Drew Brees sees Jack Coan settling in as Notre Dame QB

Jack Coan is Notre Dame’s new starting quarterback, and Drew Brees is NBC’s new quarterback-turned-Notre Dame game analyst.

The latter likes what he has seen from and heard about the former leading up to the 2021 season.

"I followed Jack, obviously, during his time as starting quarterback for Wisconsin," Brees said on Tuesday on a conference call to promote NBC’s NFL and Notre Dame coverage. "I had a chance to be at one of the Notre Dame spring practices in April to watch him and the team, and by all accounts and speaking with the coaches as well, I think he’s really assimilated himself into that team and the system very well."

Coan originally was set to attend Notre Dame as a lacrosse player out of Sayville High School, but he went the football route and landed at Wisconsin, where he started 18 games in 2018 and ’19 before missing last season with a foot injury.

He will play at Notre Dame as a graduate transfer.

"They say he’s got great leadership ability; I think the team is really responding to that," said Brees, who played college ball at another Indiana school, Purdue. He retired from the NFL after last season and also will work as an NFL studio analyst for NBC.

"I think he brings a level of poise and experience that obviously, the other, younger guys who were competing alongside him don’t necessary have quite yet," Brees said.

"Ian Book, a three-year starter, and then departing [for the NFL], it kind of left that void. But he seems to be filling that role. They’re excited about him."

Brees said he only recently learned of Coan’s background in lacrosse, and about his earlier brush with coming to South Bend.

"Interesting backstory there," Brees said.

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.