Notre Dame OL Coach Harry Hiestand Announces Retirement
Notre Dame offensive line coach Harry Hiestand announced his retirement on Sunday evening after coaching for over 40 years, which includes stints in the NFL and college.
“I have made the decision to retire,” Hiestand said in a statement released by Notre Dame on Sunday evening. “It is important to me to spend time with my family, as I have two kids competing in college athletics, one for his last season, and I have decided it is time for me to be a part of that. I am thankful for the opportunity Father Jenkins, Jack Swarbrick and especially Coach Freeman gave me to return for a seventh season coaching the offensive line at Notre Dame.
“Coach Freeman sets the example for Notre Dame Football every day, and he brings out the best in all of us. The players, especially the offensive line, are the best part of this great job and I thank them for their hard work.”
Hiestand will go down as one of the top offensive line coaches in the history of the game and Notre Dame fans were able to witness it from 2012-2017 and then in 2022 as he returned to South Bend after coaching the Chicago Bears from 2018-19.
The Irish offensive line benefited from Hiestand’s return as Notre Dame ran for 2,457 yards in 2022, while also coaching individual success as sophomore tackle Joe Alt was named an All-American.
“I want to personally thank Coach Hiestand for coming out of retirement for my first year as a head coach, and raising the standard, not only for our offensive line, but for our entire team,” stated Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman in a statement.
“We are so grateful for all of the work he has put in during his two stints here at Notre Dame. Coach Hiestand has experienced success at the highest levels of coaching and I am forever grateful for the wisdom he has shared with myself and our entire coaching staff. Coach Hiestand will be forever a part of Notre Dame Football. Congratulations to Harry, Terri and his entire family on a much-deserved retirement from coaching! We wish them all of the best.”
Hiestand’s impact will be felt not only at Notre Dame, but in the NFL for many years. Notre Dame produced four first-round draft picks under Hiestand’s guidance as Zack Martin, Mike McGlinchey, Quenton Nelson and Ronnie Stanley were selected in the first 32 picks in their respective drafts. Hiestand also developed Nick Martin (2nd) and Chris Watt (3rd), who went in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft.
The Irish program will now focus on locking down on offensive coordinator and offensive line coach following Tommy Rees’ departure for Alabama and Hiestand’s retirement.
Stay turned to IrishSportsDaily.com for more on Hiestand’s decision and what’s next for the Notre Dame program.
The Hiestand File
1982 East Stroudsburg (Pa.) Student Assistant
1983 East Stroudsburg (Pa.) Assistant Offensive Line
1984-85 East Stroudsburg (Pa.) Offensive Line
1986 Pennsylvania Tight Ends
1987 USC Graduate Assistant
1988 Toledo Tight Ends
1989-93 Cincinnati Offensive Line
1994-96 Missouri Offensive Line
1997-04 Illinois Offensive Line
2005-09 Chicago Bears Offensive Line
2010-11 Tennessee Offensive Line
2012-17 Notre Dame Offensive Line
2018-19 Chicago Bears Offensive Line
2022 Notre Dame Offensive Line
Notable Players Developed by Hiestand
Quenton Nelson
Mike McGlinchey
Ronnie Stanley
Nick Martin
Zack Martin
Chris Watt
Ja’Wuan James
Ruben Brown
Olin Kreutz
Tony Pashos
Roberto Garza
David Diehl
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schwartz Full-Zip Hoodie
