Pat Coogan made all kinds of Notre Dame football headlines as one of the leaders of the offensive line. The center’s speeches before games were works of art. They were the stuff that got both his teammates and fans all kinds of fired up. And that’s why it was a real shame to see him enter the transfer portal.

Your mileage may vary but it somehow hurts a little bit more than when Coogan finally decided on his landing spot it was still in state. Rather than playing his Saturdays in South Bend, he’ll be in Bloomington. Instead of Blue and Gold, he’ll be wearing red and white. 

The former Notre Dame football team’s emotional leader will strap it up for the Indiana Hoosiers in 2025.

Ex-Notre Dame football center Pat Coogan stays in the Hoosier State

On the one hand, the man who made “four quarters of f*** you football” famous is a pretty good fit for Indiana coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers’ coach is someone who is all about getting in people’s faces. At least before the game starts.

The 2024 starting center got more snaps this season than in any previous campaigns, though as it turned out, most of those snaps were because of preseason injuries. It appears that Coogan knows he’s likely not going to be getting that kind of playing time in 2025 and so he’s on the move.

For his own career, he could certainly do worse than another team that made the playoffs. It’s also not as though Notre Dame and Indiana are real rivals, even if they’re in the same state. The Hoosiers simply haven’t ever been good enough to be on the Irish radar.

That makes it easier to wish Pat Coogan well. But also hope his 2025 season doesn’t go any better than whatever happens for the Notre Dame football team next fall.