Marcus Freeman: The Architect of a New Era for Notre Dame Football

Marcus Freeman's journey to becoming the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame is a compelling narrative of rapid ascent, marked by both early challenges and significant triumphs. Taking the reins after Brian Kelly's departure in December 2021, Freeman, at just 36 years old, inherited the leadership of one of college football's most storied programs. His tenure has been characterized by a blend of youthful energy, strategic acumen, and a deep commitment to fostering a winning culture.

Early Life and Playing Career

Marcus Louis Freeman was born on January 10, 1986. Chong, his mother, is from South Korea, and she met Michael Freeman, his father, while he was serving in the Air Force. Freeman's roots trace back to Ohio, where he excelled as a linebacker at Wayne High School in Huber Heights. As a junior, he amassed 152 tackles, including 29 for loss, and eight sacks. Rated as one of Ohio's top prospects, he earned Parade All-American honors as a senior with 127 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. A four-year starter and two-time first-team All-Ohio selection, Freeman also participated in track and field, showcasing his athleticism in the 4 × 100 metres relay, shot put, and discus.

Freeman's collegiate career at Ohio State saw him become a key defensive presence. He appeared in 51 games, starting 37, and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors twice. In 2008, he started all 13 games, recording 84 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. His dedication extended to the classroom, where he achieved Academic All-Big Ten recognition.

Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft, Freeman's professional career was short-lived. He was released by the Bears and subsequently spent time on the practice squads of the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans.

Transition to Coaching

Despite the abrupt end to his playing career, Freeman quickly transitioned into coaching, starting as a graduate assistant at Ohio State in 2010. He then moved to Kent State from 2011-2012 as a linebackers coach, where he developed all-conference selections Luke Batton and C.J. Malauulu. Batton earned second team All-Mid-American Conference honors in 2012 after finishing with 143 total tackles, including 80 solo stops. Outside linebacker C.J. Malauulu was a third team all-conference selection in 2012, recording 72 total tackles.

From 2013 to 2016, Freeman coached linebackers at Purdue, eventually becoming co-defensive coordinator. During his time with the Boilermakers, he coached several notable players. Ja'Whaun Bentley, a USA Today Freshman All-American in 2014, averaged 6.7 tackles per game under Freeman’s coaching and was voted a captain by his teammates prior to the 2015 season. Danny Ezechukwu broke out with a 43-tackle season as a redshirt freshman in 2014 and followed it up with 79 stops in 2015, the most by any of Purdue's linebackers and second on the team. Markus Bailey was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection in 2016. Bailey led the Boilermakers with 97 total tackles, 61 solo stops, and four interceptions in 2016. Jimmy Herman earned Purdue’s Guy "Red" Mackey Award and the Noble E. Kizer Award, for exemplifying the overall success of the University’s intercollegiate athletics program and earning the highest GPA among football players over the 2016 calendar year, respectively.

In 2017, Freeman joined the University of Cincinnati as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. His impact was immediate, transforming the Bearcats into one of the American Athletic Conference's (AAC) top defenses. In 2018, Cincinnati led the AAC in rushing defense, scoring defense, and total defense, ranking among the top 15 nationally in all three categories.

Prior to the end of the 2020 season, Freeman declined a handful of positions to remain at Cincinnati including offers of returning to Ohio State as linebackers coach, linebackers coach for the Tennessee Titans, and defensive coordinator at Michigan State, among other offers.

Notre Dame: Defensive Coordinator and Head Coach

Freeman's arrival at Notre Dame in January 2021 as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach marked a significant step in his career. Following Brian Kelly's departure to LSU after the 2021 regular season, Freeman was named the 32nd head coach in program history on December 3, 2021.

He took control immediately, coaching the Irish in their Fiesta Bowl loss to No. Freeman earned $6,687,754 in 2024, according to a database of college coaches salaries compiled by USA Today. The buyout in Freeman’s original contract, signed in December 2021, is reported to have included a $4 million buyout.

Read also: US Education System Performance

Overcoming Early Challenges

Freeman's tenure at Notre Dame began with a challenging start. He immediately lost his first game, to Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. He opened the 2022 season with losses to No. Now 0-3, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman had to dig himself out of the worst start in program history. Despite the initial setbacks, the Irish recovered, winning 9 of their final 11 games, including an upset of No. 5 Clemson and a Gator Bowl win against South Carolina.

Building a Winning Culture

Analysts anticipated the 2023 season would be a step forward for Freeman's Fighting Irish. During the offseason, they secured the top-ranked quarterback in the transfer portal, Wake Forest's Sam Hartman, and they entered the season ranked 13th. After beginning the season 4-0 with comfortable wins over Navy, Tennessee State, North Carolina State, and Central Michigan, the Irish rose to 9th in the rankings. They fell at home the next week to Ohio State, 17-14, in a heartbreaking loss that saw Notre Dame with only 10 players on the field, instead of the usual 11, twice on Ohio State's game winning drive. They rebounded the next week with a thrilling win over No. 17 Duke, but then lost the following game to No. 25 Louisville. One week later, Irish enjoyed a season-defining 48-20 victory over No. 10 USC and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams. Following a bye week, Freeman's Irish defeated Pittsburgh and fell to unranked Clemson before winning against Wake Forest and Stanford to finish the regular season 9-3. They faced No. 19 Oregon State in the Sun Bowl, winning 40-8 to conclude the season 10-3 and ranked 14th.

