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Marcus Freeman on NFL interest amid Notre Dame's success: 'I don't think we have anything to worry about'

Stephen Samraby: Steve Samra01/04/25SamraSource
Marcus Freeman
Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The NFL seems to be circling Marcus Freeman as he brings Notre Dame to the forefront of the college football world, but the Fighting Irish are going to let him slip away that easily.

As Freeman prepares his program for the Semifinals of the College Football Playoff against the Penn State Nittany Lions, he set the record straight regarding his commitment to Notre Dame. During an appearance on SportsCenter on Saturday, Freeman stated that he’ll be sticking around South Bend for the foreseeable future.

“I don’t know when they announced it, I can’t remember, but about a week or two ago, they announced another long contract here at Notre Dame,” Freeman said, alluding to his extension amid interest from the NFL swirling. “So, I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”

Of course, Freeman inked a massive contract extension is believed to be for four more seasons, via ESPN’s Heather Dinich, and it’ll lock him up for six years in total. The new deal will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country, but specifics were not disclosed because Notre Dame is a private institution.

“The investment they continue to pour into our program is invaluable to our student-athletes and staff,” Freeman said, at the time of his extension. “This commitment goes well beyond myself, as they are dedicated to ensuring all aspects of our program are competitive within the upper echelon of college football.”

All told, the third-year head coach has shown year-over-year improvement in the record in each season he has coached. He went 9-4 in 2022, then 10-3 in 2023. This year, Notre Dame is 13-1 and counting, with a chance to win a national title.

Marcus Freeman is now 32-9 as a head coach at Notre Dame, counting a 2021 bowl loss after Brian Kelly abruptly left for LSU. Those are impressive numbers in this era of college football, and Notre Dame is happy they’ll be keeping him around to add to his resume.

The NFL may have their eyes on Marcus Freeman, and he’s young enough where he could eventually jump ship, but it’s evident the charismatic head coach will remain in South Bend moving forward, building something special with the Fighting Irish.