Deland McCullough inks emotional farewell message to Marcus Freeman and Co. following Notre Dame exit

Deland McCullough, former Notre Dame running backs coach, shared a heartfelt message to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish after accepting the same position with the Las Vegas Raiders for the 2025 season. On Saturday, McCullough thanked the Notre Dame staff and fanbase for their support during his three years with the team.

"I would like to thank Marcus Freeman, Pete Bevacqua & Jack Swarbrick for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this great University and staff," McCullough tweeted. ... "Together, we made Team Glory and Reaching Our Full Potential a rallying call that has the Irish on the brink of consistent championship runs!!!."

He gave a "special shout-out" to the running backs he worked with at Notre Dame.

"You guys bought into The Standard & made being D3 a part of life. You guys were MY WHY during my tenure. Keep running the race (horse emoji) cause ya'll know we always connected & I am always watching!!! Notre Dame football, Go Be Great!!! DMc."

Last season, McCullough helped Jeremiyah Love have a breakout year as a sophomore. Love led the team in rushing yards with 163 carries for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns. One of his best performances was the team's 35-14 win over the Virginia Cavaliers on Nov. 16. He finished with 16 carries for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

Notre Dame also ranked seventh in the league in total rushing yards (3,215).

Deland McCullough to help improve the Las Vegas Raiders rushing offense for the 2025 season

Las Vegas is looking for a fresh start, with Pete Carroll taking over as head coach. The Raiders had a 4-13 record in the 2024 season and were the third-worst team in the AFC. One issue that led to their losses was their rushing offense, which ranked last in the league in total rushing yards (1,357).

The team's decision to hire McCullough is an attempt to improve their rushing offense and compete for the top spot in the AFC West standings next season.