Marcus Freeman on why he can guide Notre Dame to national championships

The college football world was completely shaken up by this year’s coaching carousel. Part of that carousel was former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly leaving for LSU, and the Fighting Irish promoting defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to take his place. As Notre Dame’s new head coach, Freeman has one goal in mind: to bring national championships to South Bend.

Freeman played college football at Ohio State, but he held an offer to attend Notre Dame. He was in his first year as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator before being hired as the team’s next head coach.

“As a recruit, I mean it’s 2000, 2002 or 2003. You hadn’t won one, but you still knew the history and tradition behind Notre Dame and you probably thought every year that Notre Dame had a chance to win it,” Freeman said of the program’s chances at a national championship. “As an outsider before I got here, I mean Notre Dame was in the playoffs two of the past three years before I got here.

“So if you’re making the playoffs, you have a chance to win it all. Now that I’m here, we’re close. We’re not there yet, but we’re close and it can be done right away. We’re not talking about a future, long-term plan. This is talking about the urgency I said for now. To finish the season off and then next year we have to have intentional efforts to make sure we’re doing whatever it takes to put this team in a position to win a national championship.”

Freeman is excited for Notre Dame’s Fiesta Bowl matchup

When Freeman was hired, Notre Dame was theoretically still alive for a national championship in the College Football Playoff hunt. Notre Dame was ultimately left out of the playoff and will instead face off against Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl.

On the ESPN CFP Selection Show, Freeman said that he is excited to get his head coaching career started in the Fiesta Bowl despite being disappointed to not be playing for a championship.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am as the head coach of this football program and the football as we go to take on Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl,” Freeman said. “It’s a great opportunity to win 12 games and right some of the wrongs of the past, that we haven’t been so successful in these new Year’s Day bowls. 

“They are a motivated team.  We are a motivated coaching staff.  And we are excited for the opportunity.”