Notre Dame was forced to rely on a freshman wideout for its largest number of snaps played among the group in 2023, with Rico Flores over 400, and it also finished the year primarily rotating Flores, fellow freshman Jaden Greathouse and freshman lacrosse-player-turned-wideout Jordan Faison.
The Fighting Irish finished 9-3 and await their bowl destination.
But that wasn't enough for Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and Irish wideouts coach Chansi Stuckey to continue working together, as the two parted ways Tuesday, multiple sources told FootballScoop.
Stuckey declined comment when reached by FootballScoop.
The moves comes just 24 hours after Freeman publicly declared his intentions to bring back the entire Fighting Irish staff, if possible.
"If it's up to me, as I just told the coaching staff at our staff meeting, I have a strong belief in the coaches that we have in this football program and would love all of them to be back," Freeman said. "There's obviously places that we have to improve on all three phases, and the coaches understand that and definitely are up for the challenge.
"But the thing I've learned in this short time as head coach is that consistency is so important."
Freeman, per sources, instead has charted a different path forward.
Senior running back-turned-wideout Chris Tyree developed this season under Stuckey in a legitimate downfield weapon for the Irish; he led the team with 484 receiving yards.
Flores and Greathouse, consensus four-stars both signed by Stuckey in the 2023 class, combined for 644 yards on 43 receptions and became entrenched as starters.
Greathouse led the team with five receiving scores; Faison added three in just six games.
Freeman had hired Stuckey as part of his inaugural full-time Notre Dame staff in 2022; after the 2022 season, sources told FootballScoop that Stuckey was rolled into a new, two-year deal with the program and has a full year-plus remaining on that pact.
Stuckey, a Clemson grad who came to Notre Dame from Baylor and also had an NFL career prior to coaching, inherited a room that former wideouts coach Del Alexander had left almost completely bare-boned. Notre Dame did not have a single wideout on its roster this season from the 2020 classes.
Just two wideouts played this season from the 2021 class, Deion Colzie and Jayden Thomas, and neither player was healthy. Colzie lasted just four games before knee surgery ended his season; Thomas started fast but never recovered from a hamstring injury. He opened the season with four catches for 60 yards and a touchdown but was limited to just 13 receptions the remainder of the year.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. was part of the 2021 class, but he transferred out and played defensive back this season at Ohio State.
The Irish had signed Virginia Tech graduate-transfer Kaleb Smith out of the NCAA Transfer Portal, but Smith medically retired at the end of spring camp and never played a down for Notre Dame.
Stuckey's exit leaves Freeman with two gaping holes on his staff as the Irish are set to begin bowl practice later this week.
In addition to Stuckey's vacancy, Notre Dame also must hire a full-time strength and conditioning coach after Matt Balis abruptly resigned in July.