Notre Dame secondary coaching candidates to know for the Fighting Irish following Mike Mickens leaving for the Baltimore Ravens
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Notre Dame football has been having a strong offseason so far, including signing a great transfer portal class, and also having very little coaching turnover, at least it seemed. The latter took a hit over the weekend when it was announced that secondary coach Mike Mickens was leaving for the NFL. Mickens is set to take a position with the Baltimore Ravens.
Considered arguably the best secondary coach in all of college football, losing Mickens is a very tough blow for head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish. The program must now do their best to soften that blow and find an answer to the defection. While Mickens coached both cornerbacks and safeties recently, the former is very much his strongest suit.
Will Notre Dame prioritize a cornerback coach since defensive coordinator Chris Ash has a good reputation working with safeties? Will the team just search for the best coach they can, regardless of their background between the two position groups? Here are some early candidates to know.
Corey Parker, Illinois defensive backs coach
Parker is going to be a candidate discussed a lot in Notre Dame circles in the coming days. During his stops with Illinois and Toledo, Parker has tutored talented defensive backs like Quinyon Mitchell and Xavier Scott. He is considered to be one of the best young cornerbacks developers in the country. As a recruiter, Parker has shown diversity, bringing in players from Illinois, Michigan, Florida, and Mississippi, among others.
Ola Adams, Indiana defensive backs coach
Adams is a budding star in college football, having had a very impressive run with FCS Villanova from 2015-2021. After a brief stop with the Denver Broncos in 2022, Adams spent another year with Penn State before landing in Bloomington. Over the last two years, Adams has overseen one of the best secondaries in college football. That group has been elite during that stretch.
Rod Ojong, Indiana cornerbacks coach
If Notre Dame wants to go for a pure cornerback coach, Ojong could be an interesting addition. Ojong has been well traveled before Indiana, including stops at West Georgia, Memphis, UNC, Austin Peay, Furman, Georgia, Buffalo, and Charlotte. Over the last two years, Ojong has done wonders with star cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. His fit with the Irish program would be extremely interesting.
Chris O’Leary, Western Michigan defensive coordinator
O’Leary’s name is going to obviously be very familiar to Notre Dame plans. The former safeties coach spent six seasons with the team from 2018-2023 before coaching with the Los Angeles Chargers during the 2024 season. During his time as a coach, O’Leary has had the chance to coach the likes of Kyle Hamilton, Derwin James, and Xavier Watts. It’s uncertain how interested O’Leary would be in a return to South Bend.
Demetrius Sumler, San Diego State defensive coordinator
Sumler has spent the last eight years coaching cornerbacks for San Diego State, and the last ten years with the program overall. During his tenure, Sumler has quietly been one of the better cornerback developers in college football. That includes his most recent work with star cornerback Chris Johnson, a potential first rounder in the 2026 NFL Draft. Tayler Hawkins, Darren Hall, and Luq Barcoo were a few of Sumler’s best work, the latter being named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2019.
Brett Arce, Arizona safeties coach
After a playing career with the FCS Stony Brook, Arce spent five seasons with the USC Trojans, including having tutored star cornerback Adore Jackson. Coaching every spot in the secondary, Arce has done an outstanding job over the last couple of seasons with Arizona. His work with Treydan Stukes and Genesis Smith has been tremendous, both projected to be top 100 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft.
This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Jan 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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