Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman Leads Team to Orange Bowl Amidst Record Season

NOTRE DAME, Ind. (WSBT) — Marcus Freeman has led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to a historic season, culminating in a College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinal appearance in the Orange Bowl against Penn State. The game, set for Thursday at 7:30 p.m., marks a significant turnaround for a team that faced early-season adversity.

Freeman’s journey this season has been nothing short of remarkable. After a shocking 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2 on Sept. 7, many doubted the third-year coach’s future in South Bend. However, Notre Dame has since won 12 consecutive games, setting a school record with 13 wins this season. The Fighting Irish are now one victory away from their first national championship game appearance since 2013, with their last title coming in 1988.

Freeman, born on Jan. 10, 1986, is one of the youngest head coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). At 38, he is the fifth-youngest coach in the FBS, trailing only Arizona State‘s Kenny Dillingham (34), Oregon‘s Dan Lanning (38), Michigan‘s Sherrone Moore (38), and former Purdue coach Ryan Walters (38).

Freeman’s coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, his alma mater, in 2010. He later served as linebackers coach at Kent State (2011-12) and Purdue (2013-15) before becoming co-defensive coordinator for the Boilermakers in 2016. Freeman then took on the role of defensive coordinator at Cincinnati (2017-20) and Notre Dame (2021) before being promoted to head coach after Brian Kelly departed for LSU in December 2021.

As a player, Freeman was a standout linebacker for Ohio State from 2006-08, redshirting his freshman year due to an injury. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft but was released before the season began. Freeman briefly joined the practice squads of the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans but never played in an NFL game. He retired from football in 2010 after a medical condition was discovered during a physical.

Freeman’s leadership has resonated deeply with his players. “We call it, in this generation, aura,” said defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka. “You can feel the love he’s giving out towards us. Regardless of if he’s mad at us, it’s all out of love. We’re playing out of love for him as well.”

Sophomore safety Adon Shuler added, “He leads by example. He would go [and play on the field with us] if he could. Just having that mindset as a coach, for us players seeing that and hearing the things that he’s said, and knowing if he had one more play he would go out there and do it with us.”

Notre Dame’s success this season has been a team effort, with players stepping up despite injuries. Running back Jeremiyah Love and defensive lineman Howard Cross III both practiced on Sunday, though Love was limited by a knee injury sustained in the Sugar Bowl win over Georgia. Cross III, who also rolled his ankle in that game, participated fully in drills.

As the Fighting Irish prepare for their Orange Bowl showdown, Freeman’s leadership and the team’s resilience have been key to their historic run. With a chance to make their first national championship game appearance in over a decade, Notre Dame is poised to continue its remarkable season under Freeman’s guidance.