Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman elicited interest from NFL teams last year, even as the coaching carousel gripped college football. Despite the Fighting Irish being snubbed from a spot in the College Football Playoff, Freeman distinguished himself as one of the best coaches in the country with a stunning recovery after a slow start to the season.
Marcus Freeman Sends Pointed Message to NFL Teams
During an appearance on Friday’s segment of “The Herd” show, Freeman detailed the difference between coaching in the NFL and college football, while revealing the special nature of the Notre Dame job.
“The more I’m starting to realize if you’re set up to go .500 now, they’re gonna make it as hard as possible when you do have success,” Freeman said. “It’s just good to know. It’s things I was made aware of as I continued to talk to different NFL personnel and administrators.
“I have such a special, special job and one that is so supported. We have to continuously work, but you’re gonna have opportunities to have success every single year. So, be careful of always wanting more and more when you have something good.”
After strong interest from the NFL in his services, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua worked to keep Freeman in South Bend, and the program updated his compensation to remain among the highest in the game, under a contract that runs through 2030.
In four seasons at the helm of the Fighting Irish since succeeding Brian Kelly, Freeman has compiled a 43-12 record, which includes a trip to the national championship game in the 2024 season, where Notre Dame pushed the Ohio State Buckeyes to the limit.
Despite the departure of star running back Jeremiyah Love to the NFL Draft, the Fighting Irish retained the services of talented quarterback CJ Carr, who is currently a favorite to win the 2026 Heisman Trophy, further raising expectations about the 2026 season in South Bend.
In addition, according to On3, Freeman recruited a top-tier 2026 class to augment his already stacked roster.
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Freeman’s Fighting Irish will have the chance to clinch a much-coveted College Football Playoff spot, thanks to a relatively manageable schedule compared to other contenders’ stacked conference slates for the national championship.
Notre Dame currently has an astronomical 82.5% chance to clinch a berth in the playoff and an 8.7% chance to win the national championship, according to the PFSN College Football Playoff Meter.
