Reports: Notre Dame to hire Wisconsin receivers coach Mike Brown, reuniting more of Cincinnati Playoff staff

Less than a week after Notre Dame split ways with receivers coach Chansi Stuckey, the Irish have found his replacement, per multiple Sunday evening reports. Wisconsin receivers coach Mike Brown will join Marcus Freeman’s staff.

247Sports.com first reported the Notre Dame hire of Brown.

Brown and Freeman overlapped for two seasons at Cincinnati, years when current Irish quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli was in that role with the Bearcats, as well. In total, Brown and Guidugli worked together under Luke Fickell for three seasons before Fickell took them both to Wisconsin, Guidugli jumping to Notre Dame weeks later. That season without Freeman — he was in his year as the Irish defensive coordinator — of course included Cincinnati’s 13-0 run to the College Football Playoff.

Brown mostly played quarterback at Liberty from 2008 to 2011 before spending four seasons in the NFL as a receiver He then worked as a graduate assistant at Michigan and Delaware followed by a year at Liberty as the running backs coach.

Brown’s collegiate playing career bordered on prolific, three times All-Big South and twice the conference Offensive Player of the Year. In 2010 alone, he totaled 3,810 offensive yards and 32 touchdowns.

While Brown will not join the Irish coaching staff for the Sun Bowl on Dec. 29 against No. 19 Oregon State (8-4), that afternoon will give him an idea of what he has to work with in 2024. No. 16 Notre Dame (9-3) is down to just two genuinely healthy receivers, freshmen Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison, with four more in the process of returning from injury.

The current 2024 depth chart has just five returning receivers plus three recruits expected to sign their National Letters of Intent this month. Those commits praised the Brown hire on Sunday.

“[I’m] very excited about coach Brown,” four-star Cam Williams said to Inside ND Sports. “I’ve got to know him a bit considering that he recruited me with coach Gino at Cincinnati and then Wisconsin.

“I think it’s a great hire. He’s got a great personality and demeanor, so can’t wait to get started in January.”

Including those three commits and presuming no injuries or further transfers after four from the room in the last week, Notre Dame would have eight receivers on the 2024 roster. It should be entirely expected the Irish will find a couple more on the transfer market in the coming weeks.

With Brown on staff, Notre Dame will again have a complete coaching staff, though that may fluctuate a bit after National Signing Day on Dec. 20, as that is when the assistant coaching carousel typically kicks into gear.

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