The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and head coach Marcus Freeman saw their season come to an end in disappointing fashion.
After winning 10 straight games to end the season, Notre Dame was not included in the College Football Playoff field. Unfortunately, the team lost to both the Miami Hurricanes and Texas As&M Aggies to kick off the 2025 season.
Due to being excluded from the playoff, the team made the decision to not play in a bowl game. That put an end to what could have been a special season if things had started slightly differently.
Following the end of the season, Freeman’s name immediately started trending as a potential NFL coaching candidate. Back on December 29, Freeman took to social media to share his loyalty to the Fighting Irish, putting an end temporarily to the NFL rumors.
“2026…run it back,” Freeman wrote on X. “Go Irish.”
That put a halt to the NFL connections for Freeman. However, they picked back up this week.
Once again, Freeman has spoken out to reveal his final decision about his coaching future.
“I’m the head coach of Notre Dame,” Freeman said bluntly.
Marcus Freeman Deserves NFL Attention After His Run at Notre Dame
At the end of the day, the rumors connecting Freeman to NFL teams are actually a major compliment to what he has done during his tenure at Notre Dame.
Since taking over as the program’s head coach back in 2021, he has compiled a 43-13 record. Just last season, Freeman led the Fighting Irish to the national championship game before coming up short against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
With Freeman leading the way, Notre Dame seems likely to be back in College Football Playoff contention next season.
While the rumors can make fans a bit nervous about losing Freeman, the Fighting Irish should be much more confident after he spoke out again. Barring a major change of mind, Freeman seems to be 100 percent committed to staying at Notre Dame.
Which NFL Teams Could Make Sense for Freeman If He Changes His Mind?
There are quite a few NFL teams with head coaching openings this offseason.
Most notably, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been brought up as a landing spot for Freeman. That was suggested by former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky.
“If I were the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think the first name that I would call would be Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame,” Orlovsky said.
Other potential opportunities could include the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Miami Dolphins. There are a few other franchises who are looking for a new head coach as well.
It would not be surprising to see Freeman become an NFL coach at some point in the future. Assuming his career trajectory continues as it has been, the future is incredibly bright for him. However, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be making the leap this year.
Freeman returning to the Fighting Irish would put the program back on the map in 2026. The team has had success in the transfer portal and will be playing with a chip on its shoulder after missing the playoff in 2025.
Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman Makes Final Decision on NFL Future