Former Tennessee football linebacker coach under Josh Heupel, Brian Jean-Mary, has been one of the top names for that same role across the country this year. He departed from the Vols to take the job at Michigan, but was back on the market after the firing of Sherrone Moore with cause.
After initially being linked to the opening at Georgia Tech, an opponent on Tennessee’s 2026 and 2027 schedule, he’s now ‘expected to be hired’ by Notre Dame, according to a report from Matt Zenitz. His report also noted that the Irish are ‘working to hire’ him.
The past two seasons at Michigan, Jean-Mary was not just the linebackers coach, but also the defensive run game coordinator. His departure from Tennessee for the job was a return to the program. Before Heupel hired him, he was the linebackers coach for the Wolverines in 2020.
The Vols hired William Inge from Washington to replace him. Inge picked Tennessee over joining his old head coach, Kalen DeBoer, at Alabama. Inge was retained for next year’s staff despite the firing of defensive coordinator Tim Banks and the hiring of Jim Knowles.
More From RTI: Colton Hood’s Senior Bowl Showing Vaults Him Up To Top 15 Pick in ESPN’s Draft
Before Jean-Mary’s first stint at Michigan, he was the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at USF from 2017-19. He earned that role after spending 2015-17 with Texas as the linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator and 2010-13 at Louisville as the assistant head coach and linebackers coach.
He also coached for Georgia Tech as the linebackers coach from 2004-09. Other stops in his career include North Alabama as the secondary coach and as a graduate assistant at Louisville and South Carolina.
He played his college football at Appalachian State and is from Apopka, Florida.
