After working with an interim strength coach during the 2023 season following the abrupt, late-July resignation of the well-regarded, award-winning Matt Balis, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame are on the verge of filling Balis’s top job directing Fighting Irish football performance.

According to FootballScoop, Loren Landow, a strength and conditioning coaching veteran with almost three decades of experience, including a lengthy tenure at the helm of the Denver Broncos’ strength program, is in talks to become Notre Dame’s next strength and conditioning coach.

According to several reports, the two parties have been negotiating the agreement for the previous 24 to 72 hours.

Landow had been with the Broncos for five years before parting company with the team in early 2023, when Denver hired Sean Payton as head coach.

Landow, on the other hand, owns his own sports performance company and, according to his website, has trained Christian McCaffrey, Von Miller, and Peyton Manning, among other Olympic athletes.

According to many sources, Freeman has performed an exceptionally in-depth search in recent weeks, which has included discussions with various strength and conditioning instructors with direct ties to the NFL, as well as multiple Power 5 coaches.

Multiple sources told FootballScoop that Freeman and company discussed the Notre Dame position with, among others, Aaron Wellman, most recently at Indiana University but who has also led programs at Michigan and for the NFL’s New York Giants; additionally, sources told FootballScoop that Notre Dame held discussions with Alabama strength coach David Ballou within the last week to ten days.

Sources in the SEC told FootballScoop that Ballou, who rose to acclaim at Indiana before he was lured away to the Crimson Tide by Nick Saban, was expected to rework his deal to remain at Alabama.

Freeman has compiled an 18-8 ledger through his first 26 games as replacement to Brian Kelly. He led the Irish to an 9-3 campaign in 2023 that included a win against then-undefeated and top-10 USC.

The Irish face Oregon State later this month at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.