Rice head coach Scott Abell is getting acclimated to Division I FBS football after coaching on various levels since 1993, and this weekend he and the Rice Owls will take on No. 3 Notre Dame.
Abell was a high school coach from 1993 to 2007, became an offensive coordinator at Division III Washington and Lee between 2008-11 and more recently a head coach at Davidson – a Division I FCS program – from 2018 to 2024.
In his first full season at Rice, Abell guided the Owls to a 5-8 record and an appearance at the Armed Forces Bowl in Texas. Rice went on to lose 41-10 in that game.
Now, after a season-opening win over Houston Christian, Abell is set to coach the Owls on the Notre Dame Stadium sidelines for the first time in his career.
Abell said at the
Rice football press conference his team is well aware of the vast difference between preparation for week one and this week.
“The challenges are certainly much different, and I’m excited for that challenge,” Abell said via The Roost. “We’re playing a top-five program in the country. I know our program will be incredibly excited and ready for that opportunity to be on a national stage and the challenge that goes with it.”
Abell executes a run-first, sometimes no huddle Owls offense, and that showed when Rice ran for a combined 458 yards and three touchdowns on 69 carries.
The Irish will host Rice on Saturday afternoon. It’s the teams’ first meeting since Aug. 30, 2014, a game Notre Dame won 48-17.
.@RiceFootball head coach Scott Abell reflects on the opportunity the team has ahead of it against Notre Dame. pic.twitter.com/ggwMjBrbw2
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) September 8, 2026
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.
Follow Kevin on X: @KevLSmittie
This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame vs. Rice: How the head coaches stack up against each other
