The exact effects and contributions of assistant coaches are difficult to quantify, if not impossible. That aside, Notre Dame may have found the exact fit it needs at running backs coach in Lance Taylor, reportedly chosen over the weekend to replace Autry Denson.
The vague responsibilities of such a coach include recruiting talented players who fit in the unique atmosphere of an academic institution and developing those players to fit within the system preferred by the offensive coordinator. That mid-sentence qualifier, the unique atmosphere of an academic institution, is where Taylor’s abilities may be better-known than a hire’s usually would be.