Fickell, Freeman could be candidates at Notre Dame

“There is no speculation,” he said. “Is the job open? I guess there is, but I wouldn’t know if somebody didn’t tell me.”

Having quickly rebuilt the Bearcats into one of the best programs outside the Power 5 conferences, Fickell has been mentioned by national writers as a candidate for just about every major job that has come open over the last three years.

A Columbus native who played nose tackle at Ohio State before spending 15 years as a coach at his alma mater, Fickell is 47-14 since taking over Cincinnati in 2017.

He has not seemed eager to leave what is viewed as an increasingly good job in Southwest Ohio, but Notre Dame could be one of the most appealing destinations for the father of six, including a current Bearcat.

Also likely to be a candidate considered by the Fighting Irish is Fickell’s former first in command, Marcus Freeman.

A Wayne High School graduate, Freeman played linebacker at Ohio State for Fickell and spent four seasons on his staff at Cincinnati.

Freeman was already considered a rising star and future head coach when Notre Dame hired him away to be its defensive coordinator last year, and reports out of South Bend indicate he might have a shot at replacing Kelly despite no prior experience as a head coach.

The 11-1 Fighting Irish’s regular season is complete, but they should get an invite to a major bowl game this weekend. They could still make the College Football Playoff if multiple teams are upset on championship weekend, making Notre Dame Athletics Director Jack Swarbrick’s announcement the school won’t immediately designate an interim coach somewhat curious.

“I think we may approach it a little bit differently,” he said. “This staff is so well-structured and the responsibilities are so well-understood I feel less of a need to have a designated interim.”

He did not rule out hiring someone who had not been a head coach previously, but he did say institutional fit would be the No. 1 consideration.

“This is a unique place, and it is important that you understand and appreciate the uniqueness. That’s a critical element of this,” Swarbrick said.

“Increasingly the role of college football head coaches is a CEO role, and so clearly understanding your approach to building and managing staff becomes very important.

“Next, what’s your approach to playing the game? What’s your style? How do you achieve victory on the football field? And then a whole list of things that relate to attracting and developing great student-athletes, and especially the development part of it.

“I am really pleased with where our recruiting is today and the improvements we’ve made in it, the resources we’ve put into it, but I still want to be a great development program, so what are your ideas on developing young men to be great players, great champions and great parts of our community?”

He did not put a timeline on finding a new coach, but the early signing period for recruiting is set to begin Dec. 15.

Having a coach in place by then would be optimal both for recruiting and for retaining players on the current roster who now are able to transfer without having to sit out a year.

Even if he is interested in going from Cincinnati to Notre Dame — as Kelly did 12 years ago — Fickell might not be open to it until January if the Bearcats make the College Football Playoff.

Freeman also figures to have plenty of options if he is not offered the opportunity to be head coach of the Fighting Irish. That could include returning to his alma mater, where there is a need for a revamp on the defensive side of the ball.

The Athletic reported other candidates to watch for the Notre Dame job are Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi and Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko.