For the last few weeks, rumors swirled quietly in NFL circles and loudly among college football fans. Multiple professional teams were doing their homework on Marcus Freeman, gauging interest, back-channeling through agents, and exploring whether Notre Dame’s head coach might be ready to make the leap to Sundays. Freeman, like anyone in his position, listened. He evaluated. And then he said no. On Monday, Freeman tweeted that he’d be back, while multiple reports said he’d turned down interest from two NFL teams.
So, despite speculation from NFL beat writers that he was a top target for the New York Giants specifically, Marcus Freeman will return to Notre Dame for the 2026 season, turning down interest from multiple NFL teams and reaffirming his commitment to the program he’s spent the last several years building into a perennial contender. For Notre Dame, this isn’t just good news — it’s foundational.
NFL Interest Was Real — and Significant
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t internet noise or speculative chatter. Freeman’s name has been legitimately connected to several NFL openings and anticipated openings over the last two hiring cycles. His background as a former NFL linebacker, his defensive pedigree, and his rapid growth as a head coach made him a natural target for professional teams looking for a modern leader with locker-room credibility. The NFL, especially, is always on the lookout for the next young, up-and-coming head coach, even more so than college football.
NFL front offices increasingly value coaches who can relate to players, manage egos, and establish culture. Freeman checks all of those boxes. Add in schematic adaptability and a reputation as a program builder rather than a quick-fix mercenary, and the interest was inevitable – especially because of the style of program Freeman has turned Notre Dame into.
Freeman didn’t dismiss those conversations outright and never shut down the speculation entirely when it would come up in his weekly press conferences. He did his due diligence. But in the end, the conclusion was consistent: his work at Notre Dame is not finished.
Why Notre Dame Still Matters to Freeman
Freeman’s decision says a lot about how he views Notre Dame — not as a stepping stone, but as a destination and as a place where he can win a championship. Unlike his predecessor who left for what he thought was an easier path to a national championship only to already be fired, Freeman truly believes that he can win a championship at Notre Dame.
From the moment he arrived in South Bend as defensive coordinator and later took over as head coach, Freeman has been explicit about what he wants to build: a program rooted in development, accountability, and long-term sustainability.
At Notre Dame, Freeman has something increasingly rare in modern college football: alignment.
He has alignment with the administration. Alignment with the recruiting operation. Alignment with a player-development model that prioritizes growth over churn. And perhaps most importantly, alignment with a locker room that believes in him.
Walking away from that — especially at this stage — never made much sense unless he truly was just chasing a bag, but that has not seemed to ever be Freeman’s sole motivation. Even when he came to Notre Dame as DC in 2021, if he was just interested in money, he almost certainly could have gotten more of it from LSU, but he chose Notre Dame at the time. As Freeman himself preaches, he chose hard.
Notre Dame is built for a run in 2026
From a timing perspective, a move to the NFL right now never made sense for Freeman because the Irish are in a position to win in 2026. The challenges that plagued Notre Dame in September – a first time starting QB and a new DC – won’t be there next year when the Irish will be one of the pre-season favorites to win the national championship despite just missing out on the playoffs next year.
After hearing it is impossible to win a title at Notre Dame, ending the drought and etching his name alongside the other legendary coaches to win titles at Notre Dame means something to Marcus Freeman and he will have a very real chance to do so next year.
While there are some clear roster holes to fill between now and next season – most notably at DT following the retirement of Donovan Hinish today – Notre Dame will have it’s most talented roster from top to bottom in years next season. Notre Dame will also, for the first time in 20 years, have a bonafid star quarterback leading the way in what could be one of the most explosive offenses in school history. Oh, and he defense returns stars at all three levels.
Pete Bevacqua Drew the Line — and Meant It
Earlier this month, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua publicly acknowledged what many around the program already understood: keeping Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame is not optional — it’s a priority.
