Brian Jean-Mary Embracing High Expectations With Notre Dame Linebackers

Brian Jean-Mary understands high expectations.

Notre Dame’s new linebackers coach has made recent stops at Michigan, Tennessee and Texas -- three programs where expectations are always high.

But Jean-Mary knows Notre Dame carries a different standard and with it comes a responsibility he feels every day he walks into The Gug.

“It's one of the best jobs in the country,” stated Jean-Mary. “It's a blessing to be in a situation where we know what the expectations are every week and we know what the expectations are at the end of the year.

“Some people look at that as pressure. There's only certain schools that have that type of pressure. When the standard is to be the best, that's a challenge for us as coaches and that's what you want to be a part of. I've been at those other places where the challenge is to just have a good season. I know that's not the case here.”

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman was a key factor in Jean-Mary making the move to South Bend.

In fact, Jean-Mary has been keeping tabs on Freeman for several years, dating back to when both coaches were working at Group of 5 programs.

“We were in the AAC conference together when I was at South Florida and he was at Cincinnati,” recalled Jean-Mary. “I saw the job that he did there and always admired him from afar.

“When he became the head coach here, I was as happy as anyone because I saw how he developed into being the head coach. He was a big factor. Notre Dame in itself as a program is going to have a big pull for any coach, but Coach Freeman is a one-of-one type of coach who most assistant coaches would want to work for.”

Jean-Mary inherits one of the most experienced and talented linebacker rooms in the country. The Irish return four players capable of starting almost anywhere in college football, along with sophomore Madden Faraimo, who could likely do the same.

While he had a general idea of the group before arriving in South Bend, Jean-Mary said his first priority has been building relationships.

“I had a little bit of an idea of what we were doing defensively and obviously watched player-wise some crossover tape,” explained Jean-Mary. “I always admired from afar, and now that I'm here, every new coach is going to try to dive into the film and try to learn as much as they can about the system. 

“I think the best thing is that the players come in and coaching is trust. They have to get to know me the same way I have to get to know them. They've done a great job of opening themselves up and letting me pour into them” 

For Jean-Mary, building trust starts by talking about anything but football.

“We're not talking about football,” Jean-Mary stated. “We're talking about life. We're talking about family. We're talking about future plans. That's the only way you get to know someone. If you just keep it as a football conversation, that's all you're going to get from them. If you're going to really start to trust people and believe in them and what they're doing, you really have to get to know them as a person, and that's what it's been.

“It's not a process. It's not stages to get to know people. It's just being an open book and letting them be an open book and us just getting to know each other.”

As with any transition, Jean-Mary knows there will be bumps in the road, especially as spring ball starts later this month. 

Fortunately, the Irish have an established leader in the room. Jean-Mary quickly pointed to returning captain Drayk Bowen as a key presence not just among the linebackers, but across the locker room.

“The best things that happen with any group is when you have an established leader in the room and a guy that's been here for a long time and has been through so many different ups and downs here,” Jean-Mary explained. “It helps the whole process because you can lean on him because if anything is off, he's the guy who could kind of get it back on the right track.

“It's always a blessing to have someone like Drayk, not just a leader in the room, but a team leader. That makes a big difference.”

Over the next month, Jean-Mary will learn even more about his group, particularly with Bowen expected to miss spring ball and other veterans likely to be limited.

That creates an opportunity for younger players to develop and for Jean-Mary to evaluate the room’s depth.

“It’s the best of worlds,” said Jean-Mary. “The linebacker group in itself is a perfect mix. It’s what you want. You have some high-level veteran guys, but you have some young talent. With the Transfer Portal and the way college football is now, you can sometimes get rooms that are inexperienced. 

“When you come here and look at what our depth chart looks like, you’re pretty happy because you have a chance to develop some young guys and you have an opportunity to help some of the veteran guys play at an even higher level.” 

Jean-Mary also plans to continue Notre Dame’s recent trend of rotating multiple linebackers.

The Irish have benefited from playing 4-5 linebackers regularly in recent years and Jean-Mary believes that competition is essential for long-term success.

“I've always done that,” explained Jean-Mary.  “I think the best coaching in the world is competition. I don't think anybody here would get complacent, but you have to have guys that believe that they're going to have to play every play in that room and having four or five really keeps everybody on their toes, myself included as a coach.

“When we talk about a rotation, it's got to be a rotation where everybody still plays at a high level. If it's a rotation and there's a drop off, now that's when it becomes negative. If everybody's still playing at a high level and giving you an opportunity to win the game, we'll try to rotate as many guys as possible.”

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