As the dust settles on Brian Kelly's somewhat controversial exit from Notre Dame, the organization wasted no time reaching from within to find a replacement to lead their team going forward. It's a next-man-up situation for Marcus Freeman who goes from the team's defensive coordinator to head coach. Brady Quinn shared his thoughts on the hire as he had the opportunity to emcee the event that welcomed Freeman to the new position and title.
Jonas Knox: "Marcus Freeman, it does feel like genuine excitement, and it does feel different than it does in the past when they made head coaching hirings... Is that because he's so well liked? He's such a good recruiter and he has such a good reputation. Or is this because they feel burned by the way this was handled by Brian Kelly and how it's a rallying cry for the program and they're going to build on this from here?"
Brady Quinn: "The University knew what they had in Marcus and they were like, 'This is the best guy for our situation and for right now.' He's just genuine. He connects with players. Yeah, he's a great recruiter but he's a great coach too. I mean you can see the way that defense developed and got better over the course of the year and that had a lot to do with just the way he connects with those young men. So, there's a lot of excitement and rightfully so because of everything he brings."