SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman, asked multiple times Wednesday about persistent NFL interest in his services, did his best to tamp down this year’s hiring-cycle buzz.
“Everything I want and everything I need personally can be achieved right here as the head coach of this program,” he said during a 39-minute update that marked his first news conference in 42 days. “I didn’t have to reevaluate. Other people may say I reevaluated. I didn’t ever have to reevaluate.”
Since the 2025 season ended, Notre Dame reportedly adjusted Freeman’s contract to extend it through 2031 and include a raise into the upper tier of college coaches.
With six years and an estimated $70 million left on his deal, which athletic director Pete Bevacqua said Dec. 9 he viewed as a “living, breathing document,” Freeman has as much stability as any modern college coach.
He took to social media Dec. 29 to try to calm the waters after NFL media repeatedly linked him to the wish lists of the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans.
“The only statement I put out is, ‘Let’s run it back,’“ Freeman said. “I was intentional about that. I don’t need to come out with a statement every time one of these job openings happen.”
A handful of additional job openings have since opened, most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, where outgoing coaches Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh ranked 1-2 in NFL tenure at their previous teams.
The Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, and Arizona Cardinals are also seeking new coaches. Those nine openings represent more than a quarter of the 32 NFL teams.
Entering his fifth season at the helm for the Irish, Freeman is still expected to stay put amid NFL interest, ESPN reported Tuesday after Tomlin resigned.
“You know I always say the future’s uncertain,” Freeman said. “That’s what I tell my players, that’s what I tell myself. It’s the reality of life. … I hope this is something we have to address every year, I really do. Because it means we’re having a lot of success right here at Notre Dame.”
Marcus Freeman and the NFL influence at Notre Dame
Six weeks after securing a top-three 2026 signing class, Freeman and general manager Mike Martin have signed an impressive group of transfers from such programs as Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, Pittsburgh, Colorado and Purdue.
Martin has an extensive NFL scouting and front-office background, most recently with the Detroit Lions. Scouting director Matt Jansen, football performance director Loren Landow, defensive coordinator Chris Ash and newly hired defensive line coach Charlie Partridge also left the NFL to work at Notre Dame.
Freeman, who turned 40 on Jan. 10, sounds content right where he is.
“I’m the head coach at Notre Dame,” he said. “Individual recognition, individual success, NFL interest, those are all a reflection of team success and where this football program is.”
His annual conversations with NFL personnel during the pre-draft process, including visits to Notre Dame’s Pro Day and the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, have proven mutually beneficial as well.
“I’ve used some of the interest from the NFL to personally gain wisdom from maybe some of the GMs or the front office executives that you get a chance to talk to about your players, but also about what they view as a successful coach,” he said. “Maybe it’s an NFL coach, but what are some of the things they’ve seen that have made a coach successful in their organization or franchise and maybe not so successful?
“I utilize these opportunities through conversations to gain knowledge myself to be the best head coach I can be of the Notre Dame football program. That’s where my mindset is. I don’t control the noise, but I know the noise that’s in my head and where my focus is.”
Marcus Freeman’s NFL fact-finding missions
In the spring of 2023 and 2024, coming off his first two seasons as a head coach, Freeman visited half a dozen NFL operations to glean insight into best practices. His stops included the facilities of the Steelers, Ravens, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders.
Former assistants Al Golden (Bengals), Brian Mason (Colts) and Deland McCullough (Raiders) remain valuable resources on schemes and trends at the pro level.
A constant learner, Freeman noted Monday he’s even tapped into the experiences of Boston Celtics executive and former Butler basketball coach Brad Stevens, whose son plays basketball for the Irish.
Asked directly if coaching someday in the NFL is a long-term goal of his, Freeman demurred.
“I don’t know enough about it,” he said. “It may be some time in the future. If it’s the right time and it’s what I think is right for me, then maybe I’ll pursue it. But I don’t love wasting time thinking about things that aren’t right in front of me.”
Freeman has adopted “Leave No Doubt” as his team’s mantra for 2026, a reference to the College Football Playoff selection snubbing the Irish experienced Dec. 7. But it could also apply to his repeated attempts to soothe the addled nerves of an Irish fan base wary of NFL overtures.
“I don’t know what I’ll want in … any length of time, how much length of time from now,” Freeman said. “I know right now that I am as convicted and motivated to be the best head coach of the Notre Dame football program as I can be.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Marcus Freeman wants to ‘leave no doubt’ with Notre Dame, but did he with NFL rumors?
Reporting by Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
