- Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has informed NFL teams he won’t be seeking a job at the next level.
- Freeman confirmed his decision to remain with the Fighting Irish on social media.
- Freeman received a raise to remain at Notre Dame, according to multiple reports.
As Billy Madison once said, it’s “back to school, back to school” for Marcus Freeman.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach informed NFL teams he won’t be seeking job opportunities beyond his current one. Once those reports circulated, the 39-year-old confirmed his stance with a message on social media.
“2026 … run it back,” Freeman wrote. “Go Irish.”
Freeman was by no means a shoo-in for any current or potential NFL head-coaching vacancy. But the 2024 Coach of the Year was drawing interest from teams, per multiple reports. With good reason. He’s a young, successful coach who presents competence and projects confidence. Any organization looking for the traditional “culture-changer” archetype – cough, New York Giants, cough – would have had Freeman’s name on the interview list.
For those front offices, it’s on to the next.
Fans of Freeman, 39, say his leadership style will translate to the pros. Any team looking for a “CEO” at head coach rather than an offensive or defensive whiz – although Freeman made his bones as a successful defensive coordinator at Cincinnati and Notre Dame – would have to look at him. His experience, from leading the most visible program in America to playing at Ohio State, is another positive bullet point on Freeman’s resume.
Of all the cycles to fully commit to the NFL interview process, this was close to an ideal one for Freeman, since his current team is sitting at home, on the wrong side of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s policies and debates. The irked Irish – somewhat impolitely – also denied any bowl invitations.
Perhaps Freeman wanted more options, with two openings currently, the Giants and Tennessee Titans. More jobs will become available. The normal average is seven NFL head coach openings each year, however, and that number might be lower this offseason. The counterpoint to that is the absence of a hot-shot coordinator or two who are sure to receive any of the openings, a distinction Ben Johnson held, for example, before being hired by the Chicago Bears last year.
Get ready for the annual Marcus Freeman to NFL rumor cycle
The fluidity of roster construction in the college ranks, thanks to the transfer portal and NIL, has decreased the gap in the difference of responsibilities a college coach faces compared to a pro coach. Everybody’s getting paid now. Everybody’s a professional (allegedly). Egos are more pronounced in the NFL, but so is the overall maturity of the locker room, in most cases.
Freeman boasts a 43-12 record since taking over after Brian Kelly’s departure four years ago and led Notre Dame to the national championship game last year. Every time his name floats into NFL coaching conversations, Freeman can look at Notre Dame’s coffers and do the “money please” dance. ESPN reported that the Irish gave Freeman an “enhanced contract,” on the heels of a raise in December 2024 that paid him $7.4 million annually, according to USA TODAY Sports’ NCAA coaches’ salary database. Per Sports Illustrated, the new deal puts him in the “top tier” of compensation among his peers.
For Freeman, this can become an annual tradition – the next-generation Pete Carroll. On-field success. Rumors. Raise. Rinse and Repeat.
Until Freeman actually makes the jump, that’s how it’ll go. And NFL owners will have to simply wonder what he’d look like leading their team.