Pat Coogan, popular for his pregame speeches, transferring from Notre Dame to Indiana football

Posted by author January 31, 2025 Football

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BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football dipped into the portal for one of the most coveted interior linemen in the entire class Friday, when Notre Dame center Pat Coogan announced his intention to transfer to IU.

Coogan immediately fills a position left vacant by Mike Katic’s graduation following the 2024 season.

A fixture for the Irish the last two years, Coogan became famous nationally both for his performances — PFF graded him among Notre Dame’s best linemen last fall — and his emotional pregame speeches. He anchored the line for an offense that played its way to Atlanta and the College Football Playoff national championship before losing to Ohio State.

His addition bolsters an offensive line already strengthened through the portal additions of tackle Zen Michalski (Ohio State) and flex lineman Kahlil Benson (Colorado). Michalski will likely compete for IU’s open spot at right tackle, while Benson — who began his career at Indiana before moving to Boulder last season — can play both inside and outside.

Coogan hands offensive line coach Bob Bostad a steady, veteran presence at one of the most important positions across Indiana’s offense.

Coogan can fill both the snaps and the leadership role Katic left behind, and he allows Bostad the flexibility to move other interior linemen like Benson and Bray Lynch around. With starting left guard Drew Evans still recovering from an Achilles injury suffered late in the regular season, Bostad can shuffle his interior as necessary without needing to lean on Evans too soon.

That depth also allows IU to continue developing promising young linemen without forcing them into major snaps too soon. Coogan will likely rank among the highest-profile transfers in Indiana’s already impactful class.

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