With Notre Dame and Clemson having played each other four times since 2015, Jack Swarbrick has gotten plenty of up-close looks at Dabo Swinney’s program. Some of what Notre Dame’s athletic director has seen has had an impact on what he expects from the Fighting Irish’s football coach going forward.
Marcus Freeman was officially introduced as Notre Dame’s new coach Monday after one season as the team’s defensive coordinator. Swarbrick promoted him once Brian Kelly recently left to take the head coaching job at LSU.
Swarbrick also views Freeman as the “head coach of recruiting,” a mindset that Swarbrick explained to The Athletic’s Pete Sampson has evolved for him over the years when it comes to what a head coach’s role should be in that regard because of one coach in particular.
“Dabo,” Swarbrick said.
Per Sampson, Swarbrick said he believes Swinney is a “phenomenal coach,” but the two things that stand out the most to him about Clemson’s two-time national championship coach are his recruiting ability and the culture he’s built within his program over the last 13 years.
“He’s so intentional about building culture,” Swarbrick said. “In the world of the transfer portal, you’ve got to be really good about both those things.”
Spoke when Jack Swarbrick about Marcus Freeman as “head coach of recruiting” and Swarbrick’s evolution in thinking what a head coach’s role could/should be in that realm. What triggered the shift?
“Dabo.”
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— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) December 7, 2021