DANIA BEACH, Fla. — Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen does not doubt the job Deland McCullough, Notre Dame football’s associate head coach/running backs, would do once entrusted with his own program.
“Oh, he’ll be a good one,” Allen said Tuesday of his former Indiana colleague (2016) and assistant (2021). “He just knows people, can motivate people, can recruit, and I think he’ll do a great job organizing. When he gets his opportunity, he’ll do a great job.”
McCullough, 52, returns this week to Hard Rock Stadium for the first time since winning a Super Bowl ring there with the Kansas City Chiefs after the 2019 season. Allen’s sixth-seeded Nittany Lions face McCullough’s seventh-seeded Irish in a College Football Playoff semifinal on Thursday night in the Orange Bowl game.
“They obviously have physical talent, there’s no question, but there’s more to it than that,” Allen said of Notre Dame’s running backs. “You have to be able to connect with them, motivate them and lead them. I’ve sat in living rooms with (McCullough) with families and parents in recruiting.
“He does a tremendous job with that, and now he’s got such a resume and history of doing that, it makes it easier to convince people to come play for you. Just a tremendous football coach. Know his whole family, his wife (Darnell), and the boys, and obviously coached all of them. Just a special guy.”
In Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Penn State’s James Franklin, Thursday’s matchup ensures a minority coach will lead his team into the national championship game for the first time in FBS history.
McCullough’s name was mentioned in mid-December in connection with the Ohio University head coaching job, but the 1996 Miami (Ohio) graduate downplayed that as “speculation more than anything.”
Busy preparing that week for the first-round College Football Playoff home game against Indiana, a 27-17 Notre Dame win, McCullough said he didn’t interview for the Ohio job, either in person or by Zoom.
“Was I approached this offseason about other jobs? Yes,” he said. “I was approached about jobs, head football jobs. But again, all those things have to fall into what I want and what I see in my future, and some of those positions didn’t.”
McCullough, whose eldest son, Deland II, works as an analyst for Notre Dame’s football recruiting department, still aspires to become a head coach but isn’t going to jump at the first opportunity. Hired in early 2022, McCullough has stayed longer than three years at just one of his coaching stops: 2011-16 at Indiana.
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“Some of the things I want to do if I’m fortunate to have those opportunities beyond this season or going into the future, I’ll take advantage of those if they fit what my goals are,” McCullough said. “The bottom line is I didn’t let all of the conversation slow down what I was doing and how I was getting my guys prepared (for Indiana).”
With the College Football Playoff going to a 12-team, four-round format, assistants on CFP teams could be at a disadvantage in the hiring cycle.
“I’d equate it to when I was in the NFL (2018-20),” McCullough said. “You had several guys on our staff … who had to figure out a way to entertain some things they wanted to do beyond that season. I take my cues from guys who have been in this position before, especially when I was in the National Football League, who prioritized what was for real and what they had at hand. That’s what I did.”
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Promoted to associate head coach last offseason, McCullough has added certain administrative and planning duties to his usual responsibilities with Irish running backs. He makes no secret of his interest in becoming a first-time head coach.
“That’s something I want to do ultimately,” he said. “If it’s in the cards, great. If not, I’m in a wonderful place. … It’s still a goal. And the thing is that goal doesn’t trump what I need to get done at hand, by any stretch.”
Sophomore Jeremiyah Love has surpassed 1,000 yards rushing despite a nagging right knee injury, and third-year back Jadarian Price and freshman Aneyas Williams have seized regular roles as well.
“My commitment is making sure my running backs are always prepared to play at a high level every single week,” McCullough said. “Those guys have been doing that, and that’s something I take pride in. I’ve taken pride in that my whole career.
“But as far as any other opportunities, if they present themselves and it’s appropriate and I can get it and they deem me a person who can do that job, that would be something I would explore for sure.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
