Marcus Freeman: A New Deal and a Bright Future at Notre Dame

Marcus Freeman, the head coach of Notre Dame, has decided to stick around for another season. He just got a better contract from the university. This is big news because many thought he might jump to the NFL, especially with teams like the New York Giants looking for new coaches. Freeman has been doing great at Notre Dame. In just four seasons, he has a record of 43 wins and 12 losses. He even led the team to the CFP National Championship game earlier this year. The Fighting Irish had an amazing season, winning their last 10 regular games. But they didn't make it to the CFP and ended up 11th in the final standings. Instead of playing in a bowl game, the team chose to sit it out.Pete Bevacqua, the athletic director at Notre Dame, has been very supportive of Freeman. He said Freeman is the best coach for Notre Dame. Bevacqua also mentioned that the school is aware of the interest Freeman might have from the NFL and is doing everything to keep him. This new contract is not the first time Freeman has gotten a better deal. He already had one in December 2024. Bevacqua sees Freeman's contract as something that can change over time. He wants to make sure Freeman feels valued and supported. He also said that Freeman deserves to be among the top-paid coaches in college football. Freeman started at Notre Dame as the defensive coordinator in 2021. He took over as head coach after Brian Kelly left for LSU. Before Notre Dame, Freeman worked at Cincinnati, Purdue, and Kent State. He was also an All-Big Ten linebacker at Ohio State and was drafted by the NFL in 2009.