Reports: Notre Dame expected to hire Illinois’ defensive coordinator Aaron Henry

Notre Dame is expected to hire Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry to become the Fighting Irish’s new defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator, according to On3’s Pete Nakos and others.

Blue & Gold’s Tyler James can confirm that the Irish are expected to hire Henry as defensive backs coach. Sources have not confirmed whether he’ll add the co-defensive coordinator role to his title.

Henry will serve alongside Irish defensive coordinator Chris Ash. The 37-year-old native of Immokalee, Fla. worked for Ash’s first staff at Rutgers in 2016.

He played at Wisconsin from 2007–11 and lined up at both safety and cornerback during his career and played for Ash his final two seasons. Ash was the Badgers’ defensive backs coach in 2010 and added defensive coordinator duties the next season.

Henry started all of the Badgers’ games in 2010 and 2011. In his final two college seasons, he posted 125 tackles (3.5 for loss), 1 sack, 6 interceptions, 17 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2011.

He was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2012 but was cut before the regular season.

He began his coaching career with the Arkansas Razorbacks, spending two years there. Ash then hired him in 2016 to become the Scarlet Knights’ defensive backs coach.

He worked for Ash for just one season before leaving for NC State in 2017, where he coached the Wolfpack’s safeties. This is notable, as Henry will replace Mike Mickens as the Irish’s defensive backs coach, and Mickens coached both the cornerbacks and safeties for ND.

Henry is likely to coach both positions at Notre Dame with help from special teams coordinator Marty Biagi, who has worked with the Irish safeties.

He transitioned to coaching NC State’s cornerbacks from 2018–19, then left for Vanderbilt in 2020 to coach the Commodores’ corners.

Henry has been with Illinois since 2021, reuniting with Bret Bielema, whom he played for at Wisconsin and worked for at Arkansas. He was the secondary coach for two seasons and became the school’s defensive coordinator in 2023, a position he has held since.

According to his bio on the Illinois website, eight of Illinois’ 11 defensive starters earned All-Big Ten honors in 2025, including first-team selection Gabe Jacas.

Henry was named Football Scoop’s defensive backs coach of the year in 2022.

Henry coaching career prior to Notre Dame

Years	University	Position
2023-2025	Illinois	Defensive Coordinator/Secondary
2021-22	Illinois	Defensive Backs
2020	Vanderbilt	Cornerbacks
2018-19	North Carolina State	Cornerbacks
2017	North Carolina State	Safeties
2016	Rutgers	Defensive Backs
2014-15	Arkansas	Graduate Assistant, Defense