Mike Denbrock addressed questions for the first time since he returned to Notre Dame, and said his decision to leave LSU for South this offseason “was really hard” but ultimately the right move. Denbrock spent the last two seasons as LSU’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, helping groom quarterback Jayden Daniels into a Heisman Trophy winner and the Tigers’ offense into the nation’s top-scoring unit this fall.
“It was a really hard decision to leave LSU,” Denbrock said. “Our family was happy there. It’s a great program. I have a lot of respect for coach Brian Kelly. That was difficult. I really wasn’t looking for a new opportunity, but when Notre Dame called, we had a couple of conversations, and this is a place I always felt my heart was. The opportunity to come back here presented itself. It was a difficult decision but the right decision.”
Denbrock said his long history with LSU coach Brian Kelly made his decision to leave all the more difficult. Denbrock and Kelly met at Grand Valley State in the 1980s and coached together for six seasons at Notre Dame (2010-16) before spending the last two seasons at LSU.
“I don’t know that he was real happy with my decision, but I think he understood it,” Denbrock said, regarding Kelly’s reaction to him leaving. “He knows the reasons why.”
Denbrock said being close to family also factored into his decision. He was born and raised in Homer, Michigan, and his wife is from New York.
“Being close to family,” Denbrock said. “I’m from Michigan. My wife is from Buffalo, New York. It was an opportunity to get back closer to family. It was an opportunity to come back and work for Marcus Freeman, who I have a tremendous amount of respect for.”
Kelly announced Joe Sloan as Denbrock’s replacement at offensive coordinator last month. Cortez Hankton serves as co-offensive coordinator.
“Joe did an outstanding job developing Jayden Daniels over the past two years into a Heisman Trophy winner,” Kelly said. “His experience here and at Louisiana Tech makes him a valuable recruiter who is well-connected in the state. Joe is ready to work alongside a talented offensive staff and continue to operate an elite offensive system… Cortez continues to be a tremendous asset for us in recruiting. I’m excited about the leadership and the direction of the LSU offense heading into the 2024 season.”
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They two served as co-offensive coordinators for LSU’s ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin shortly after Denbrock announced his departure. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier started his first game at quarterback against the Badgers and completed 68.9% of his passes for 395 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. The Tigers finished with 492 total yards in the 35-31 victory.
