mike mickens departs for the nfl

Notre Dame has suffered a really tough blow as Irish Breakdown has been able to confirm that secondary coach Mike Mickens is leaving the team for a job with the Baltimore Ravens. With Mickens gone the Irish defensive staff from 2024 will be almost completely new, and no coaches from that team will be in the spots they were in. This will be a very different looking defensive staff.

Mickens came to Notre Dame back in 2020, and he quickly emerged as one of the teams top assistant coaches. It didn't take long for Mickens to not only emerge as a top assistant on the Irish staff, but as one of the top defensive backs coaches in all of college football. Mickens has developed Notre Dame into one of the top producers of secondary talent in all of college football, and he has been dynamic as a recruiter as well.

Notre Dame has produced multiple All-Americans during Mickens tenure, with Leonard Moore (2025) and Xavier Watts (2023-24) becoming the latest standouts. Over the last three seasons the Notre Dame defense has ranked in the Top 10 nationally in passer rating. Notre Dame led the nation in passer rating in 2023 and 2024 with Mickens driving the coverage looks and calls. Notre Dame also ranked in the Top 10 in passing yards allowed per attempt in 2023 and 2024.