Bobby Carpenter kicks Marcus Freeman out of group text for week, reflects on time as teammate
In 2004 and 2005, Bobby Carpenter and Marcus Freeman were in the linebacker room together at Ohio State. Carpenter became a starter in 2004 just as Freeman was making his way to campus as a highly rated recruit, and they’ve stayed in touch via a group text of that group of linebackers ever since.
That is, until this week when Freeman and Notre Dame welcome the Buckeyes to South Bend.
“We’ve got one [group chat], just the three of us who were all seniors, and we have one with James [Laurinaitis]. There was one with Marcus in it, but this week, you’ve got to make sure that he’s out of there,” Carpenter told Andy Staples on Andy Staples On3.
Still, that group of linebackers in 2004 was special considering it also included AJ Hawk and Anthony Schlegel. When Freeman came in, though, he brought in plenty of hype on the recruiting trail as a consensus four-star recruit. During their time together on the field, Carpenter didn’t really think of Freeman as the coaching type.
But after Freeman’s NFL career was cut short, he found his niche in coaching. He rose up the ladder from an Ohio State graduate assistant to Kent State linebackers coach, Purdue co-defensive coordinator, Cincinnati defensive coordinator and Notre Dame defensive coordinator before taking over for Brian Kelly.
Carpenter was right there supporting Freeman, and he reflected on Freeman’s interesting journey from his playing days to becoming the head coach at Notre Dame.
“He makes his way through the coaching ranks — meanwhile, having like seven kids with Joanna along the process,” Carpenter said. “So you’ve got a huge family, great guy and I’ve been really happy to see his success.
“I’m even more happy, Andy, because he was a guy when he came in to Ohio State, he always used to have problems with his weight. I mean, he was a guy that would kind of always meander over to the dessert table a little bit and Fick would have to be on him, getting him on the climber. I look at him now, I’m like, ‘Marcus, man, this new spelt version of you. I’m so proud and impressed.'”
Why Bobby Carpenter sees ‘so much’ Jim Tressel in Marcus Freeman
The connections to Carpenter’s Ohio State teams have quite the reach beyond just Freeman at Notre Dame. Fickell is now the head coach at Wisconsin, Mark Dantonio went on to become Michigan State’s all-time winningest coach and Laurinaitis is Ohio State’s assistant linebackers coach.
Carpenter always cheers for those who came through the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in any capacity. That is, until they come back for an opposing team.
“All the guys who you played with or coached, played for, I want them to win every game game — except for the one against Ohio State,” Carpenter said. “So I wish Marcus the utmost success. I was so happy last year when they were able to beat Clemson, get on a roll. Utterly disappointed for him when they lost to Marshall. But I knew he was going to do a great job.”
He also sees something familiar in Freeman’s coaching style — maybe things he learned while playing at Ohio State.
“He got the team figured out, and you know what’s interesting? Watching him, so much Tress that kind of just shines through. He kind of figures out what type of team he has, how he has to play and then, he really kind of leans in on that. It may not always be the flashiest thing, but they ultimately end up with wins. So I’m excited to watch him mature.”
Bobby Carpenter: Marcus Freeman faced a new type of pressure as a first-year head coach
Freeman’s first head coaching opportunity came on one of the biggest stages in college football. Notre Dame is a national brand and draws plenty of eyeballs for each game. The history is rich, which made his hire an interesting one considering it was his first time leading a program.
Considering the up-and-down nature of his first season, from the loss to Marshall to the victory over Clemson, Carpenter pointed out the microscope Freeman was under. There was one more storyline to point out, though. Freeman’s head coaching career started against Ohio State in Columbus on a night in which the Buckeyes honored Tressel.
He got thrown into the deep end of the pool. With that experience under his belt, though, Carpenter said Freeman has Notre Dame in a strong position entering Saturday’s showdown.
“Usually you get to learn at maybe a Group of 5 school, somewhere in the MAC, maybe somewhere in the Sun Belt or even, maybe, a school that’s not near the top of college football that might be in the back half of a Power Five conference,” Carpenter said. “You go in there, you’re opening — I mean, I think about this, Andy, for Marcus last year. And he’s in a much better spot now just comfortability wise. You’re opening at Ohio State. It’s a night game. Your alma mater is your first game as a coach. And by the way, the guy that you played for — Jim Tressel — is being honored with the 20th anniversary of his national championship team in 2002.
“So you’ve got all that swirling around you. And you’re an Ohio guy. So like, there’s all that pressure swirling around, and I thought he did a heck of a job coming in, especially given their quarterback situation. And this year with Sam Hartman, you’ve noticed how much more prolific and proficient they’ve been on offense.”