Marcus Freeman has calls new defensive coach's energy "infectious"
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Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman had plenty of praise for one of his new hires to the staff.
In a recent interview with On3 (subscription required), Freeman was very vocal about the instant impact that Aaron Henry has made since he was brought onto campus at South Bend as the new defensive backs coach. He called Henry's presence "infectious" and pointed towards the easy fit he has had alongside defensive coordinator Chris Ash.
Aaron Henry was the defensive coordinator at the University of Illinois but even then he fit the type of profile that Freeman looked for in a coach: High-energy, a great recruiter and someone who was proven on the defensive side of the football.
At Illinois, he built his reputation as one of the best developers of defensive backs in the country. Players like Devon Witherspoon, Kerby Joseph, Quan Martin, and Sydney Brown can all be credited at least in part with being developed by Henry. It seems like it is just a matter of time before Witherspoon will sign a new contract with the Seattle Seahawks and become the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. He started as a defensive backs coach at Illinois before eventually being promoted to defensive coordinator when Ryan Walters was hired as the head coach at Purdue.
The new Notre Dame assistant we might not be talking enough about is defensive backs coach Aaron Henry.
Marcus Freeman absolutely loves him.
"The minute he walks in the room, the energy changes. … He’s an energy provider. It’s infectious."https://t.co/KLixZCROBHpic.twitter.com/ypGJoparuk
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) July 22, 2026
Henry did not decide to come to Notre Dame blindly. He has a long-established relationship with Chris Ash. He previously played for Ash at Wisconsin and then coached under him at Rutgers. The familiarity with Ash prompted Henry to say the Notre Dame opportunity was a "natural fit."
There is no shortage of talent in the defensive backfield of the Irish this upcoming season, and if Henry can produce results like he has in previous stops, then the chances Notre Dame lives up to their lofty preseason projections may come true.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Marcus Freeman has calls new defensive coach's energy "infectious"
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