Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is seemingly always linked to NFL coaching jobs. Following the Fighting Irish’s CFP snub, many believe there was a chance that he’d jump ship to the professional ranks this offseason.
The team’s decision to decline bowl invitations gave Freeman plenty of time to make up his mind on where he wanted to be in 2026. On Monday, he took to social media to make his announcement: he’s staying in South Bend.
Freeman, who turns 40 years old in Jan. 2026, has been the head coach at Notre Dame since Brian Kelly left in 2021. He stumbled early in his tenure, losing his first 3 games as the Fighting Irish head coach. Prior to him, no Notre Dame head coach had ever started 0-3. He rebounded brilliantly, though, and now has a 43-12 record through 5 seasons.
The 2024 campaign is the one where Freeman’s prestige really rose. He led the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff National Championship game, picking up wins in the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl before falling to Ohio State in the national title affair. The next time he’ll be on the sideline is when Notre Dame faces Wisconsin at Lambeau Field on Sept. 6, 2026.
