Cincinnati DC Marcus Freeman turns down LSU, hired at other prominent program
LSU was thought to be close to naming Marcus Freeman its next defensive coordinator early Friday. The highly coveted defensive coordinator from Cincinnati has now been hired by Notre Dame.
Freeman, who recently interviewed for the LSU defensive coordinator, had been Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator since 2017.
The Bearcats (9-1) made national noise in 2020-21, entering bowl season as the No. 8-ranked team in the nation and winning the American Athletic Conference Championship, the program’s first outright league title since 2009, when Kelly served as Cincinnati’s head coach. Cincinnati made an appearance in the Chik-Fil-A Peach Bowl, falling by a narrow margin to No. 9 Georgia, after an undefeated regular season.
Cincinnati’s defense ranked in the Top 20 nationally in several categories for 2020-21, including being ranked 13th in total defense (324.6 yards per game) and eighth in scoring defense (16.8 points per game) among all FBS teams. In addition, the Bearcats were third in team passing efficiency defense (101.25), 14th in rushing defense (111.1 yards per game), 15th in red zone defense (0.735 rate), 17th in fourth down defense (0.375 rate), 16th in team sacks (3.0 per game) and 10th in turnovers gained (21).
Standout Bearcat cornerback Ahmad Gardner garnered multiple All-America selections, being named to the FWAA and USA TODAY first teams, in addition to the Associated Press, AFCA and The Athletic second teams. He was also named first-team All-AAC.
Prior to his 2020 success, Freeman has been part of a UC staff that coached the Bearcats to back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2018 and 2019, the 2019 American Athletic Conference East Division Championship and consecutive bowl-game wins in the 2018 Military Bowl and 2019 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl.
The Bearcats finished atop the 2019 AAC ranks in scoring defense for the second-straight season and ranked among the league’s top three in rushing and total defense. In 2018, Cincinnati led the American in rushing defense, scoring defense and total defense and ranked among the Top-15 in the NCAA FBS in all three categories.
Prior to Cincinnati, Freeman spent four years at Purdue, where he coached linebackers all four seasons and served as the Boilermakers co-defensive coordinator in 2015.
What in the actual fu(k…
Well of course he turned LSU down. Why wouldn’t he?
LSU is a moribund program, led by a drool cupped embecile. This coach and program, at this point has no greater value to a potential coaching hire than leverage. No coach worth anything at all wants to report to the likes of Dacoacheaux. He’s low brow, trashy, largely unintelligent and drinks beer out of a can.
For all these reasons and more, LSU now has a couple of guys who amounted to nothing more than interns running their offense. Expect about the same on defense. No one worth having wants to be in BR.
The butthurt in you in amazing. Lol.itll be ok brah.
Must be a sad life you lead that causes you to lurk about and post such drivel.
Gump – you give a whole new meaning to “imbecile”! It’s one thing to be a fan of a team, but the level of your insulting another fanbase is just ignorant!
9-1???? Just imagine a SHORTHANDED UGA put an end to Cinderella!!!! Umm I mean Cincinnati!!!!! One of the few to hold the SEC conference up!!! UNLIKE FLORIDA LOSING BY 35 POINTS TO A BIG 12 SCHOOL!!! After declaring themselves on a different level!!! Well they were!!! LOL
And just as I suspected. Dan Mullen the crybaby. Is doing his level best. TO OPT OUT OF NEXT SEASON, with Florida!!! Can’t say I blame him. But I doubt anyone wants him. I’m glad that falcons rumor was all A LIE!!! It’s all hopes and dreams on his part. Plus hoping to get paid more money for 8-4!!!!
And just look how many dawgs are deciding TO COME BACK TO UGA!!!!! NO WONDER DAN IS TRYING TO OPT OUT! He wants NONE of THE REAL UGA!!!! He prefers THE UGA B TEAM! Sorry Danny boy.
FLORIDA IS GOING DOWN HARD NEXT YEAR!!!!!! They will be lucky to challenge for 2nd in the east. Probably end up 3rd in the east or worse!!! UGA TAKES THE EAST AND PROBABLY THE SEC and THE REST!!!! BOOK IT!!!!
UGA WINS THE SEC EAST AND PROBABLY THE REST IN 2021. While there will be talk that Florida is quote ” A DUMPSTER FIRE ” NEXT SEASON!!!! Dan Mullen knows it. He is already starting rumors about the NFL himself. To deliberately, A. Hopefully get the big money while he can and B. Avoid the DUMPSTER FIRE LABEL!!!!! By getting with an NFL team as anything including a WATERBOY!!! So that when the team falls apart. Everyone will blame THE NEW COACH. And say. WE WANT MULLEN BACK AT ANY COST!!! Then of course Mullen would gladly return to the team he loves!!! ONLY WITH THE REBUILDING JAZZ ON HIS SIDE!!! He will blame all problems on the past staff even though HE RECRUITED THE TEAM!!!