Bevacqua made it clear that part of his responsibility as athletic director is ensuring Freeman knows exactly how valued he is, both professionally and institutionally. And more importantly, Bevacqua left no ambiguity about Notre Dame’s stance should the NFL come calling with a financial pitch.
Notre Dame, he said, would never lose Marcus Freeman over money.
That statement matters — not just because of what it promises, but because of what it signals. In an era where college programs routinely plead poverty while watching coaches leave for bigger checks, Notre Dame drew a firm line in the sand. While the financial terms of Freeman’s reworked contract have yet to be disclosed, it’s safe to assume that Freeman isn’t being asked to sacrifice. He’s being fully supported.
The alignment between head coach and athletic department has been obvious behind the scenes for years. Bevacqua simply made it public. And when Freeman ultimately chose to turn down NFL interest and return in 2026, it validated that message entirely.
Recruiting Implications: A Massive Win
If there was any lingering doubt about how Freeman’s NFL flirtations might be used against Notre Dame on the recruiting trail, this decision slams that door shut.
Freeman has been one of the most effective recruiters Notre Dame has ever had, particularly in defensive skill positions and along the front seven. His credibility with parents, high school coaches, and players is built on authenticity — and nothing reinforces that more than turning down the NFL to stay in college.
Recruits don’t just want opportunity; they want continuity. Freeman returning in 2026 sends a powerful message: if you commit to Notre Dame, the head coach is committing to you.
That matters in an era where transfers are common and trust is rare.
The NFL Will Still Be There
This isn’t Freeman closing the door on the NFL forever — and it doesn’t need to be framed that way.
If Freeman does eventually makes the jump – and Notre Dame fans would be naive to think that the NFL won’t come calling again, because it will – it will be on his terms, with a résumé that reflects not just promise but accomplishment. Coaches don’t lose NFL value by winning big at Notre Dame. If anything, they gain it.
For now, Freeman has chosen the harder, longer road: building something durable in South Bend rather than chasing the volatility of professional coaching.
Most of the job opportunities that exist right now aren’t in enviable positions either. While the New York Giants are a big brand, that franchise is not in a position where there appears to be a quick fix. The Tennessee Titans just had the #1 overall pick in the draft and weren’t much better this year.
A Not-So-Subtle Contrast With USC
There’s also an unavoidable comparison here — and it lives about 2000 miles west with the program that just ran away from their rivalry with Notre Dame after getting dominated for the last 15 years.
Marcus Freeman and Lincoln Riley were hired within weeks of each other, inheriting two of the most recognizable brands in college football. Both arrived with expectations. Both were supposed to elevate their programs quickly.
Only one of them has and only one of them has drawn legitimate NFL interest.
While Freeman has spent the last two cycles fielding calls from professional teams, Riley’s name hasn’t surfaced in serious NFL conversations — and it’s not hard to understand why. Away from the comfort of elite offensive skill talent, Riley’s resume has proven far less impressive. Defensive shortcomings persist. Physicality has been an issue. And the idea of him commanding an NFL locker room has never really taken hold.
That reality is reflected in the silence. No urgency for contract extensions. No public statements about retention. No fear of losing him — because there hasn’t been much risk of anyone trying.
At Notre Dame, the conversation is entirely different. Freeman isn’t being retained out of obligation or inertia. He’s being protected because other programs — including NFL franchises — would absolutely take him if they could. That distinction matters.
One coach is being chased. The other is simply still employed.
Final Thought
Marcus Freeman didn’t stay at Notre Dame because he lacked NFL opportunities. He stayed because he believes in what he’s building — and because Notre Dame believes in him.
In a sport increasingly driven by short-term thinking, that mutual commitment matters. And for Notre Dame fans, it’s a reminder that sometimes the biggest wins don’t come on Saturdays, but in moments like this — when the future gets a little more secure.
Notre Dame has its head coach. And at least through 2026, Marcus Freeman isn’t going anywhere.
