Notre Dame seems to have gotten back on track after a tough start to the season. But midway through the Irish campaign, one of Marcus Freeman’s most crucial hires is hinting at a departure. It’s a little sudden, considering that he’s behind the development of Notre Dame’s best weapons. The Irish made waves when they lured running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider away from Penn State, but now it seems Seider could be preparing to leave South Bend sooner than expected.

It’s a surprising move, since Notre Dame isn’t a lost cause just yet. “Thank you for the journey!!” Seider wrote on X. Seider has been with the program for 7 months, being hired in February this year. Since there are no nods to Notre Dame or any other program, is the veteran coach retiring from the sport altogether? The news also comes after the Irish defeated Boise State 28-7, and the rushing attack was in a far better place than before. Ja’Juan Seider is the reason why James Franklin has stars in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. He is also instrumental in the current development of the Fighting Irish rushing attack, headlined by Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Pierce.

Seider is also the genius behind PSU phenom and former Philadelphia star, Miles Sanders. At Notre Dame, the coach was in the midst of his 19th year in college football coaching. Notre Dame’s rushing attack started slow in the season. But Love and Price are finding their way back to the season. Who can forget the latter’s brilliant 49-yard rushing TD against Boise State in Week 6? Seider clearly has a lot left to give and is one of the best in the business. In fact, they’re a reason why the Notre Dame offense will be a tough match for the rest of its opponents. Ja’Juan Seider deciding to bow out during such a peak time would not bode well for the Irish. “We’re really just getting started,” he’d also said after a strong Week 5 performance.

The RB coach made a tough choice, leaving James Franklin in the first place. But Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman made an offer that he couldn’t refuse. What seemed like a gamble ended up becoming his home, thanks to his strong connect with the Notre Dame HC.

How Marcus Freeman convinced Ja’Juan Seider to move to Notre Dame

“It would have to make a lot of sense for me to leave this place,” Ja’Juan Seider told Sports Illustrated when he was still PSU’s RB coach in 2023. But after Marcus Freeman’s fairytale run to the National Championship, a move to South Bend seemed like a good decision. Moreover, Notre Dame was not just a winning program. Seider would be reuniting with Freeman, whom he knew from his high school days. Also, both are Belle Glade, Florida natives. Seider was looking for a change after a long run at Penn State, and Delland McCullough had left for the NFL.

The duo had also made a pact about their careers back in the day, Seider told Flo Factory. “We always said if one of us got a certain job where we can win at, we going to work for each other,” he said. And with everything lining up at South Bend, Marcus Freeman went for it. “He’s like, ‘Hey bro. Remember, we had that conversation and you said, hey, when it’s coming, I ain’t gotta ask?’” Seider said, recounting the momentous phone call that set everything in place for his move. Marcus Freeman was getting one of the best RB coaches in college football. He had the best rushing attack in college football, and he was getting Ja’Juan Seider to lead them. He could not have asked for a better match.

Notre Dame has a pretty easy road in the season now, with key matchups against USC and Syracuse remaining. The Fighting Irish can’t afford close wins; they need to dominate the game by large margins. And they’re well in place to do that, thanks to their elite rushing attack. It’ll be extremely sad for Notre Dame fans to see Ja’Juan Seider. He’s done well for Notre Dame and has done a lot more throughout his career.

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