While the news broke yesterday, Notre Dame made the hiring of quarterback Matt LaFleur official Friday evening, with a release from the football office. With Brian Kelly and his staff currently on the road recruiting (more big news on that to come), the quarterback coach will likely hit the road and join the staff in the home stretch.
LaFleur joins the Irish after holding the same position with the Washington Redskins, spending the past four seasons as the quarterback coach. Before that he spent two years as an offensive assistant with the Houston Texans.
Kelly will officially welcome LaFleur in a press conference Monday, February 3, after the head coach returns from a whirlwind nationwide recruiting tour. But he did release the following statement:“Matt has a proven resume of developing quarterbacks at numerous levels of football, none more evident than his outstanding work with the Washington Redskins,” Kelly said. “He was a major factor in the success not only of two rookies, Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins, but was also crucial in the resurgence of Rex Grossman’s career, who in 2010 under LaFleur established numerous career bests.
“My respect for Matt goes back to his time as an outstanding quarterback at Saginaw Valley State. He was an incredible competitor and displayed all the characteristics a coach would want in his signal callers. That competitive drive to succeed was on display everyday during his time with me at Central Michigan. He will develop our quarterbacks at Notre Dame to the highest level. I’m thrilled to have him on our coaching staff.”
LaFleur had spent the past few weeks as one of the frontrunners for the job, and after spending a significant portion of his career in the NFL, heading back to college football seemed like the right move.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to once again work with Coach Kelly – who I believe is the best head coach in the country,” LaFleur said in the statement. “I’m extremely honored to be a member of such an outstanding coaching staff and join the premier program in college football. The history and tradition at this University is unmatched. I can’t begin to describe my excitement to get started.”
LaFleur finalizes the Irish’s coaching staff.
Year School/Franchise Assignment
2003 Saginaw Valley State Offensive Assistant
2004 Central Michigan Offensive Assistant
2005 Central Michigan Offensive Assistant
2006 Northern Michigan Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers
2007 Ashland Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers
2008 Houston Texans Offensive Assistant
2009 Houston Texans Offensive Assistant
2010 Washington Redskins Quarterbacks
2011 Washington Redskins Quarterbacks
2012 Washington Redskins Quarterbacks
2013 Washington Redskins Quarterbacks