Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was one of the most highly coveted names in the NFL coaching carousel a few months ago after reestablishing the Fighting Irish among the elites in college football. Freeman snubbed the NFL interest and instead opted to remain in South Bend as he attempts to win Notre Dame’s first national championship in 38 years.
Since his appointment in late 2021, Freeman has also welcomed back several notable Fighting Irish alumni to inspire the players.
How Marcus Freeman Enticed Joe Montana Back to Notre Dame
During Tuesday’s segment of the “Up & Adams” show with host Kay Adams, Freeman spoke about how he lured Notre Dame legend Joe Montana back to Notre Dame’s facilities after he was appointed head coach.
“He’s the legend,” Freeman said. “When I became head coach, it was important for me to not only reach out to Joe Montana, but all the great players that have built this program to what it is now. It’s been great to have him back, to give him his due credit and what he’s done for this football program. We love having him back.
“I was very intentional in making sure that I reached out to him and a lot of former players, but again, Joe Montana is a guy that I really wanted to connect with and we have a great relationship. He’s able to get here than we previously expected and we gotta keep getting him here.”
Montana had a legendary career in South Bend, where he played between 1974 and 1978, winning the national championship in 1977. He graduated with a degree in business administration and was picked No. 82 overall in the 1979 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, where he made history by winning four Super Bowls.
In a tweet on Aug. 27, 2023, The Athletic reporter Pete Sampson revealed that Montana had distanced himself from the program due to a strained relationship with coach Brian Kelly, who preceded Freeman’s tenure in South Bend.
“Spent a little time with Montana on Friday and asked about that. The Kelly relationship basically soured him on Notre Dame. He couldn’t remember the last Notre Dame game he attended. But he did develop a relationship with Freeman in the past year,” Sampson tweeted.
Montana’s son, Nate, joined the Fighting Irish as a preferred walk-on in 2008 under coach Charlie Weis, who was his father’s roommate during their time at Notre Dame. When Kelly took over in 2010, the younger Montana only appeared in three games during the season before transferring to the Montana Grizzlies.
