Marcus

Freeman

Per Rapoport, Freeman recently had his contract adjusted by Notre Dame to stay with the team. He also posted on social media late last year that he would be returning to the Fighting Irish. Still, a massive raise and a chance to coach in the pros could lure him away from college football. We suspect multiple teams will reach out to him just to be sure, though all signs point to him staying in the college ranks for another year.

He had been a rumored target for NFL teams in the coaching carousel this year and drew interest from the Bears last offseason. The Giants, in particular, had been linked to Freeman. Still just 39, Freeman probably will have more NFL interviews in the future. For now, it seems like Freeman got a nice raise out of being linked around the coaching cycle, so that’s just good business by him.

Freeman and the Irish are a week away from competing for a national championship against Ohio State, but the Bears are hopeful the 39-year-old head coach will interview with them in the near future. It seems unlikely Freeman would speak with the Bears before next week’s game, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he opened conversations with them afterward. In his three full seasons as Notre Dame’s head coach, Freeman has led them to a 33-8 record with three-straight bowl game appearances and a 5-0 record in his bowl games. Freeman’s Irish went 14-1 this season and picked up wins over Georgia and Penn State just to reach the national championship game. Even if a job as an NFL head coach isn’t in his future for 2025, it wouldn’t be surprising if Freeman eventually made the leap to the NFL as he continues to prove himself as one of the top coaches in the nation.