2025 has been a big year for Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. The head coach earned his first College Football Playoff wins and took the Irish to the national championship game for the first time in over a decade.
Freeman is building a foundation and a culture to be proud of in South Bend, but congratulations are in order for another member of his family this week.
Freeman’s son Vinny announced that he would be committing to Cornell on a wrestling scholarship. Fans and others on social media congratulated Freeman on his accomplishment, not only of earning a scholarship but one from a prestigious Ivy League university.
“Go Be Great! The Irish family will be cheering you on,” one fan said.
“Congratulations! The Notre Dame family is behind you 100%!,” said another fan.
“Congratulations! Cornell a great University, Ithaca a great Town,” one fan added.
“Great choice. Enjoyed watching you in the HS tournaments this year. Win it all next spring!,” another fan said.
“I’m proud of him, I am. I’m proud of him,” Marcus Freeman said when asked about his son’s commitment, according to On3.
“And you know, it was unique being on the other side, being a father trying to guide your son, when a lot of times I wasn’t on a lot of visits, it was his mom.
“I said the greatest thing in sales is to figure out who’s the champion? Mom liked Cornell, and somehow Vinny chose Cornell. I’m proud of him though, he’s earned that right through some hard work, and look forward to seeing what’s in the future for him.”
Vinny finished third in the Indiana state championship tournament this year, and had a 37-3 record in his final high school season. After losing one of those three matches in a semifinal, he would emerge victorious from the consolation bracket.
Freeman ends his high school wrestling career with an impressive record of 101-17, including wins in 16 of his final 17 matches.
Marcus Freeman continued to praise his son for coming to an independent decision, and said that the process can remind him what’s important about recruiting in his own job.
“One of the things that was important to Vinny was the people. He really viewed the people, the wrestlers, the recruits, the coaches, as he said to me, he’s like, I feel like they’re family, and that’s a great reminder for us as coaches,” Freeman said about his son’s recruiting process.
“We can sell Notre Dame, we can sell our football program, sell this university, but today, the young people want relationships, too, and that’s a great reminder for us all.”
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