Notre Dame announces hire of QB coach Gino Guidugli, former Cincinnati offensive coordinator

Notre Dame has made official its hire of former Cincinnati offensive coordinator Gino Guidugli as the Irish quarterbacks coach. The Wednesday announcement comes after Guidugli’s hire was first reported on Feb. 15.

“We are thrilled to welcome Gino to our program,” head coach Marcus Freeman said. “I have seen firsthand his talent in developing quarterbacks and teaching them how to consistently perform at an elite level in college and go on to have success in the NFL. He also brings a lot of experience in helping guide an offense to execute at a high level. He is a great addition to our staff.”

Perhaps the most notable bullet point on Guidugli’s résumé is that he was the quarterbacks coach for the last four of Desmond Ridder’s five years at Cincinnati, playing a significant role in developing Ridder from a two-star recruit into a third-round NFL draft pick and NFL starter.

At the present moment, Notre Dame needs a quarterbacks coach capable of both developing a quarterback in rising junior Tyler Buchner and of working hand-in-hand with a proven veteran in Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman, the presumed Irish starter in 2023.

Adding Guidugli will give Notre Dame more offensive play-calling experience, having held that role at Cincinnati for the last two seasons, directing the offense toward a Playoff berth in 2021.

Whether Guidugli plays a part in play calling with the Irish, the quarterbacks coach will obviously play a part in developing game plans with newly-promoted offensive coordinator Gerad Parker. Freeman discussed that exact dynamic and even brought up Guidugli by name when he introduced Parker as offensive coordinator on Feb. 19. Freeman could not yet discuss Guidugli as a hire, given Notre Dame’s lengthy