The 2023 campaign was defined by strong performances from star running back Audric Estime, quarterback Sam Hartman, tight end Mitchell Evans, and safety Xavier Watts, but it was also marred by poor play at the wide receiver position, especially following early injuries to veteran receivers Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie. Following the season, Freeman fired wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey, prompting the departure of starting wide receivers Chris Tyree, Tobias Meriweather, and Rico Flores Jr. Freeman hired Mike Brown as the new receivers coach on December 10.

Freeman's 2024 squad started their campaign successfully on the road against No. 20 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas with a 23-13 win, but followed that victory up with a 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois as a 29.5-point betting favorite, becoming the first AP Top 5 team to ever suffer a loss to a football team from the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Irish finished the regular season with a 10-game winning streak with wins over No. 15 Louisville, No. 24 Navy, No. The Irish were granted the 7th seed in the College Football Playoff, hosting their first-ever home playoff game at Notre Dame Stadium. Freeman won his first playoff game with a 27-17 win over 10th-seeded Indiana.

Originally Notre Dame was set to play the 2nd-seeded Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl on January 1, 2025, but due to the 2025 New Orleans truck attack that happened near the Caesars Superdome the game was rescheduled to the following day. Notre Dame beat Georgia by a score of 23-10, marking the first time in program history that Notre Dame had a 13-win season. Notre Dame would then proceed to beat the 6th-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl, advancing to the national title game for the first time in 12 years. Notre Dame was ranked as the No.

Read also: Waterville's Colby College

However, the Irish started the season 0-2 after No. 10 Miami hit a go-ahead field goal with 1:01 remaining in the fourth quarter [33] and No. 16 Texas A&M scored a go-ahead touchdown with 13 seconds remaining. In Week 8, the Irish won their first ranked game of the season by defeating No. 20 USC. Notre Dame set their modern-era scoring record by defeating Syracuse 70-7 in South Bend, marking the first time the team scored 70 points since 1932. Notre Dame concluded the season on a 10 game win streak with all wins coming by double figures after defeating Stanford 49-20. After finishing the regular season 10-2, the Irish opted out of participating in a bowl game after not being selected for the College Football Playoff.

Coaching Style and Impact

Marcus Freeman's coaching acumen is only part of the reason Notre Dame officials gave him the job despite being only 36 years old with no head coaching experience. Despite being a fiery competitor, the calm, and professionalism with which he has handled the task of leading the nation’s highest-profile program has won him universal praise. He’s young. He’s photogenic. He’s humble.

Freeman’s work has earned him a multitude of awards that reflect his coaching skills. Named the 2024 Bear Bryant Coach of the Year, 2024 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year, 2024 George Munger Coach of the Year, College Football Coach of the Year (NCMFC), Ted Ginn Sr. Safety Xavier Watts earned consensus All-America honors in 2024. Mentored linebacker Jack Kiser to the AFCA Good Works Team. Alt went on to be drafted as the number four overall pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2024 NFL Draft, the highest selection for a Notre Dame player since Rick Mirer was selected second by the Chicago Bears in 1993. On offense, the Irish averaged 39.1 ppg in 2023, ranking second all-time in the history of the program as the 1912 team averaged 48.6 ppg over eight games.

Personal Life and Faith

In 2010, Freeman married Joanna (née Herncane), whom he had dated since college. Marcus Freeman converted to Catholicism in 2022. According to an announcement by his home parish, St.

The Future of Notre Dame Football Under Freeman

As Marcus Freeman prepares for another season at the helm, his focus remains on building upon the foundation he has established. The intangibles of grit and moxie continue to be a beacon of Freeman’s style, but it’s perhaps his uncanny ability to endure criticism and help his players grow from it that stands out as his most impressive hallmark. While that defeat stung, Freeman’s efforts continue to cement his growing legacy in South Bend as the right man for the job.

Freeman now looks to put the loss to his alma mater, Ohio State, behind him as he prepares his team for another CFP run. ND hired former NFL OC and QB coach Gino Guidugli to fill the role of offensive coordinator in January 2025. Their first game of the season will be a tough test, going on the road to face No. 10 Miami in Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday night.

Freeman's Ohio State Connections

Freeman has much to credit in his career to Ohio State, as it was there the standout linebacker was a two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection, ultimately getting drafted into the NFL. Freeman didn't have much NFL success. He did, however, actually start his coaching journey with the Buckeyes. The 38-year-old Notre Dame coach's first coaching gig was as an Ohio State graduate assistant in 2010, before becoming the linebackers coach at Kent State the following season. Freeman was also born in Ohio, as he was born at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Fairborn. He later became a top prospect nationally, tabbed as the No. 66 overall player and No. 5 linebacker in his recruiting class, according to 247Sports. He held offers from numerous high-level programs, including Florida, Miami, Oklahoma and even Notre Dame.

tags: #marcus #freeman #college #football #career