Rising Assistant Tre Reader Staying at Notre Dame Amid Michigan State Interest

It’s not a secret that Notre Dame and head coach Marcus Freeman have built a strong track record of identifying and developing rising coaches across the program. 

The Irish received good news on Saturday when Tre Reader opted to remain in South Bend despite significant interest from Michigan State.

Reader was pursued for an assistant linebackers coach role under Max Bullough, who left Notre Dame in December to return to his alma mater as Co-Defensive Coordinator and linebackers coach for the Spartans. 

The Tampa native joined the program as a walk-on in 2022 and appeared in six games during his playing career. An injury ultimately forced him to retire ahead of the 2025 season, but he remained with the program as a student-coach, taking on a variety of responsibilities, including recruiting duties.

Though Reader isn’t much older than the linebacker corps, it’s clear he has the room's respect for their former teammate as a coach and will help with the transition to Al Washington taking over the room. 

“We were best friends since we got here,” stated Notre Dame linebacker Jaylen Sneed in the fall. “Him transitioning into that role, I just felt like all of us just accepted it. We know what happened to him with the surgery and stuff like that. I know that was hard to go through, especially being a football player and it ending all so suddenly.

“He really does want to be a coach. It's not because he couldn't play football anymore. He wants everybody to get better. He just shows us that. He'll text me late at night and send me a play and be like, ‘Oh, you could have done this better or this or this.’ I just appreciate him so much.” 

Notre Dame has also emphasized adding coaches with strong football backgrounds, and Reader fits that mold. His father, Nick Reader, served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2003–08. 

The former Berkeley Prep star also has a strong relationship with former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, which goes back to his childhood. 

Reader will also have the opportunity to spend more time at Notre Dame alongside his younger brother, Troy, who will be a junior on the Fighting Irish baseball team this spring.

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