING BACK ROOM

Junior Audric Estime is the most experienced Irish running back heading into the season, but there is plenty of talent in the room as well. Sophomore Jadarian Price is recovered from an Achilles injury that cost him all of last season and looks ready to play a major role in the offense this season.

Another sophomore, Gi’Bran Payne, had a good spring and continues to look good during training camp. Senior Devyn Ford transferred from Penn State this summer and freshman Jeremiyah Love has already opened eyes with his speed. All five look like they could start at Power 5 schools around the country and give the Irish, arguably, their best running back room in decades.

"I'm glad it looks that way,” Parker said when asked about the abundance of talent of his backs. "I don't know if maybe as you see them work out when we could watch them in the summer and the work we could get done, it probably started to look that way when you're like, ‘Okay.’

"Now, the trick is, of course, there's not as many reps on those guys backs’ yet. But, certainly the first indicator of success is having (the) genetic makeup and ability to do it, and man, that room looks good, and they’re wired up and working the detail and, of course, they’ve got a long way to go there. But as far as physical gifts and remaining healthy, you love the way that group lines up right now.”

YOUTH MOVEMENT

Notre Dame’s offensive skill positions are getting more talented by the year. In addition to the above talent amongst the running backs, the wide receivers room is trending upwards as well with the likes of early enrollees Jaden Greathouse, Braylon James and Rico Flores Jr. Lack of experience has kept quality players off the field in the past. Parker explained how he’s using training camp to find out how those young, talented players could fit in on Saturdays this season.

"Put them in position to do so, and then letting them feel good about it,” Parker explained. "If they fail, fail up and do it again. We're not going to be an operation that says, ‘Get him out, because he doesn't make one play.’ We have to let these guys play. We have to let them make mistakes. I'm going to make mistakes. I do every day, but I promise you this, we're not going to get outworked. And our guys are not going to feel like we went distance from believing in them.

"We will have strong belief in our players and our staff,” Parker continued. "We’re going to trust our plan, and we're going to put that power into them and let them feel our confidence and give them opportunities. If they're not quite ready by the time we give enough, then we'll make sure we keep empowering them to get there, but we'll get our guys that are [ready], ready to go.”

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