ATLANTA — Indiana center Pat Coogan left Notre Dame with unfinished business.
He began the 2024 season as a backup for the Irish, but assumed the role of starting center for the final 13 games after an injury to Ashton Craig in mid-September. From there, he emerged as a leader on the field and in the locker room, galvanizing his team with his fiery pregame speeches. Coogan and Co. ran through Indiana, Georgia and Penn State en route to the National Championship game, but hopes of their first title in 37 years were dashed inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a 34-23 loss to Ohio State.
That loss to the Buckeyes was Coogan’s last game in a Notre Dame uniform.
After meeting with Marcus Freeman and his coaching staff, Coogan realized that he was not positioned to start on the offensive line moving forward. He entered the transfer portal and committed to Indiana, trading blue and gold for cream and crimson.
The Hoosiers got mauled in the trenches by both Ohio State and Notre Dame, and head coach Curt Cignetti turned to Coogan to take over for the graduating Mike Katic at center. Cignetti emphasizes production over potential and Coogan was a key reason why Notre Dame averaged 201 rushing yards per game in 2024.
As the head of the snake with both his actions and his words, Coogan led Indiana’s offensive line to Joe Moore Award semifinalist status while himself earning All-Big Ten honors. With one game left to play, Indiana has rushed for a Big Ten-best 218 yards per game while allowing just 1.47 sacks per game. In the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl versus No. 5 Oregon, Coogan exemplified the values of his position group: Blue-collar, hard-working and scrappy.
Indiana doesn’t name official captains, but Coogan has been on the field for all 15 coin tosses this season. Despite this being his lone season at Indiana, the Hoosiers’ center has garnered the respect of his teammates and coaches alike, leading by example at every juncture.
Against Oregon, Coogan hustled down to the field on designed runs, getting to the Ducks’ linebackers to help Indiana’s rushers fight for extra yards. He also shadowed quarterback Fernando Mendoza on scrambles, even recovering a fumble for a first down to keep one of Indiana’s scoring drives alive. Mendoza’s jersey stayed clean on dropbacks, taking just one sack and throwing more touchdown passes than incompletions for the fifth time this season.
“At the end of the day, we always want the game to rest on our shoulders,” Coogan said. “We take great pride in keeping our guys clean.”
The top-ranked Hoosiers handled the Ducks, 56-22, advancing to the National Championship game in the same building where Notre Dame’s title hopes came crashing down last season. Most players go their entire careers without playing for a national title, but Coogan has earned another shot at what eluded him in his final year with the Irish.
“That loss has shaped me into the man I am today,” Coogan said. “There’s no doubt about it. I can’t say I’m grateful for losing the National Championship, but it’s part of my journey and every part of my journey has led me here.”
Indiana’s players often preach the importance of doing their 1/11th; they know as well as everyone else that football is the ultimate team game. That significance is not lost on Coogan, who, by virtue of going from the tutelage of Freeman and Cignetti, has played for the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons.
“I’ve been blessed with really good teammates and great coaching staffs,” Coogan said. “I’m super blessed and grateful to be here. Grateful for the experience.”
The experience has given him a perspective that permeates throughout the locker room. Regardless of a game’s magnitude, it’s all the same once the clock starts.
“At the end of the day, it’s 120 (feet) by 53 ⅓ (feet),” Coogan said. “You’ve just got to lock in and be a ballplayer. Between the white lines, the field is the same.”
That consistent outlook has brought No. 1 Indiana to a 15-0 record and a spot in the National Championship versus No. 10 Miami at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Monday, Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium. In what will be the final game of his college career, Coogan has a chance to finish what he couldn’t last season.
Regardless of what happens in South Florida, he remains filled with gratitude.
“I am overly gracious and grateful to be here,” Coogan said. “This season alone has been a dream.”
