In three full seasons as the head coach at Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman has already established himself as one of the faces of the next generation of head coaches in college football.
Freeman boasts an impressive 33-9 record during his time at Notre Dame and is about to compete for a national championship when the Fighting Irish take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday evening. If Freeman is able to pull off the upset over Ohio State, he’ll be enshrined as a legend at Notre Dame at just 39 years of age.
When any collegiate head coach finds success at an early age, rumors begin to swirl about them potentially making the jump to the NFL ranks. Freeman has been no exception, and his name has been thrown around as the NFL coaching carousel takes a spin this offseason.
Here’s the latest on Freeman potentially leaving Notre Dame to take a job in the NFL.
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Marcus Freeman NFL coaching rumors
Even before the Fighting Irish went on a run through the College Football Playoff, Freeman had been connected to NFL jobs. More specifically, Freeman had been discussed in relation to the opening in Chicago.
Immediately after the Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus, NFL insider Peter Schrager went on air to discuss his potential replacement. “Another name that you haven’t heard anywhere else that I would keep your eye on: Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman,” Schrager said.
Schrager also went on to explain how Kevin Warren, former commissioner of the Big 10 and current president of the Bears, has a familiarity with the college game and believes Freeman could fit the bill in terms of what the Bears are looking for.
The rumor mill has died down a bit in the weeks since, but that didn’t stop media members from pressing Freeman on the matter prior to the CFP National Championship.
“I have given zero thought to the NFL. All of my attention has been on getting this team ready for the game,” Freeman said on Jan. 18 ahead of Notre Dame’s matchup with Ohio State.
Could Freeman give the NFL a thought after the CFP wraps up? Certainly, but after signing an extension with Notre Dame last month, it appears that he has his sights set on being the head coach in South Bend for the foreseeable future.
Marcus Freeman coaching record
Freeman has spent four years as the head coach at Notre Dame, three of which have been full seasons. During his tenure, Freeman has led the Fighting Irish to a 33-9 record overall, with a 5-1 record in bowl games.
| Year | School | Games | Wins | Losses | Win Percentage |
| 2021 | Notre Dame | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | Notre Dame | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0.692 |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0.769 |
| 2024 | Notre Dame | 15 | 14 | 1 | 0.933 |
| Career | 42 | 33 | 9 | 0.786 |