NOTRE DAME — University of Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan will serve as featured guest speakers at the 2017 University of Notre Dame Football Coaches Clinic on March 23-25.

Bill Polian, a 2015 National Football League Hall of Fame inductee, was already announced as a guest speaker. Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly and his entire coaching staff will also give presentations at the clinic.

Fleck was named head coach at Minnesota in January after four years as the head coach at Western Michigan. Fleck was 30-22 overall and 21-11 in the Mid-American Conference. He authored one of the most memorable turnarounds in college football history. The Broncos were 1-11 in his first year in 2013, but ended the 2016 season with a No. 12 ranking, a 13-1 record, a conference championship and a berth in the Cotton Bowl.

Western Michigan was 12-0 in the 2016 regular season and registered victories against Big Ten foes Northwestern and Illinois. Fleck then led his team to a 29-23 win against Ohio in the MAC championship game before ending the season with a narrow defeat to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl.

Patricia just completed his fifth season as the Patriots’ defensive coordinator and his 13th year overall coaching in the NFL. This past season, New England ranked third in the league in rush defense (88.6/game), eighth in total defense (326.4/game) and led the NFL in fewest points allowed/game (15.6). He has helped the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles and two as a defensive coordinator, including a thrilling, 34-28, come-from-behind victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

Patricia originally joined the New England coaching staff in 2004. He spent five seasons as the Patriots’ linebackers coach and one season coaching the safeties. New England has finished in the top-10 in fewest points allowed in 10 of his 11 seasons since he exclusively moved to the defensive side of the ball in 2006.

Shurmur just completed his 18th season of NFL coaching, taking over as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator after handling the job for the final nine games of 2016 on an interim basis. Under Shurmur’s guidance, quarterback Sam Bradford broke the NFL single-season completion completion mark with his 71.6 percent effort. He also set single-season franchise records for completions (395), interception percentage (0.9; 5-in-552 attempts) and completion percentage (71.6).

During his NFL coaching career, Shurmur has been a part of teams that have qualified for the playoffs eight times, won six division crowns and played in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Sullivan just wrapped up his first season as the Giants’ offensive coordinator. He served as New York’s quarterbacks coach in 2015 — the first season of his second stint on the Giants’ coaching staff. Sullivan previously spent six years coaching the team’s wide receivers and two as the quarterbacks coach.

In 2015, Sullivan helped Eli Manning to one of his finest statistical seasons. Manning completed 387 of 618 passes (62.6 percent) for 4,432 yards, 35 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His 618 pass attempts were a Giants record. Manning held the previous mark with 601 in 2014. His 387 completions were also a franchise record, breaking the mark of 379 he set the previous season. Manning’s completion percentage of 62.6 was slightly below his team-record, 2014 percentage of 63.1.

 

More on the clinic

Coaches and participants interested in receiving advanced football instruction from the Notre Dame coaching staff, featured guest speakers and some of the top high school coaches in the country are welcome to attend.

Chalk-talk sessions will offer attendees an excellent opportunity to become familiar with various coaching techniques as well as offer professional development with other coaches and participants.

In addition to the various presentations, participants will not only get an exclusive look at the 2017 Irish football team as the squad practices twice during the clinic but also receive complimentary admission to the Blue-Gold game. Coaches’ socials both Thursday and Friday evenings and a hosted dinner on Friday are all included. Vendors and exhibitors from around the country will also showcase football-related products.

Registration is now available here. The clinic is $70 per individual coach or $50 per coach for groups of at least six coaches who pre-register. Walk-up registration is $80.

Previous guest speakers include: Bob Stoops (`16), Bo Pelini (`16), Lou Holtz (`16), Vic Fangio (`16), Bill O’Brien (`15), Mack Brown (`15), Ron Rivera (`15), Marvin Lewis (`13) and Bill Belichick (`13).