Notre Dame Fighting Irish football head coach Marcus Freeman. Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Notre Dame responds to battery accusation against Marcus Freeman

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jan 12, 2026 8:01 AM ET

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have denied an accusation of battery against head coach Marcus Freeman.

On Sunday, Austin Hough and Kyle Smedley of the South Bend Tribune reported that a police report had been filed against Freeman, stemming from an incident that occurred on Jan. 3 at Mishawaka High School in Mishawaka, Ind. Freeman was attending his son Vinny's wrestling meet and allegedly got into an altercation with New Prairie High School assistant coach Chris Fleeger.

Notre Dame releases statement

"Vinny Freeman, head coach Marcus Freeman's son, was verbally accosted during and after his wrestling match by a local wrestling coach," Notre Dame said in a statement (h/t ESPN's Pete Thamel). "Marcus and Joanna Freeman intervened and removed Vinny from the situation.

"At no point did Coach Freeman physically engage with anyone. We believe that the police report, which includes video evidence, fully exonerates Coach Freeman and makes clear these accusations are totally unfounded."

Statement from Notre Dame athletics:

“Vinny Freeman, head coach Marcus Freeman’s son, was verbally accosted during and after his wrestling match by a local wrestling coach. Marcus and Joanna Freeman intervened and removed Vinny from the situation. At no point did Coach Freeman…
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 11, 2026

What did the report say?

The incident reportedly took place after Vinny Freeman, a Penn High School senior, lost his match to Hanover Central High School senior Israel Sinnott. As Marcus Freeman and Penn head coach Brad Harper escorted his son off the mat, they started exchanging words with Fleeger.

"As Marcus Freeman walked through the door into the hallway, claims of physical contact allegedly occurred between Marcus Freeman and Fleeger, but police did not disclose the extent of the alleged contact," wrote Hough and Smedley. "Once in the hallway, Fleeger and Marcus Freeman's wife, Joanna, engaged in a shouting match before local law enforcement and Mishawaka school officials separated the groups."

What's next for Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman?

The charging process is still ongoing, and it remains unclear if charges will be filed. Notre Dame has already generated several headlines this offseason. After the Fighting Irish were left out of the College Football Playoff, they spurned a bowl game invitation. Soon after that, Marcus Freeman — who has a 43-12 record in four seasons in South Bend — signed a contract extension.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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