Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman is not hiding anything.
He was a hot name in the last NFL head coaching cycle, and he actively listened to what several NFL teams were looking for in their next head coach.
Ultimately, though, Freeman declined to do any interviews because, as he saw it, hearing about how he could be a fit in the NFL actually solidified his commitment to Notre Dame.
“I listened (to the NFL), I was intrigued (by) what the opportunity would be like in the NFL, and ultimately I declined to interview anywhere because … I needed to hear those things and talk to those teams to know I’m right where I’m supposed to be. And that’s the reality of it,” Freeman recently told Cam Heyward on the “Not Just Football” podcast (h/t On3). “Like, I wanted to talk to a couple of (NFL) teams just to say, ‘OK, what are you looking for? What do you think is successful in the NFL?’ and again, it gave me an opportunity to sit down with my wife and think and pray and talk about it and say, ‘We’re right where we need to be.’”
The process of looking around helped Freeman realize that where he really wants to be is South Bend.
He’s been the head coach at Notre Dame since December 2021 and he’s become one of the most successful coaches in college football in this span.
He boasts an overall record of 43-12 and he’s already coached in one national championship game. Throw in the fact that he’s clearly an elite recruiter and Notre Dame sort of recruits for itself based on its tradition and history, and there’s no reason to believe that things will ever get bad for Freeman with the Irish.
He seems to have come to the same conclusion.
“I’m as happy and really fulfilled in the position that I hold,” Freeman said. “And, as I think about my future, the only way I think about is that I want to retire one day from (Notre Dame). … But this is such a special place, I plan on being here a long time.”
