Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame loses key coaching staff member to the NFL

Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame coaching staff will be heading into the 2025 season without a key piece of their staff.

According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Notre Dame running back coach Deland McCullough has signed on with the Las Vegas Raiders for the same position. McCullough was instrumental in the success of Audric Estime and Jeremiyah Love for the Fighting Irish.

McCullough has an extensive coaching record going back to 2000. He has served as the running backs coach for programs such as Indiana and USC. McCullough also spent time in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2018 to 2020.

He then returned to Indiana as the program's associate head coach and running backs coach. Notre Dame then brought McCullough back for the same two positions, where he had been since 2022.

Now, McCullough joins a coaching staff in Las Vegas that is led by former Super Bowl-winning head coach Pete Carroll.

Deland McCullough set to join Pete Carroll's coaching staff in Las Vegas

Pete Carroll seems to love the coaching staff that was involved in the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship game. The Raiders recently signed now-former Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly for the same position. Now, they brought McCullough into the fold, who served Notre Dame on the opposite side of the field.

NCAA Football: Notre Dame Spring Game - Source: Imagn

Carroll is most recognized for his time with the Seattle Seahawks, where he served as the team's head coach from 2010 to 2023. During that time, Carroll led the team to a Super Bowl victory alongside Russell Wilson. In 2024, both Carroll and the Seahawks mutually agreed for him to step down as head coach.

However, he did remain with the organization as a senior advisor. After the Raiders dismissed Antonio Pierce, they opted to hire Carroll as their new head coach. The 73-year-old seems to be putting together quite the staff around him now with the hiring of Kelly and McCullough.

However, the organization still has a long way to go before getting back into the playoff conversation. The Raiders currently own the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. With quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and Aidan O'Connell on the roster, Las Vegas will likely look to use that pick on a signal-caller to help get the next chapter in this franchise's history started.

The 2025 NFL Draft goes down from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from Thursday, April 24, to Saturday, April 26.