When ESPN reported that Marcus Freeman was adding Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry as defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator, it immediately raised questions. Many wondered how that structure would work, especially given that Chris Ash was already on staff. As multiple outlets followed up on the report, Notre Dame released an official statement to put an end to the speculations.

Chris Ash and Aaron Henry already have a relationship, as Ash coached Henry during his career as a safety at Wisconsin in 2010. However, that relationship does not directly translate into both of them sharing the same role. It seems more like a case of misreporting, as the Fighting Irish officially announced Aaron Henry as the Defensive Backs Coach and Pass Game Coordinator for Marcus Freeman’s staff.

Henry joins Notre Dame in his 13th official season of coaching from Illinois, leaving the program after three seasons. His addition is considered a good addition. That’s because he has a proven record of mentoring defensive players. Last season, eleven of his mentored Illinois players had won All-Big Ten honors.

Henry served as the defensive coordinator for the Fighting Illini for three seasons. Over the last two years, Illinois ranked No. 41 and No. 62 in scoring defense, respectively. But these numbers do not fully capture his impact.

Henry built a reputation for developing defensive talent. One example is Gabe Jacas, who led the Big Ten with 11.0 sacks during the regular season and ranked among the conference leaders in forced fumbles and sack yardage. His track record extends beyond one player. Xavier Scott, TeRah Edwards, Dylan Rosiek, and Matthew Bailey all earned All-Big Ten honors under his mentorship.

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It is also important to note that these achievements came while Henry carried the broader responsibilities of a defensive coordinator. Before 2023, he served as Illinois’ defensive backs coach, and the results were striking. That season, Illinois led the nation in scoring defense (12.8 points per game), interceptions (24), total takeaways (32), and passing efficiency defense (92.64). The defense also ranked second nationally in the fewest passing touchdowns allowed (9) and lowest yards allowed per pass attempt (5.4).

With Henry returning to a more specialized role at Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman appears to have added both experience and proven defensive development to his staff heading into next season. Freeman’s blueprint has definitely worked ever since he joined Notre Dame, and now insiders think that other programs could follow suit.

Marcus Freeman’s Blueprint Could Inspire Other Programs

Since Marcus Freeman arrived in South Bend in 2021, Notre Dame has been on the rise. But how did he turn a program that once struggled to land elite recruits into one that now has five players on Rivals’ final five-star list for the 2026 cycle?

Josh Pate believes the answer lies in Freeman’s recruiting approach, comparing Notre Dame’s rise to Dabo Swinney’s Clemson.

“Notre Dame is what Dabo Swinney dreamt Clemson could be. Notre Dame’s vast majority leans on high school recruiting. They do some in the portal, but you can clearly tell that most of their investment energy and financial resources go into high school recruiting.” Josh Pate said. “They’re reaping the benefit of it right now. They don’t have a ton of guys leave. They staff very well. There is a very, very solid, identifiable culture about Notre Dame.

You don’t have to talk too long when someone asks, ‘Hey, who are they? What are they about?’ You know what Notre Dame football’s about. That’s what Dabo tried to do at Clemson. They’ve just had much more mixed results at Clemson than they have at Notre Dame.”

That recruiting approach has worked well for Freeman and could serve as a model that other programs could follow.