Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman addressed his immediate coaching future after months of speculation involving the NFL.
Freeman has been prominently linked to the New York Giants head coach opening and, to a lesser extent, to the Tennessee Titans job, raising some concern at the school.
However, those rumors have been put to rest for now, as Marcus Freeman posted on X reaffirming his commitment to Notre Dame.
“2026…run it back Go Irish,” Freeman said, making it clear where he will be coaching next season.
Additionally, according to reporting from Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, Freeman has agreed to another contract extension that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport, following his new deal just a year ago.
He inked a six-year contract ahead of the 2024 National Championship game, though Freeman is getting a pay raise to stay at Notre Dame, a school that he has led for four seasons.
As NFL interest ramped up, athletic director Pete Bevacqua made it clear that he would regularly keep Freeman as a top-paid coach and would do anything possible to keep the head coach with the Fighting Irish.
“I would never say we wouldn’t match anything when it comes to Marcus,” Bevacqua said.
“Everybody has eyes on Marcus. College has eyes on Marcus. NFL has eyes on Marcus. I bet Hollywood has eyes on Marcus. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in the next Leo DiCaprio movies with Martin Scorsese.
“Marcus is Marcus. All the credit to him, he deserves it. He is the absolute best coach in the country for Notre Dame, full stop. One of the greatest college coaches in the country.”
While Freeman has turned down the NFL once again, after rejecting advances from the Chicago Bears last season, it is hard to imagine this will be the last time he is courted by the professional ranks, considering all the success he has ushered in to South Bend.
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