Harry Hiestand / Notre Dame Offensive Line Coach

Harry Hiestand is a veteran coach who rejoins Notre Dame after two years away from the game. As with his previous six-year stint with the Irish, Hiestand will handle the team’s offensive line, where he previously developed four future first-round draft picks.

Hiestand is from East Stroudsburg, Pa., which was where he began his lengthy coaching career. After four seasons of aiding the local college team, he sandwiched a graduate assistantship at Southern Cal between one-year stints as a tight end coach at Penn in 1986 and Toledo in 1988.

It was during a five-year run as an offensive line coach at the University of Cincinnati that Hiestand made his first impact in that role. That led to three years with the Missouri Tigers and eight more at Illinois.

During Illinois’ 2002 season, the Chicago Bears played in Champaign while Soldier Field was renovated. The Bears undoubtedly took note of Hiestand’s skills and hired him as their offensive line coach in 2005, with the franchise reaching their first Super Bowl during his second year.

Hiestand left the Bears after the 2009 campaign to return to the college game and was named as the offensive line coach for the Tennessee Volunteers under new head coach Derek Dooley.

After two seasons with the Vols, Hiestand found his way to the Golden Dome in 2012. During that first season, Hiestand was part of a coaching staff that led the school to a spotless 12-0 regular season and a berth in the national title game, remaining with the Irish through the 2017 season.

Following that season, Hiestand went back to coach the Bears’ offensive line for two seasons in 2018 and 2019. Until his return this past January, his past ability to develop offensive line talent made him a candidate with other NFL teams.