Notre Dame could be on the verge of losing another key staff member. Reports indicate that the Chicago Bears are eyeing Fighting Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph for the same role in their freshly assembled coaching staff under new head coach Ben Johnson.
Fans Troll Bears Front Office While Pleading Notre Dame to Figth for Joe Rudolph
Rudolph has spent the last two seasons in South Bend and has built a reputation as one of college football’s premier offensive line developers. His coaching journey includes stops at Wisconsin and Virginia Tech. However, his potential move to the NFL is stirring up a strong reaction from fans.
Do whatever it takes to keep him.
— Brandon riccaldo (@RiccaldoBrandon) January 29, 2025
The Fighting Irish faithful aren’t taking the rumors lightly. One fan summed up the general sentiment with a passionate plea: “Do whatever it takes to keep him.”
Another echoed the frustration of seeing top coaches poached every offseason, saying, “It’s lowkey annoying having to worry about all our good coaches being poached.”
One fan even took a direct shot at the Bears, tweeting, “Seriously, like go away, Bears.”
One X user tweeted, “This is what happens when you have successful coaches .”
“Don’t do it, coach @ChicagoBears OLine is GARBAGE,” commented another.
Dont do it coach @ChicagoBears OLine is GARBAGE
— Seamus O'Donoghue (@TheReal_odee400) January 29, 2025
“Please, for the love of god, no,” tweeted one more.
The Bears, however, are aggressively reloading under their new head coach. After securing a defensive mastermind in Dennis Allen and retaining key special teams coordinator Richard Hightower, the Chicago front office is now prioritizing the offensive line—a unit that struggled last season.
Johnson has made it clear that improving protection is a top priority. “I think the offensive line is certainly an area that we need to get better play from going forward,” Johnson stated in a press conference. “We will develop a plan of attack for how to get that done, but I’m looking forward to getting an excellent offensive line coach into the building to help develop the young talent that we already have on the roster.”
“We will certainly talk about acquiring talent to bolster that unit as well. I was certainly blessed the last few years with the men that I worked with, and that was something I would love to replicate here as well,” the former Detroit Lions OC continued.
With top-tier linemen like Los Angeles Chargers’ Joe Alt and Minnesota Vikings’ Brian O’Neill having thrived under Rudolph’s tutelage, the Bears see him as a prime candidate to lead their rebuilding effort in the trenches.
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Rudolph’s coaching track record speaks for itself. After serving as an offensive coordinator at Pitt, he helped shape Wisconsin into one of the best offensive line factories in college football, developing multiple future NFL draft picks.
The 52-year-old Pennsylvania native boasts expertise in run blocking and pass protection fundamentals. However, the question remains whether Chicago will get their man or not because the Fighting Irish will fight to keep the man who helped them to a 14-2 record in the 2024 college football season.