How Marcus Freeman brought Notre Dame to a National Championship appearance in just 3 seasons

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are appearing in their first National Championship game since 2012 and aiming for their first National Championship victory since 1988. It won’t be easy though, as the No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes (13-2) are 8.5-point betting favorites against No. 7 seed Notre Dame (14-1). However, a major reason why Notre Dame has a fighting chance against the Buckeyes is because of the decision to hire Marcus Freeman three years ago.

In 2021, when then-head coach Brian Kelly abruptly left for LSU for a 10-year, $95 million contract, the thought of Notre Dame reaching national prominence in the short term seemed like a far-fetched notion and the perception was the program was destined to go off the rails. After all, Kelly became the first Notre Dame head coach since 1907 to leave for another job — Notre Dame was in uncharted territory, leading to panic within the fanbase.

Credit goes to Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick for righting the ship after Kelly’s departure. Swarbrick didn’t make a splash hire or opt for someone with head coaching experience outside the program — instead, he rolled with then-Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, who was 35 at the time.

“I saw almost an advantage in having somebody who wasn’t set in their ways as a head coach,” Swarbrick said, per NBC Sports Nicole Auerbach. “Because the world was shifting, and you’ve got to be able to shift with it. He clearly demonstrated that when we talked, so that gave me a lot of confidence as well that he could do it.”

Freeman’s tenure has been mostly successful and on the verge of being legendary if they beat Ohio State on Monday night. Freeman is 33-9 thus far and has more top-25 wins than any other Notre Dame head coach over their first three seasons. As admirable as Freeman’s record is, Notre Dame’s path to facing Ohio State has been long and winding.

Notre Dame suffered a major setback to their playoff hopes in September, losing 16-14 to Northern Illinois despite being four-touchdown favorites. For most teams, a loss like that would have been the beginning of the end, however, Freeman made that the beginning of Notre Dame’s playoff push.

“We can’t lose the pain,” Freeman said about the Northern Illinois loss. “That’s what I want to make sure our guys understand. I don’t want to lose the pain from that game because at times we are motivated by fear. We don’t want this to repeat itself. We’ve got to use that.”

The loss to Northern Illinois now seems like a lifetime ago — Notre Dame has won 13 games in a row and is 3-0 in the playoffs with wins against No. 10 seed Indiana, No. 2 seed Georgia and No. 6 seed Penn State. Since the Northern Illinois loss, Notre Dame has led the nation with 518 points and has outscored teams by 333 points, which is also the best in the country.

While Freeman doesn’t want Notre Dame to lose the pain and sting of prior losses, he isn’t living in the past either and is only concerned about the present moment. Freeman was asked earlier this week if Notre Dame’s 17-14 loss to Ohio State in 2023 serves as extra motivation for the program — Freeman said if someone needs that to motivate them to get ready for the game then they’re “not the right person.”

“We’ve got a chance to play in the National Championship game. This isn’t about the past. This is about this opportunity we have right in front of us, and we’ll continue to focus on this opportunity right in front of us,” Freeman said.

Freeman’s ability to connect with his team beyond the X’s and O’s and becoming one of the best motivators of young men in college football strongly coincides with the Fighting Irish being in the National Championship. Without Freeman, a National Championship appearance likely wouldn’t have happened. Freeman has the ability to will Notre Dame to victory. You can often see Freeman animated as he patrols the sideline while shouting and even flexing. He isn’t passive, he’s proactive and that translates into Notre Dame playing with aggression.

“He’s just an extension of the team. He seems like a veteran teammate in my eyes,” quarterback Riley Leonard said this week. “Before we hit the field when he’s hyping the guys up, it feels like it’s just a senior captain talking to you a little bit. He does a good job of balancing the hierarchy of things. He does understand that he has to carry himself as a head coach, and we obviously see him as our head coach, but we feel him in a different way. He really does a good job of resonating to us as players.”

Whether Notre Dame winds up hoisting the National Championship trophy on Monday night or their season ends in disappointment, bright days are ahead for Notre Dame’s 39-year-old head coach and the Fighting Irish, who should now be considered one of the best head coaches in all of college football.