Three Notre Dame Football assistant coaches have been named finalists for their particular position group for 2022 FootballScoop.com’s Coach of the Year awards.
Special teams coordinator Brian Mason, running backs coach Deland McCullough and tight ends coach Gerad Parker are the three finalists from the Fighting Irish staff.
The only coaching awards program where winners are selected by their fellow coaches, the FootballScoop Coach of the Year program celebrates its 15th season this fall. Coaches must be nominated by a fellow coach to be eligible for the award and each category’s winner is selected by prior winners of that category.
Mason helped coordinate a special teams group that blocked a national-best seven punts this season, including five consecutive games with at least one blocked punt. The five-game run was the best in FBS since 2012 and the seven blocked punts were the most in FBS since 2008.
McCullough developed the Irish running backs room into one of the deepest and most reliable in the country. Notre Dame and Ohio State are the only two Power Five teams in the country with three running backs with over 95 carries each – while each of the team’s main backs, Audric Estimé (5.3), Logan Diggs (4.8) and Chris Tyree (4.5), all average over 4.5 yards per carry. Notre Dame has rushed for 2,193 yards this season which is the 10th-most for the program since 1996.
Parker helped junior tight end Michael Mayer to compile the best statistical season for any tight end in the country this season. Mayer was a finalist for the Mackey Award, broke all of the school’s tight end records and led the Irish in 2022 with 67 catches, 809 yards and nine touchdowns.
Winners will be announced in the coming days and weeks and honored at the AFCA Convention in Charlotte next month. FBS strength, operations and personnel honorees will be announced separately.
The finalists:
Running Backs Coach
Marquel Blackwell, Ole Miss
Hindley Brigham, UAB
Mike Hart, Michigan
Anthony Jones, TCU
Deland McCullough, Notre Dame
Tight Ends Coach
Jeff Banks, Texas
Matt Drinkall, Army
Todd Hartley, Georgia
Gerad Parker, Notre Dame
Freddie Whittingham, Utah
Special Teams
Pete Lembo, South Carolina
Brian Mason, Notre Dame
Keith Murphy, Central Michigan