With Gerad Parker as offensive coordinator, Notre Dame’s offense still geared to feature ground game and QB Sam Hartman

Marcus Freeman knew what he was looking for. He wanted Notre Dame’s next offensive coordinator to run a pro-style offense with a willingness to adapt with multiple formations.

Those wants led him to take a look at Kansas State’s Collin Klein (though, calling the Wildcats’ offense pro-style might be a reach) and Utah’s Andy Ludwig and, ultimately, Irish tight ends coach Gerad Parker.

Notre Dame has been running a pro-style offense for the last six years, at the least. The advantages of it are numerous, particularly in recruiting, always Freeman’s driving priority. If an offense will help a prospect’s chances at the NFL, that offense looks that much more desirable to the prospect. It also creates a base package that can focus on particular advantages week-to-week and season-to-season, hence Freeman’s demand for a “multiple” approach.

“What [former Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees] had shown was to be a pro-style offense,” Freeman said Monday while introducing Parker as Notre Dame’s new offensive coordinator. “That’s still the vision I have for Notre Dame’s offense, but it’s an offense that I want to have success. It’s not an offense that is just pro-style.

“I want to make sure we’re developing these guys so that the transition from college to the NFL isn’t a huge one, and that they have a transition that they feel like they understand the basic concepts that are used throughout the majority of the NFL and an understanding of pro-style type football.”

Enter Parker, with nearly two decades of coaching experience that have dabbled in spread approaches, run-pass option offenses and pro-style looks.

“As coach Freeman said, you want to show respect to what we did last year and to Tommy’s job,” Parker said.