Jan. 29, 2026, 6:45 a.m. ET
He coached notable players like Kyle Hamilton and Xavier Watts during his time with the Irish.
The Notre Dame football coaching tree grew a pretty sizable branch on Wednesday evening.
Former defensive backs coach Chris O’Leary, who was the defensive coordinator at Western Michigan this past fall, will return to the NFL as the Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator as reported by Adam Schefter. Prior to being with the Broncos, he was the safeties coach for the Chargers in 2024.
Starting as an analyst in 2018, O’Leary worked his way up the ranks with the Irish, then as a graduate assistant to the safeties coach. His rise was a quick one, as he coached both Kyle Hamilton and Xavier Watts.
O’Leary has been coaching since his playing career ended, starting at Georgia State before going to Florida Tech. At this point, it’s hard to see him not getting a head coaching opportunity at some point, either in college or the NFL.
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