Chip Long is exploring other opportunities and is unlikely to return to the Notre Dame staff, sources told FootballScoop Wednesday.

Long has been Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator for the past three years. Hired as part of a staff reboot in the wake of the Fighting Irish’s 4-8 season of 2016, Long has helped Notre Dame go 32-6 with a trip to the College Football Playoff in 2018.

Notre Dame’s numbers were up significantly in 2019. After tying for 47th at an even six yards per play in 2018, the Irish averaged 6.25 this fall (33rd). The club’s scoring average grew from 31.4 points a game last season to 37.1 in 2019.

Prior to Notre Dame, Long worked alongside new Florida State head coach Mike Norvell, first as the recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach at Arizona State while Norvell was the Sun Devils’ offensive coordinator, then as Memphis’s offensive coordinator under Norvell’s direction as head coach.

An All-American tight end at North Alabama, Long broke into coaching working with tight ends as a graduate assistant at Louisville in 2006 and later Arkansas, then obtained his first full-time position as the tight ends coach at Illinois in 2010.

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