Marcus Freeman stood at the podium on Wednesday as Notre Dame quietly turned the page to 2026. With spring practice approaching and the transfer portal still unfolding, the Fighting Irish head coach was asked to address something that continues to follow him around college football. NFL teams have taken notice, and Freeman is aware of it.
What Marcus Freeman Said About NFL Head-Coaching Interest
Freeman did not lean into speculation. He kept the answer grounded in where he is and why the attention exists.
Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman on NFL teams having interest in him:
“I’m the head coach of Notre Dame.”
He said he does utilize having conversations with NFL teams to gain wisdom and knowledge.pic.twitter.com/yWMNppbqMa
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 14, 2026
“I’m the head coach of Notre Dame,” Freeman said. “Individual success, NFL interest, those are all a reflection of team success and where this program is. I don’t control the noise, but I know the noise that’s in my head and where my focus is.”
Freeman is 43-12 through four full seasons in South Bend, coming off a 10-2 campaign that followed a run to the national championship game the year before. Notre Dame did not make the College Football Playoff this year and elected not to play in a bowl game. He has quickly elevated into a small tier of college coaches who draw legitimate NFL interest.
He also dismissed the idea that the offseason prompted any internal weighing of options. “I don’t need to come out with a statement every time one of these job openings happen,” he said. “Everything I want and everything that I need personally can be achieved right here.”
Why Marcus Freeman Still Listens to NFL Conversations
Freeman acknowledged that he has spoken with NFL teams, though not in the way the rumor mill often suggests. “I do utilize having conversations with NFL teams to gain wisdom and knowledge,” Freeman said.
When pressed on whether he sees himself as an NFL head coach someday, Freeman did not commit himself to a future. For now, he’ll remain at Notre Dame for the 2026 season.
“I don’t really … I don’t know enough about it,” he said. “Maybe sometime in the future if it’s the right time and it’s what I think is right for me, then maybe I’ll pursue it. I don’t love wasting time thinking about things that aren’t right in front of me.”
What is in front of him is a Notre Dame program chasing something it has not held in nearly four decades. The Irish last won a national title in 1988. Freeman has already put them on the doorstep once and kept them in contention again this season.
The NFL will continue to call. Freeman is still working on something that feels unfinished, but the pull of pro football remains.
