NFL interest in Marcus Freeman to continue

Freeman rose quickly through the collegiate coaching ranks, starting as a graduate assistant at his alma mater a year after getting drafted out of Ohio State in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He landed his first position coaching job the next year as the Kent State linebackers coach and found his way to the Power 5 level two years later in the same position at Purdue. In his fourth season with the Boilermakers, Freeman was promoted to co-defensive coordinator, and a year later, he got his first full defensive coordinator role at Cincinnati.

Freeman spent four years with the Bearcats, completely transforming the team’s defense and finishing the 2020 season as a Broyles Award finalist as one of the NCAA’s best assistant coaches. In 2021, he left Cincinnati for Notre Dame and was named head coach when Brian Kelly left the school to assume the same position at LSU. After losing the team’s bowl game in his first head coaching appearance, Freeman saw the team’s record improve each year under his leadership going 9-4 in 2022, 10-3 in 2023, 14-2 with a loss in the College Football Playoff National Championship game in 2024, and 10-2 as they just missed out on the CFP last year.

Even before nearly winning a national championship in only his third full year in any sort of head coaching role, Freeman had already become an immediate name to watch in NFL circles. He was named a dark horse candidate for the Bears job that ultimately went to Ben Johnson after Freeman signed was is believed to have been a four-year extension to stay at Notre Dame. In 2025, he was a popularly rumored name with the Giants, Titans, and Steelers, but once again, he announced his intentions to remain with the Fighting Irish.

According to La Canfora, Freeman claimed to have “gained some valuable experience” from his most recent cycle of NFL inquiries, and though he didn’t offer any kind of timeline, Freeman didn’t seem to shut the door on eventually taking that next step to the NFL. As a young, fast-rising, defensive-minded coach, Freeman is expected to receive no shortage of NFL interest in the coming years. When head coaching vacancies inevitably appear near the end of the 2026 season, look for Freeman’s name to come up, once again.