Overview
- Sources confirmed to ESPN that Notre Dame will add Aaron Henry as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.
- Henry fills the role vacated by Mike Mickens, who joined the Baltimore Ravens under new head coach Jesse Minter.
- The 37-year-old spent the past three seasons as Illinois’ defensive coordinator and helped the Illini total 19 wins since 2024.
- Henry reunites with defensive coordinator Chris Ash, who coached him at Wisconsin and later hired him to coach defensive backs at Rutgers.
- Notre Dame returns key secondary pieces in Leonard Moore, Christian Gray, Adon Shuler and Tae Johnson, while Illinois and Bret Bielema begin a search for a new defensive coordinator after a 2025 defense that ranked 46th in yards allowed and 57th in points allowed.