Notre Dame Set to Hire Veteran Former Head Coach for Defensive Line

Notre Dame's defensive coaching staff will look a bit different in 2025, and it should take on a new look with incoming defensive line coach Charlie Partridge.

The changes began when linebackers coach Max Bullough left South Bend to become the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Michigan State, his alma mater, under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Notre Dame then shifted defensive line coach Al Washington to linebackers coach, where he'll coach the Irish for a fifth season after three years at Ohio State.

The new face on Notre Dame's defensive coaching staff is set to be Partridge, who will take over as the defensive line coach, as first reported by ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. He'll work under defensive coordinator Chris Ash, who wrapped up his first season with the Irish following four seasons in the NFL.

Meet New NOtre Dame Defensive Line Coach Charlie Partridge

Partridge, 52, spent the last two seasons as the defensive line coach for the Indianapolis Colts, who currently rank fifth in the NFL in run defense.

His first NFL opportunity came after a successful run at Pittsburgh from 2017-23 as the defensive line coach and later the co-defensive coordinator. Four defensive linemen who played under Partridge at Pittsburgh became NFL draft picks during that time, including Calijah Kancey (first round, 2023), Patrick Jones II (third round, 2021), Rashad Weaver (fourth round, 2021) and Jalen Twyman (sixth round, 2021).

The lone head coaching stint of Partridge's career spanned three seasons at Florida Atlantic from 2014-16, going 3-9 each season with a 7-17 run in Conference USA play.

That came after a six-year run on Bret Bielema's staff at Wisconsin and Arkansas from 2008-13, which included three Rose Bowl appearances. While at Wisconsin, Partridge helped develop J.J. Watt from the 1,342nd-ranked recruit to a first-team All-American and Lott Trophy winner.

Partridge served as a defensive line coach throughout his career at Eastern Illinois, Pitt, Wisconsin, Arkansas, and eventually Indianapolis Colts.

How Notre Dame's defensive line is shaping up

The Irish have lost a handful of key contributors up front. Donovan Hinish announced Monday his medical retirement from college football, and on Tuesday Josh Burham entered the transfer portal. Burnham ranked third on the team with six tackles for loss and tied for third with three tackles. Hinish played in 11 games with three starts, one sack and two quarterback hurries.

Defensive lineman Armel Mukam also entered the transfer portal following his sophomore season at Notre Dame, where he appeared in 12 games as a backup and made five tackles. Seniors Jared Dawson, Gabriel Rubio, Jordan Botelho and Junior Tuihalamaka each exhausted their eligibility in 2025 as part of the defensive line mix. Jason Onye has submitted a waiver for a sixth year of eligibility.

But fortunately for Notre Dame, defensive lineman Boubacar Traore has two years of eligibility remaining after leading the Irish with 7.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 2025. Other contributors on the defensive line like Elijah Hughes and Bryce Young, who combined for five tackles for loss and three sacks, can return.

Coach Marcus Freeman also brings in a five-star recruit in Rodney Durham, a 6-foot-4, 227-pound edge rusher from Charlotte, N.C., who's ranked No. 8 overall and No. 2 among edge rushers, according to 247Sports. He's part of a class that ranks No. 4 nationally and includes other defensive line recruits in Ebenezer Ewatade (No. 148 overall), Elijah Golden (No. 218) and Tiki Hola (No. 70 DL).

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