Marcus Freeman Announces Return For 2026 Football Season
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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has announced that he plans to return for the 2026 season, with a short but precise post on X. At least for this offseason, Notre Dame fans can rest easy with this announcement as it means that Freeman will at least be the head coach for one more season. The Irish have a chance to put a dominant team on the field next season, so maintaining continuity at the top was crucial for Notre Dame.
During his four seasons, Freeman has accumulated a 43-12 record. Notre Dame has won at least 10 games in each of the last three seasons and will likely finish the last two seasons ranked in the Top 10. Notre Dame finished the 2024 season ranked No. 2 after earning a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Irish beat Indiana (27-17) in the opening round, whipped Georgia (23-10) in the Sugar Bowl and then had a come-from-behind victory over Penn State (27-24) in the Orange Bowl before falling to Ohio State (34-23) in the national championship game. The Irish finished ranked No. 2 last season, and it ended the regular season of 2025 ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press poll.
Notre Dame was snubbed from the playoff this season, with the committee dropping them from No. 9 to No. 10 after its 49-20 beat down of Stanford and then dropping them again down to No. 11 despite the Irish and Miami – who passed the Irish – not playing during championship weekend. Notre Dame finished the season as one of only three teams to rank in the Top 5 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency in the FEI.
Under Freeman the Irish have also been red hot on the recruiting trail, with Notre Dame landing the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the country according to On3/Rivals. Notre Dame is already off to a strong start in the 2027 class as they continue to build one of the most talented rosters in the country. That talented roster should give Notre Dame a chance to make another run at the playoffs and a chance to win a championship.
This is the second season in a row that Freeman has been coveted by other programs, and this announcement likely comes after Freeman and Notre Dame worked out a new extension. According to multiple sources, Freeman and Notre Dame have recently worked out a new deal for the fifth-year head coach that will give him yet another pay increase after a second straight Top 10 finish.
Freeman has been highly success in his four seasons with the Irish and he's a hot commodity in coaching searches. Following the 2025 season, Freeman's name was linked with Penn State, Florida, Michigan and LSU openings as well as with the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans. By linked I mean he was constantly listed as a coach those teams coveted and and sort of a "wish list" candidate. This speaks to how Freeman is perceived across the country for the success he's had at Notre Dame.
The only opening that seemed to have traction both ways was the Giants opening, and if Freeman does leave Notre Dame in the near future it would likely be for a NFL opening.
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