Of all the new assistant coaches that joined Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame,
none may be having a bigger positive impact on their season than special teams coordinator brian mason.
His unit leads the country in punt blocks with an absurd six on the year.
Those six punt blocks broke a Notre Dame team record that dates back to the early 1930s
when the game was played quite differently. This is an incredibly impressive feat.
“Fair Catch U” no more, Notre Dame has become “Punt Block U” under Mason.
Under many recent coaching regimes, Notre Dame special teams have been treated like a “neutral unit”,
meaning that they were expected to essentially do the basics and do no harm.
This has all changed. Notre Dame’s special team units are being deployed as weapons, and it has paid off.
The first step in making this unit elite is stressing its importance.
This sounds basic but truly isn’t. In football, you get what you emphasize.
Brian Mason’s standard for his special teams’ units is to make game-changing plays every week.
Especially for younger players, being on special teams units is a great way to earn playing time and contribute.
For older players with an advanced technique like Isaiah Foskey,
it’s a way to dominate and move up the draft board. Setting expectations is key.