Then if he happens to GET LUCKY AGAIN. And get a few real players like Coach Mac recruited for him, again. It all starts over with a higher dollar amount paid out. For the same STUPID COACH!!!! MULLEN IS A MASTER! BUT NOT A MASTER COACH. A MASTER MANIPULATOR!!!!
What you see this season is the best he’s got to give!!!! He didn’t make Kyle Trask anymore than he made Dak Prescott!!! But he sure nearly destroyed Kyle Trask playing him behind both Franks and Emory Jones both!!!! Track made Trask along with those elite WRS!!! ALL GONE!
PS. FLORIDA IS A HOT MESS DUMPSTER FIRE!!!! THANKS TO DAN MULLEN!!!! HE WANTS NONE OF THE REAL UGA. AND HAS YET TO BEAT THEM OR EVEN PLAY THE REAL UGA!!!!! UGA HASN’T PLAYED FLORIDA THIS SEASON. NOT THE REAL UGA!!!! ONLY THE B TEAM!!!
King Negan
That’s a relief…err, I mean aww darn…
Hump man, I told you Jawja fans that Cincy had a defense that played hard and a QB that could do some damage. Had Fickell called a running play on that 3rd and 2 it might not have ended up so well for the Bullpuppies. Yes, Georgia won. But, let’s admit, Cincy gave GA all they could handle that day. And Coach Freeman is a big reason for it. LSU’s loss.
Yes you did say that 57939trunksnorter, and they certainly brought it. And if you recall I said Cincy was more deserving a CFP spot vs a 5 regular game season team with committee connections. I’m glad Freeman didn’t find his way into the SEC, I said after the game that he just made himself very valuable. That was one very disciplined defense he put together at SmokyKittenU fo sho’
Cincinnati is exactly the reason the CFP should expand to eight. Its ridiculous to play as well as they do and get shut out because there is no room in a P5 conference. I thought they should have been in instead of a team that played half a season.
Coach O killng it.
Well reports of him coming to LSU were premature!! Lol!
Hopefully O has someone else in mind who is seen as being a strong Def coord. The thing is, firing Asst’s after only 1 yr can actually work against you. Certainly potential candidates take notice of that. Not sure if it mattered here, but it couldn’t have helped.
Hopefully we can get the #2 target.
I would think that any assistant worth being hired would know why Pelini was let go. It’s a business…plus there’s guaranteed money so what’s what’s loss…
No one wants to work in an environment where they can get canned so quickly. Guaranteed money or not, it negatively affects your reputation to get fired so quickly. Bo had a very bad 1st yr and it’s easy to justify letting him go. Doesn’t mean it can’t be seen as a negative to other coaches. Coaching is a fraternity it that stuff matters. Even if just a little bit.
Having said that, LSU is going to get a guy seen as being a strong Def coord. The job is too high-profile not to. But when you compete with other programs on your level for coaches, the quick trigger on Bo could be the difference maker.
Uh oh!
I don’t think that letting Bo go is hurting anything. He led an historically bad defense and everyone saw that. Orgeron would look ridiculous if he had kept him. My guess is that ND stepped up and offered more money. It was announced early on that O was on a limited budget with these new hires. This is what happens when you make a bad hire in the first place. I’m interested to see who is next for candidates.
I hear your argument Nobleman but imo these guys are working in a high-pressure environment because they thrive in it and it’s a big part of the reason why they’re in the business in the first place. As far as O’s no nonsense approach goes maybe it will work the other way and only attract those truly up for the challenge and willing to walk into a pressure cooker.
I’m disappointed we lost Freeman but I understand. Wonder who’s up?
I just dont know with all the attrition why the plug was pulled so soon. Even if you pull Odom away from Arky, I wouldnt assume it is an upgrade from Pelini. Like firing Malzahn for Harsin, its a puzzle.
Probably trying to jack up Notre Dame’s offer.
Shades of other LSU coaching searches in recent years.
Not a snow balls chance in he!! They afford him more then what LSU was willing to pay him..north of 3 million is what had him coming to Baton Rouge
*offered
An Ohio State former player coaching for another Ohio State guy at Cincinnati and who publicizes he is more interested in becoming a head coach wants to stay up north or east near Buckeye country or Norte Dame. No surprise here and Orgeron should have known that and the AD Woodward as well. Tine wasted saw Derek Mason go with Auburn. LSU better try and keep young up and comer Zach Arnett from leaving Miss. State for Texas or it’s going to be slim pickings soon.
Whew. We dodged a bullet there. Y’all will still get someone very good.
Sure wish we could have him at ky.but that’s not happening.lol I don’t think him turning down the LAY job is any disrepect to there program.people to quick to judge.he has been associated with purdue,Cindy and just maybe Notre dame is his dream job.maybe it’s were he has always wanted to be and got his chance.no matter what the haters say lsu is a top football program that is respected around the country and there tons of people interested in the job.and besides my beloved stoops I think lsu has one of the most admired coaches in country.
Dodged a bullet based on what?