Mike Mickens, the secondary coach at Notre Dame, has earned a reputation as one of the top defensive backs coaches in college football, and he is now poised to take his talents to the next level by joining the Baltimore Ravens coaching staff. This move comes under the guidance of new head coach Jesse Minter, as reported by Tyler Horka.
Mickens joined the Notre Dame program in 2020, where he quickly made a name for himself as a talented developer of defensive talent. In his inaugural season, he played a vital role in helping transfer cornerback Nick McCloud secure All-ACC Third Team honors. The following year, he successfully transformed Clarence Lewis and Cam Hart into reliable full-time starters.
His standout accomplishments peaked in 2022 when he guided Benjamin Morrison, a June enrollee, to become a Freshman All-American. Morrison’s achievement marked a significant milestone as he was the first player from Notre Dame to earn this honor since 2012. Later, Mickens received a promotion to secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator, and under his leadership, Notre Dame emerged as one of the nation’s top pass defenses in 2023, allowing only 5.4 yards per attempt while ranking highly in total passing yards allowed.
Mickens’ success continued in 2024, developing Leonard Moore into another Freshman All-American, who also received accolades such as FWAA Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and College Football Network Freshman Cornerback of the Year. Additionally, Mickens played a significant role in the development of Xavier Watts, who earned two-time consensus second-team All-American honors and made 13 interceptions over the two seasons working under Mickens.
Perhaps the highlight of Mickens’ career is his work with Sauce Gardner at Cincinnati, where he helped Gardner achieve Freshman All-American status before Gardner became the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
As Mickens transitions to the Ravens, he will have the opportunity to reunite with former Notre Dame players Kyle Hamilton and Alohi Gilman, further enriching his experience at the professional level.