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Marcus Freeman goes in-depth on flirting with NFL before Notre Dame return
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- Marcus Freeman goes in-depth on flirting with NFL before Notre Dame return
Marcus Freeman goes in-depth on flirting with NFL before Notre Dame return appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Notre Dame football has one of the best head coaches in all of college football in Marcus Freeman . The former defensive coordinator has led the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff a number of times, including a run all the way to the national title game in 2024.
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That has naturally led to a lot of buzz with Freeman's name getting thrown out for other jobs including ones in the NFL . The New York Giants sniffed around Freeman when their head coaching job was open this offseason, and other teams have spoken to him about jobs in the pros as well.
Freeman considered some of those jobs, but he has opted to stay at Notre Dame and continue building what is already one of the best programs in the country. He recently talked about those conversations with NFL teams with Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward on the Not Just Football podcast.
"I listened, I was intrigued by what the opportunity would be like in the NFL, and ultimately I declined to interview anywhere because I needed to hear those things and talk to those teams to know I'm right where I'm supposed to be. And that's the reality of it," Freeman said. "I wanted to talk to a couple of teams just to say, 'Ok, what are you looking for? What do you think is successful in the NFL?' It gave me an opportunity to sit down with my wife and think and pray and talk about it and say, 'We're right where we need to be.'"
Freeman later went on to say that he wants to retire with Notre Dame and plans on being there for a very long time.
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"I'm as happy and really fulfilled in the position that I hold," he added. "As I think about my future, the only way I think about is I want to retire one day from (Notre Dame). … But this is such a special place, I plan on being here a long time."
Freeman and the Fighting Irish have very high expectations coming into 2026 after missing out on the College Football Playoff a season ago. CJ Carr is back at quarterback and has a ton of NFL buzz around him coming into this year, and Notre Dame should have another elite defense led by Leonard Moore .
If the Irish make another deep run in the postseason, maybe Freeman will be mentioned alongside more NFL openings in 2027.
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