‘Keep Your Eye On’ Former Bears LB As Candidate to Replace Thomas Brown

An unexpected and under the radar name is emerging as a possibility to become the next head coach of the Chicago Bears: current University of Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman.

Multiple league insiders, including the NFL Network’s insider Peter Schrager, are saying Freeman is a name to watch this coming offseason, when the Bears conduct their head coaching search.

“Keep your eye on Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman,” Schrager said on December 1. “Kevin Warren, former Big Ten commissioner also is now running the Bears as the president, (is) familiar with the college game. They’re looking for a leader of men type coach. Marcus Freeman’s a name to watch.”

Adam Jahns of The Athletic and CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones also named Freeman as a candidate to replace Matt Eberflus, who the team fired after its disastrous Week 13 loss to the Detroit Lions.

The Bears have named Thomas Brown their interim coach, but the team will surely cast a wide net when the offseason arrives. Let’s delve a bit deeper into Freeman’s coaching and playing history.

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Could Marcus Freeman’s Previous Ties to Chicago Bears Influence Team’s Coaching Search?

A former linebacker and standout at Ohio State, the Bears drafted Freeman in the fifth round of the 2009 draft, 154th overall. Despite a promising collegiate career, Freeman’s time with the Bears was brief; he was waived in September of 2009, before the regular season began.

Following his release from the Bears, Freeman had short stints with the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Texans. He never appeared in any regular season games for either team, however. In May of 2010, during a physical examination with the Indianapolis Colts, doctors discovered that Freeman had an enlarged heart valve in his left ventricle, a condition that led to his immediate retirement from professional football.

Could his ties to the team make him a sentimental favorite? Probably not, as they were very brief — but his recent success might.

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A Look at Freeman’s Early Coaching History

Freeman began his coaching career in 2010 as a graduate assistant at Ohio State. He served as the LBs coach at Kent State from 2011 to 2012, and in 2013, Freeman joined Purdue University as linebackers coach and was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2015.

In 2017, Freeman became the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Cincinnati. Under his leadership, the Bearcats’ defense excelled, leading the American Athletic Conference in rushing defense, scoring defense, and total defense in 2018, when the team ranked among the top 15 nationally in these categories. His success at Cincinnati led to his appointment as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Notre Dame.

Freeman was promoted to head coach of Notre Dame in December of 2021, becoming the second Black head coach in the program’s history.

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Freeman Has Thrived as Notre Dame’s HC

His inaugural season in 2022 started with a series of setbacks, including losses to Ohio State and Marshall, making him the first head coach in Notre Dame history to begin his tenure with three consecutive defeats. But Freeman showed resilience, leading the team to an 8-4 regular-season mark, highlighted by a notable upset over No. 5 Clemson.

In 2023, he guided the Fighting Irish to a 10-3 record, including decisive wins over No. 10 USC and a Sun Bowl triumph against No. 19 Oregon State.

In the process, Freeman set a new program record by securing 11 wins over ranked teams in his first three seasons, surpassing the previous mark held since 1943. The Fighting Irish are 11-1 under Freeman in 2024, and are heading to the College Football Playoffs.

Overall, Freeman’s tenure reflects a trajectory of tangible growth — but inexperience coaching at the NFL level. Still, too many people in the know are dropping his name in connection to the Bears to not pay attention.

“The Bears are too close to South Bend, Ind., not to notice what Freeman is doing,” Jahns wrote on November 29. We’ll know just how hard they’re looking at him soon enough.

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