Marcus Freeman has options for 2021.
He may have followed Brian Kelly to serve as defensive coordinator at LSU. He could have ended up in Cincinnati if Notre Dame had given the full press to Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell. He may have gone back to his alma mater and helped defend in Ohio State in 2021. Freeman, however, remains the same.
And Notre Dame, especially the players, will love him for it.
SEX: How Notre Dame could make it to the playoffs
Freeman is tipped to be Notre Dame’s next coach, according to Irish Illustrated.
Notre Dame Safety Kyle Hamilton endorsed that decision before it happened on Podcast “Inside the Garage” with teammates Cam Hart, Conor Ratigan and KC Wallace on Tuesday.
“I would vote for Marcus Freeman easily,” Hamilton said on the podcast. “Since he’s been here, it feels like we’ve known him for years. He’s always serious. He’s the same guy every day. I think he’s a great leader. .”
Imagine you could make such an impact. Freeman, in his first year as Notre Dame defensive coordinator, was able to forge a connection with a squad that set a record 33-6 in the previous three seasons that were closely linked to his predecessor. yours, Clark Lea.
THAN: How Brian Kelly said goodbye to the team
It’s a move that helps keep Notre Dame together in the short term. According to The Athletic’s Matt Fortuna, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees also intends to stay on staff. The Irishman still has an outside slot for the College Rugby Round depending on Saturday’s results, and having Freeman on staff ensures that continuity of coaching staff will not affected.
If the Irish make it to the playoffs, Kelly’s departure from LSU could have the opposite effect. This move, at least to begin with, has created a talented lineup.
Will it work in the long run? Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick is taking the risk that Freeman has no head coaching experience and is taking on arguably the toughest job in college football, a job that resembles the Dallas Cowboys in NFL. Kelly managed that high-pressure job for 12 seasons.
The interesting development here is the perception left by Kelly for recruitment advantage at LSU.
The Irish have a recruiting team in the top 10, and Freeman could open new ground with rookies in the NIL era and the transfer portal. He had the support of future NFL stars like Hamilton. The Athletic’s Pete Sampson also details one of those stories, in which Freeman compares Notre Dame to Jay-Z to rookies.
Over the summer, we had Marcus Freeman on our The Shamrock podcast, and I asked him about hiring for Notre Dame. Here is his answer. I was overrated. pic.twitter.com/SpIWCIJiKp
– Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) December 1, 2021
The idea that Notre Dame is a legacy show, and that Freeman offers something different from Kelly, Charlie Weis or Tyrone Willingham, the show’s first African-American coach, lasted only three seasons since 2002-04.
Unlike those three coaches, Freeman has been labeled a “player’s coach” from Day 1. He doesn’t need to prove himself in front of the dressing room, and decision makers at Notre Dame want to hire. this person.
Freeman should last for more than three years, especially with the setup process. A recruiting class of the top 5 is coming, and the Irish will be back with enough talent next year that they’ll be back in the conversation in the College Football Qualifiers. If CFP expands, Notre Dame will be the norm.
Will Freeman be the one to break the show’s national championship drought that has lasted since 1988, seven years longer than the Cowboys’ Super Bowl drought? That remains to be seen, but this is not a turning point for the show.
They are on the right track.
Notre Dame also has other options for 2021. They could have picked two other former Buckeyes to lead the Irish out of the tunnel in their season opener at Ohio State. Fickell would be great to have his Catholic affiliation in Buckeye State. Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer would be the most proven winner, but that still feels like a move that should have been made in 2005 and his off-field problems in Florida, Ohio, and in Jacksonville, perhaps a little frustrating for the Irish. .
Instead, Freeman will run out of that tunnel next season, and it feels right for a lot of reasons.
Just ask the players who will be out on the field after him.
