Mike Denbrock 2025-26 Football Staff

John and Bobbie Arlotta Family Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach

phone 631-7475

Bio

THE DENBROCK FILE

Hometown: Homer, Michigan
High School: Homer High School
College: Grand Valley State (Communications, 1987)
Wife: Dianne
Children: Son- Chance

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

1982-85 Grand Valley State Tight End

COACHING CAREER

1986-87 Grand Valley State Graduate Assistant
1988-89 Michigan State Graduate Assistant
1990-91 Illinois State Offensive Tackles/Tight Ends
1992-95 Grand Valley State Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers
1996-98 Grand Valley State Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
1999-2000 Buffalo (AFL) Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Offensive and Defensive Line
2001 Stanford Offensive Tackles/Tight Ends
2002-04 Notre Dame Offensive Tackles/Tight Ends
2005-08 Washington Offensive Line
2009 Indiana State Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers
2010-11 Notre Dame Tight Ends
2012-13 Notre Dame Outside Wide Receivers/Passing Game Coordinator
2014 Notre Dame Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2015-16 Notre Dame Associate Head Coach/Wide Receivers
2017-21 Cincinnati Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2022-23 LSU Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends
2024- Notre Dame John and Bobbie Arlotta Family Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach

BOWLS/PLAYOFFS COACHED

1989 Michigan State (Gator)
1989 Michigan State (Aloha)
1994 Grand Valley State (NCAA Division II First Round)
1998 Grand Valley State (NCAA Division II First Round)
2000 Buffalo (AFL Playoffs)
2001 Stanford (Seattle)
2003 Notre Dame (Gator)
2004 Notre Dame (Insight)
2010 Notre Dame (Sun)
2011 Notre Dame (Champs Sports)
2012 Notre Dame (BCS National Championship)
2013 Notre Dame (Pinstripe)
2014 Notre Dame (Music City)
2015 Notre Dame (Fiesta)
2018 Cincinnati (Military)
2019 Cincinnati (Birmingham)
2020 Cincinnati (Peach)
2021 Cincinnati (Cotton – CFP Semifinal)
2022 LSU (Citrus)
2024 Notre Dame (CFP First Round)
2025 Notre Dame (CFP Quarterfinal – Sugar)
2025 Notre Dame (CFP Semifinal – Orange)
2025 Notre Dame (CFP National Championship)

COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

A 37-year coaching veteran, Denbrock returned to the University of Notre Dame football program as the John and Bobbie Arlotta Family Offensive Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach in December of 2023.
It marked the beginning of a third stint for Denbrock at Notre Dame, who served as the offensive tackles/tight ends coach from 2002-04, then coached the Irish tight ends and wide receivers, while also serving as passing game coordinator, offensive coordinator and associate head coach from 2010-16.
Denbrock and Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman have a shared coaching history, as both played a key role in Cincinnati’s surge to a New Year’s Day bowl in 2020, before Freeman transitioned to Notre Dame as defensive coordinator and eventually head coach. Denbrock remained with the Bearcats and helped the program earn its first and only College Football Playoff appearance in 2021.
The move also reunited Denbrock with Bob and Leslie Mohr Family Quarterbacks Coach Gino Guidugli, cornerbacks coach and defensive pass game coordinator Mike Mickens and wide receivers coach Mike Brown, who also coached together at Cincinnati.
Denbrock has led several of the nation’s top offenses since assuming full offensive coordinator duties eight seasons ago at Cincinnati, then following up with two outstanding offensive campaigns at LSU and a national championship run in his first season at Notre Dame.
In 2024, the Irish offense grew into a dominant unit through the course of the season en route to the national title game. Nationally, Notre Dame ranked fifth in turnover margin (1.13), eighth in fourth-down success rate (0.733), ninth in first downs (326), 10th in scoring offense (36.1), 13th in completion percentage (0.665), and 19th in rushing offense (200.9).
Notre Dame outscored opponents by an average of 20.63 points per game in 2024.
Notre Dame’s rushing offense ranked No. 4 among the Power 4 in yards per carry (5.66), ranking No. 7 among all FBS teams. The Irish ranked No. 6 among Power 4 teams in rushing offense (210.8).
With 45 rushing touchdowns, the Irish led all Power 4 teams and ranked third among all FBS programs in rushing touchdowns.
Notre Dame’s rushing offense was a force in 2024, combining headline running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, third-down freshman back Aneyas Williams, and versatile quarterback Riley Leonard. Love reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season, and rushed for a touchdown in the first 13 games this season. He totaled 17 rushing touchdowns in 2024, in addition to two receiving touchdowns. He was the only FBS player to score a rushing touchdown in every regular season game that season. He broke the record for the most consecutive games with a rushing touchdown in Notre Dame history with 13 (passing 11 – Wayne Bullock, 1973-74, 17 total rushing TDs during streak).
Love and QB Riley Leonard each had a rushing TD in the same game 11 times in 2024, becoming the most by any FBS duo in any season in the last 25 years (surpassing Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua with 10 in 2010). Love, Leonard and RB Jadarian Price each had at least 700 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 2024, the only FBS team to have a trio accomplish that feat that season.
The 2023 LSU team led the nation in total offense, while Denbrock’s 2020 Cincinnati group ranked 24th and his 2018 edition was 23rd. While the statistics are impressive, perhaps it is the win-loss record for teams with an offense coordinated by Denbrock over the past six seasons that tells the true story. Since 2018, teams powered by a Denbrock-coordinated offense have compiled a 63-13 (.829) record with four 10-win seasons.
In 2023, Denbrock was a Broyles Award Finalist leading the nation’s top offensive unit – propelled by Heisman Trophy Winner Jayden Daniels who set the NCAA single-season pass efficiency rating of 208.0.
LSU led the nation in total offense (547.8), scoring offense (46.4), yards per play (8.53), third down conversions (55.67%) and fewest punts (21). In addition, the 2023 Tiger offense accumulated an amazing total of 182 offensive plays that earned over 20 yards.
Before Denbrock arrived in Baton Rouge, LSU was ranked 91st in total offense after the 2021 season. His first year with the Tigers in 2022 saw the offense put together one of the best all-around seasons in LSU history averaging 34.5 points per game, 453.1 yards of offense per contest and setting a school record for rushing touchdowns with 39.
A Broyles Award semifinalist in 2021 at Cincinnati, Denbrock’s offense helped the Bearcats to a 13-0 record, while setting school records for touchdowns (70) and points scored (510). Cincinnati won its second-straight American Athletic Conference title and advanced to the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl.
Seven Cincinnati players collected All-American Athletic Conference honors in 2021, including quarterback Desmond Ridder, who was named the league’s offensive player of the year for a second-straight season.
Ridder developed into the school’s all-time leader in yards and touchdown passes under Denbrock. He also finished his career at UC as the all-time leader in touchdowns (116) and total yards (12,281) in the AAC. He ranks third all-time in wins (44) by a quarterback in college football history.
A list of Denbrock’s talented pupils through his years at Stanford, Notre Dame, Cincinnati and LSU is full of all-conference, All-American and NFL stars –
- Kwame Harris, Stanford Offensive Tackle, NFL 1st Round Draft Pick, Six-year NFL veteran
- John Carlson, Notre Dame Tight End, NFL 2nd Round Draft Pick, Seven-year NFL veteran
- Anthony Fasano, Notre Dame Tight End, NFL 2nd Round Draft Pick, 12-year NFL veteran
- Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame Tight End, NFL 1st Round Draft Pick, Seven-year NFL veteran
- Ryan Harris, Notre Dame Offensive Tackle, NFL 3rd Round Draft Pick, 10-year NFL veteran
- Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame Tight End, NFL 2nd Round Draft Pick, 12-year NFL veteran
- Ben Koyack, Notre Dame Tight End, NFL 7th Round Draft Pick, Five-year NFL veteran
- T.J. Jones, Notre Dame Wide Receiver, NFL 6th Round Draft PIck, Six-year NFL veteran
- Will Fuller, Notre Dame Wide Receiver, NFL 1st Round Draft Pick, Six-year NFL veteran
- CJ Prosise, Notre Dame Wide Receiver/Running Back, NFL 3rd Round Draft pick, Six-year NFL veteran
- Miles Boykin, Notre Dame Wide Receiver, NFL 3rd Round Draft pick, current Pittsburgh Steeler
- Chase Claypool, Notre Dame Wide Receiver, NFL 2nd Round Draft pick, current Miami Dolphin
- Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati Quarterback, NFL 3rd Round Draft pick, current Atlanta Falcon
- Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati Tight End, NFL 3rd Round Draft pick, current Green Bay Packer
- Gerrid Doaks, Cincinnati Running Back, NFL 7th Round Draft pick, current Houston Texan
- Josh Wyhle, Cincinnati Tight End, NFL 5th Round Draft pick, current Tennessee Titan
- Jerome Ford, Cincinnati Running Back, NFL 5th Round Draft pick, current Cleveland Brown
- Alec Pierce, Cincinnati Wide Receiver, NFL 2nd Round Draft pick, current Indianapolis Colt
- Malik Nabers, LSU Wide Receiver, 2023 Unanimous All-American
- Jayden Daniels, LSU Quarterback, 2023 Heisman Trophy winner
Denbrock’s first term at Notre Dame occurred from 2002-04 coaching the Irish offensive tackles and tight ends.
He returned to Notre Dame in 2010 and spent seven years on the coaching staff working with the Irish tight ends, wide receivers and passing game.
He served as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2014 when the Irish scored at least 27 points a then school-record 11 times.
The ‘14 offense averaged 33.0 points per game (which was the most since the 2005 team put up 36.7) and 444.6 yards of total offense per game.