Marcus Freeman Addresses NFL Coaching Rumors Before Notre Dame's 2026 Season

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Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman is once again facing questions about him potentially leaving South Bend for a job in the NFL.

Freeman, 40, has been gone 43-12 and made it to a national title game since taking over Notre Dame's football program in 2022. His success at such a young age has made him an appealing candidate to a few NFL teams over the past two years, according to reports. Despite all the speculation linking him to franchises such as the New York Giants, he remains at Notre Dame.

“Though Freeman ultimately announced he’s staying at Notre Dame, there’s a strong belief around the league that this won’t be the last time his name is connected to NFL opportunities,” Dianna Russini reported. “The Giants, Titans and Browns all had internal discussions about Freeman, as did the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

Will Freeman leave the door open for the NFL next offseason? Judging by comments he made this Tuesday, he's not interested in joining the pros.

Freeman told reporters that he's "all-in" on being the head coach of the Fighting Irish.

"I’m all-in. I’ve been all-in. I don’t see myself being the head coach or coaching anywhere else. I plan on being here as long as I can," Freeman said, via The Athletic. "If I do a good enough job and I’m able and wanted to be the head coach here, I want to stay the head coach here."

Freeman is singing a different tune.

If we rewind back to this past January, it sounded like Freeman was somewhat open to the idea of him coaching an NFL team.

“Do I want to be? I’ve never done it,” Freeman said, via ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. “I don’t know enough about it. Maybe sometime in the future if it’s the right time and it’s what I think is right for me, then maybe I’ll pursue it. But I don’t love wasting time thinking about things that aren’t right in front of me.”

Perhaps the latest remarks from Freeman are his way of gaining leverage over Notre Dame. It's also possible he's just trying to eliminate all distractions for the Fighting Irish this upcoming season.

Notre Dame will begin its 2026 season on Sept. 6 against Wisconsin.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Jul 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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