Notre Dame will hire North Carolina defensive backs coach Terry Joseph to lead the Irish safeties, per reports. Irish Illustrated’s Tom Loy first reported the staff addition. Sports Illustrated‘s Bruce Feldman confirmed the report.
Joseph has been with the Tar Heels for just one season, spending the three prior in the same role at Texas A&M. He will take over the positional duties once held by former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Mike Elko who, coincidentally enough, took the same position at Texas A&M. Irish linebackers coach Clark Lea was promoted to the defensive coordinator slot.
Joseph’s résumé includes stops at Nebraska, Tennessee and Louisiana Tech, with the latter two stints including recruiting coordinator duties. Joseph’s rise up the collegiate coaching ranks began 12 years ago as a defensive graduate assistant at LSU. Before that, he worked as a high school assistant in the New Orleans area for seven years.
Any passing defense certainly includes contributions from many aspects aside from the defensive backs — pass rush, intended defensive scheme, a rash of injuries etc. That said, North Carolina finished with the country’s No. 80 pass efficiency defense this season. Notre Dame, though, did not much test that unit in its 33-10 victory this past October. With sophomore quarterback Ian Book starting in place of an injured junior Brandon Wimbush, the Irish gained only 146 yards on 17-of-31 passing. The Tar Heels picked off Book twice, both via the playmaking of sophomore safety Myles Dorn.
Dorn finished the 2017 season with 71 tackles, the third-most on North Carolina’s defense, including 2.5 for loss. He added five pass breakups. Dorn’s freshman season, without Joseph’s tutelage, featured 32 tackles, one for loss and one pass breakup.
Dorn’s positional partner, sophomore Myles Wolfolk, made 32 tackles with 4.5 for loss and another five quarterback hurries.
Continuing with a micro look at players from his past, Joseph played a role in the development of three eventual NFL players while at Texas A&M. In two seasons, safety Justin Evans went from a junior college transfer to a second-round draft pick, making 165 tackles in the span with six for loss, five interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
Cornerback Brandon Williams spent one season in the defensive backfield at A&M, previously spending his time in the offensive backfield as a running back. That one season saw him make 37 tackles, including one for loss, and break up seven passes. The Arizona Cardinals then drafted him in the third round in 2015.
Cornerback De’Vante Harris, a four-year contributor for the Aggies, became an undrafted free agent signed by the New Orleans Saints in 2015 after playing two seasons under Joseph. In those two seasons, Joseph broke up 13 passes.
Developing players such as Dorn, Evans and Williams undoubtedly elevated Joseph’s profile during Notre Dame’s search, more than high-profile experience, recruiting bona fides or personality. The Irish safeties need to make great leaps forward to complete what could be, perhaps should be, a promising 2018 defense.
[protected-iframe id="81c5dcb3ff152b64335bc70329487cf9-15933026-22035394" info="platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” ]