The 2025 Notre Dame football season did not end the way the Fighting Irish wanted. Notre Dame narrowly missed out on going to the College Football Playoff, which was a big surprise. The Fighting Irish then withdrew from bowl consideration, effectively ending their football season. Now, the offseason starts early, and the first order of business for the Fighting Irish is locking up Marcus Freeman long-term.
There has long been an NFL interest in Marcus Freeman in some capacity, and Notre Dame is aware of that. Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua recently told ESPN that he is aware of the interest in Freeman and that everyone has their eyes on him because of how good a head coach he is.
“Everybody has eyes on Marcus,” Bevacqua said. “College has eyes on Marcus; the 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.”
Freeman is 43-12 as Notre Dame's coach, and he led the team to the national title game last season. Notre Dame finished 10-2 this season before being snubbed from the College Football Playoff and opting out of the bowl season. Freeman has zero NFL coaching experience, but rumors have started to pop up involving the New York Giants being interested in Freeman.
Last December, Freeman agreed to a four-year contract extension through the 2030 season. Notre Dame doesn't release salary information, but federal tax documents show Freeman earned more than $7.4 million in 2023.
Bevacqua did not hire Freeman and took over as athletic director from Jack Swarbrick in March 2024. He has made it clear that one of his primary objectives is to extend Marcus Freeman.
“I can say with 100% certainty he feels that way, and Notre Dame is totally aligned around the importance of college football for Notre Dame,” Bevacqua said. “… I make sure that he knows that he will be where he deserves to be, and that is at the top, top, top tier of college football coaches when it comes to compensation every year.”
It is also worth noting that Bevacqua made it clear that Freeman's contract would be revised annually to ensure he remains among the highest-paid coaches in the country.
Marcus Freeman has raised the standard at Notre Dame since he got there. He may look elsewhere, but Notre Dame is going to fight to keep him in South Bend, even after missing the College Football Playoff.
