The celebrations following Notre Dame’s emphatic 49-10 win over Purdue barely had time to settle before heartbreaking news reached South Bend on Monday. Tim Scannell, part of the 1988 National Championship-winning staff, had passed away at 62 after battling brain cancer.
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For a program that had just celebrated a statement victory, the news brought a different kind of moment as family, friends, and the Notre Dame community mourn his loss.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Tim Scannell. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Scannell family and Tim’s loved ones,” said Notre Dame Football in a statement accompanying an image of Scannell wearing the Fighting Irish uniform.
Born on August 10, 1964, in State College, Pennsylvania, to Robert “Bob” and Regina “Gina” Scannell, Timothy was the third of four children. He grew up alongside his older brothers, Robert and James, and younger sister, Maura, in a household where Catholic values, education, and sports shaped his upbringing.
A passionate sports enthusiast from childhood, Tim was surrounded by athletics from an early age, with his father’s position as a professor and Dean of the College of Health and Physical Education at Penn State University providing an influential foundation. Growing up in such an environment, Tim was encouraged to embrace the values of discipline, education, and athletic excellence.
During his free time, Scannell would often visit his father’s office, where he observed the standards of collegiate academics and athletics. Those visits would prove valuable in the years ahead. By 1982, Scannell had established himself as Pennsylvania’s most heavily recruited high school football player.
Despite growing up surrounded by Penn State’s influence, he ultimately chose Notre Dame after carefully weighing his options. The university’s Catholic values resonated with his upbringing.
It was not just the offers and Catholic values that persuaded him to choose Notre Dame. His father had played for the Fighting Irish during his playing days, while his grandfather, John Scannell, had served in the university’s Physical Education Department for 40 years.
On arriving at Notre Dame in the fall, Tim wasted little time establishing himself as an offensive guard, wearing jersey No. 54 for the Fighting Irish. His consistency along the offensive line was impeccable throughout his college career.
By his senior year, he had earned All-American honors, while his teammates elected him one of four captains for the 1985 season. Of all his achievements at Notre Dame, being chosen by his fellow players held particular significance for him.
After spending years with the Fighting Irish, Tim graduated in 1986 and joined the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp as a free agent. However, despite his efforts, his NFL journey lasted just two weeks before head coach Tom Landry personally informed him of his release. Although his professional career was brief, making it to an NFL training camp marked the final chapter of his playing career.
Heartbroken after his release, Tim returned to Notre Dame as a Graduate Assistant Coach while pursuing his MBA at the Mendoza College of Business. His leadership skills and eagerness to help others soon brought him under the mentorship of Lou Holtz, under whom he learned more than he ever could have imagined.
His coaching career reached its peak in 1988 when Notre Dame won the national championship, further cementing his legacy at the university. Throughout this journey, one person remained his anchor and source of support: his future wife, Brigid Heller, a 1987 graduate of Saint Mary’s College. Brigid met Tim in 1984 at Corby’s Bar, and the two married in 1990.
Tim Scannell’s Life Beyond the Gridiron
After his coaching career ended, Tim embarked on a new chapter, joining the United States Secret Service in 1988 with Brigid’s full support. He served until 1990 before leaving to focus on building a family with the love of his life. He later pursued a career in the corporate world, holding positions at Stryker Corporation, Insulet Corporation, Novocure, and several other companies.
As Tim advanced through Stryker’s senior leadership, he and Brigid built their family, welcoming three children between 1992 and 1998. After six cross-country moves, the family eventually put down permanent roots in Mahwah, New Jersey, in 2004, where they embraced a new chapter together.
Tim’s sons, Shane and Spencer, continued the family’s football legacy, both playing for Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey. Shane later played offensive line at Wesleyan University before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015, where he now serves as Director of Player Personnel. Spencer attended Notre Dame, pursued collegiate rugby, and returned to Don Bosco in 2020 as a coach. He currently serves as the team’s defensive coordinator.
A football star, a devoted father and husband, a crime investigator, and a businessman, Tim’s life took many turns, yet he never strayed from the principles and dignity that defined him. Brain cancer may have taken him far too soon, but his legacy will live on through the lives he touched and the values he upheld.
Tim’s legacy lives on through his beloved wife, Brigid (Heller) Scannell; children Shane and his wife, Haley; Spencer and his fiancée, Colleen; and Kenna McCrammer and her husband, Kyser; along with his siblings Robert and his wife, Kelly; James and his wife, Hope; and sister Maura Lennon and her husband, Kevin.