MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NFL Teams Reportedly Showing Interest In Marcus Freeman

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Dec 9, 2025 6:06 PM ET

As if missing the College Football Playoff wasn't bad enough, Notre Dame may have to worry about losing head coach Marcus Freeman.

Freeman currently has a 43-12 record as the head coach of the Fighting Irish. He's a season removed from leading the program to the national championship game. Most fans consider him to be one of the brightest young coaches in all of football.

With that said, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua admit that Freeman has landed on certain NFL teams' radars.

"Everybody has eyes on Marcus," Bevacqua said, via ESPN. "College has eyes on Marcus; NFL has eyes on Marcus. I bet Hollywood has eyes on Marcus. ... He's the absolute best coach in the country for Notre Dame, full stop, one of the greatest college coaches in the country."

Bevacqua said he's willing to make Freeman one of the highest-paid coaches in college football in order to keep him in South Bend.

Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts to the play against the Southern California Trojans during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Will Marcus Freeman go pro?

After the New York Giants fired Brian Daboll in November, Freeman was immediately linked their head coaching vacancy. When asked about it by the media, he offered a lengthy response.

“I feel like it’s necessary, I do. A lot of times in things I say to the team, it may come out in terms of, a great example, is, ‘What’s the noise you’re putting in your head?’ Just because the noise in somebody else’s head is one thing, doesn’t mean it has to be your noise,” Freeman said, via One Foot Down. “And so, as I told them, I’m sure I’ve said before, like just because somebody else might be saying my name’s up for whatever job or being considered, that isn’t the noise that I’m going to put in my head or I need, that ain’t my noise.”

If we rewind back to January, the 39-year-old coach said he hasn't put any thought into coaching an NFL team. This was after the Chicago Bears reportedly expressed interest in him.

"To hear that the Bears have interest, it’s humbling. It’s the NFL. It’s also a reminder that with team success comes individual success," Freeman told reporters. "I have put zero thought into coaching in the NFL."

As of now, we expect Freeman to return to Notre Dame for the 2026 season.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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