Notre Dame to hire brother of former offensive lineman as senior offensive analyst
The Notre Dame football program continues to fill out its staff for the 2024 season. On Monday, Blue & Gold learned coach Marcus Freeman is in the process of hiring Harris Bivin, former Notre Dame offensive lineman Hunter Bivin‘s brother, to the Fighting Irish staff.
FootballScoop was the first to report Harris was joining Notre Dame. They also noted he would occupy a senior offensive analyst role under new offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. Harris and Denbrock both worked at LSU during the 2023 season.
Harris is the older brother of Hunter, who currently serves as the assistant athletics director for alumni relations at Notre Dame. Hunter previously held the role of the football program’s director of player development. He transitioned to his current position in January 2023.
Hunter played five seasons with the Irish as an offensive lineman from 2013-2017. Harris was an outstanding O-lineman at Murray State from 2010-14 He earned Phil Steele FCS All-America and first team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors at center in 2015.
The older Bivin, Harris, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Murray State. In 2017, rival FCS school Western Kentucky brought him aboard to be a graduate assistant for the program’s offensive line. He eventually took over as team’s interim offensive line coach.
Most recently, Bivin held the position of assistant director of operations for LSU football. Denbrock was the Tigers’ offensive coordinator during Bivin’s one season on Baton Rouge. It was Bivin’s first FBS job.
According to LSU athletics, before then, Bivin has coached three All-Americans, 11 all-conference performers and three players who went on to play in the NFL. Bivin played a key role in helping Western Kentucky to an appearance in the 2017 Cure Bowl.
Bivin’s ties in the FCS Missouri Valley Conference extend before his time as a player and coach at Murray State and then Western Kentucky.
Before moving to Louisiana, Bivin was the general manager and director of football operations for Missouri State. The Bears brought him along on Feb. 14, 2023, before LSU hired him away about three weeks later.
He also held the following other FCS coaching positions: director of football operations and offensive line coach at Morehead State (2021-22) and tight ends coach and offensive analyst at Samford University (2018).
Bivin also served as offensive coordinator at Fort Scott (Kan.) Junior College in 2020 and offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Dodge City (Kan.) Community College for the 2019 season.
Bivin is a product of Owensboro, Ky. The Indianapolis Colts invited him to participate in Rookie Mini Camp in 2015. He the spent two seasons in the Arena Football League with the Tampa Bay Storm and the LA KISS. Bivin eventually retired due to injury.
He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Murray State and a master’s degree in intercollegiate athletics administration from Western Kentucky.
