Harris and Hunter Bivin have taken different paths in their football careers, but this season the Owensboro natives have reunited on the sidelines at Notre Dame, sharing a family bond during the program’s run to the college football national championship.
Harris, in his first year with the Fighting Irish, serves as the Senior Offensive Analyst, where he’s taken a lead coaching the tight ends, among other roles.
“I take the lead with the tight end group and kind of coach them in meetings, run individual [drills], and make sure that they’re where they need to be on game day,” Harris said. “I’m on the sideline with the iPad making adjustments, coaching them up and doing that, so it’s been awesome this year. It’s been an amazing experience.”
Harris joined Notre Dame in March following coaching stints at Louisiana State University, Missouri State, and Morehead State. After years of working through the coaching ranks and spending time in part-time roles, his arrival at Notre Dame marked a significant step in his career.
His brother Hunter is a former Notre Dame offensive lineman and has been part of the program for over a decade. Now serving as the Assistant Athletics Director of Alumni Engagement, Hunter has watched Notre Dame’s return to prominence with pride, especially since his brother has been part of it.
“I’ve been here since June 2013 and we’ve been on the other side of these big games so many times, both as a player and on staff, and now in administration,” Hunter said. “To finally go on this magical run and see Notre Dame, and the people who love Notre Dame, find this success — it’s been incredible.”
Hunter reflected on how special it’s been to share this journey with Harris after years of living in separate cities due to their careers in football.
“Since he’s been coaching all over, we hadn’t lived in the same ZIP code since high school,” Hunter said. “My wife and I just had our first baby girl last year, so having Harris around and getting to see her grow up a little has been incredible.”
The Bivins’ roots trace back to Owensboro, where they were standout athletes at Apollo High School. Hunter went on to play offensive line for Notre Dame from 2013-2016, while Harris played at Murray State before beginning his coaching career.
The brothers credit their hometown community for the values that have shaped their careers.
“Owensboro meant so much to us growing up — Apollo was ingrained in everything we did,” Hunter said. “The coaches, the people, the support — they’ve meant the world to us and helped us get where we are today.”
As Notre Dame prepares for its shot at a national title, Harris and Hunter remain focused on the work ahead, determined to finish the season strong.
“We’re gonna go straight to work,” Harris said. “That’s what we do — get back to work and keep preparing.”
